Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Design Director Breaks Down What Makes a Good RPG

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It’s getting harder to define what makes a good role-playing game (RPG) these days. The genre has become very broad, and many games now claim the RPG title simply by including elements like character progression, conversations, or stat tracking. This means ‘RPG’ is often used as a general label for all sorts of games – from action-adventures to survival simulations – making it difficult to have a real discussion about what defines the genre. However, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was created with a very specific and intentional design philosophy, which the developers at Warhorse Studios have consistently highlighted.

It was a bit surprising when Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 didn’t win Best RPG at the 2025 Game Awards – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took the prize, even though the two games are very different. This result shows how wide the RPG category has become, with games that focus on different things all being called RPGs. The problem is that simply including some RPG features doesn’t necessarily make a game an RPG, and this is what prompted us to ask Viktor Bocan, the design director of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, what he thinks truly defines a great RPG in a recent interview.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Design Director Believes a Good RPG Is Defined By Freedom

While Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 definitely includes many features common to classic RPGs – like character development, a diverse party, and a story-focused approach – it falls short in one key area: player freedom. Though you can customize characters, explore optional content, and make some choices, the game’s strong emphasis on narrative limits how much you can truly do and explore on your own.

Role-playing games, or RPGs, earn their name by letting players create and become a character within a game world, expressing themselves however they choose. The best RPGs focus less on guiding a player’s development and more on creating a world that reacts to their decisions, regardless of the outcome. If a game only offers limited choices in character building or simple dialogue options, the role-playing feels superficial.

When a game lets players solve problems in their own way, make mistakes without the game stepping in, and face real consequences for their actions, that’s where true roleplaying happens. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is built on this idea, prioritizing player freedom as the core of the experience. As Bocan explained in our conversation, this is exactly the approach they took.

I really enjoy seeing a character develop and improve over time, and that’s something we focused on in both our games. We wanted players to start as a completely ordinary person – a fresh start where you can shape your character however you like. You should be able to choose what skills to learn – reading, for example – and it shouldn’t be required to finish the game. Some paths might be harder, others easier, but the freedom to progress in any direction and do whatever you want is the most important thing to us.

What sets Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 apart – and makes it a truly immersive RPG – is the freedom it offers players to explore and act as they choose. During an interview, the developers explained they initially considered giving the main character, Henry, a unique skill, like being the only person in his village who could read. However, they ultimately decided even that would limit player agency too much.

Instead, the developers designed Henry to be a deliberately unspecialized character. This meant players would have to actively work to improve him, but it also gave them incredible freedom in shaping his abilities and playstyle. Bocan pointed out that while a standard hero isn’t necessary for a good RPG, starting with someone like Henry allows for even greater character development than if they’d begun with a more powerful, pre-defined protagonist.

Bocan discussed how crucial growth is to role-playing games. While some RPGs focus on improving stats or equipment for combat, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 integrates growth into everyday gameplay. This includes skills like horseback riding and even learning to handle alcohol to benefit Henry, the player character. According to Bocan:

For me, the best part of an RPG isn’t the story or the characters, it’s getting stronger! That feeling of actually earning power as you play is what really makes it fun. It’s all about my character growing, becoming more powerful, and overcoming challenges through my own effort. That’s what I look for in a good RPG – that sense of progression and becoming a force to be reckoned with.

Bocan argues that a truly great RPG isn’t about having a specific set of rules, but about creating a certain experience. It’s a game that lets players shape their own characters, acknowledges that failure is part of the process, and doesn’t shield them from the results of their choices. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is designed with this in mind, weaving freedom, character development, and meaningful consequences into the core role-playing experience, rather than adding them as extra features. In a gaming landscape where the term ‘RPG’ is often loosely applied, Bocan’s approach highlights that real role-playing begins when a game stops dictating who the player should be.

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2026-01-28 15:06