Games With The Most Ridiculous Player Choices

8

Neverwinter Nights 2

Looking Back, Beating Our Childhood Friends With A Stick Doesn’t Seem Like The Smartest Choice

If the first Neverwinter Nights was a walk through the valley of the shadow of death, its sequel tries to make its players lower their guard by showcasing scenes of revelry and celebration from the start. But, if players drop their guard for even a second, the game makes sure that every little choice they make comes back to bite them in the rear of their Chainmail (or any other AC-providing body equipment).

Some of the choices and consequences are direly serious, while others are plain tantalizing and bordering on stupidity, testing the players’ capability to take the most ridiculous of paths just to get results. And the results are almost always a smack on the face, and that’s what makes this game so great.

7

Pathfinder: Kingmaker

Who Wants To Be The Naked King?

From childhood, some players dream of being knights in shiny armor, rescuing the princess, and sometimes, even sitting on a throne and commanding their own armies to create an age of prosperity and peace. Well, Pathfinder: Kingmaker is just about that, but it is also about taking the worst, stupidest of options, to reach the goals set by unscrupulous advisors, and that’s okay.

What makes this game so much fun is that it starts with an obvious setup by the most obvious and annoying of villains in the history of RPGs, and ends up with players sitting in the high chair of a budding nation, trying to fend off impending doom that comes in wave after wave. No wonder some give up under the pressure and decide to hire a dancing bear to bring some joy to their court, instead of directing their much-needed budget to feed the orphans. But, hey! Who’s the King here?

6

Dragon Age: Inquisition

They Say Those With Power Tend To Make The Most Dumb Mistakes

Besides the obvious Rift Manipulation abilities and the immense responsibility put upon their shoulders, players trying to enjoy Dragon Age: Inquisition as a morally ambiguous character will most likely fall under two sub-categories: Fans of Sera, or Fans of Iron-Bull, not to mention those who try to two-time with these companions throughout the game and its expansions, enjoying their priceless dialogue interactions.

In hindsight, most of the choices players take in the game are clearly not for those who have an ounce of doubt in their hearts. And there’s a huge margin for Inquisitors to commit the stupidest of actions for the greater good (or for their own selfish reasons). The game doesn’t punish players as severely as it should for doing dumb stuff like hitting a sleeping dragon with their fists, so players should rest easy and let the strays of the pack lead them the wrong way.

5

Disco Elysium

If Dumb Ways To Die Was A Game

Welcome to Disco Elysium where every skill check from the point the game starts to the credits roll can result in the main character’s (Harry) untimely and sometimes brutal death. This weird sleuth game is set in a dystopian world, where the thin line separating crime from law is a tiny blur, and causality hits harder than a donkey’s kick to the face.

Tasked with investigating the public execution of a man, Harry and his sidekick (Kim Katsuragi), will have to work together to solve this mystery and plus, piece back the fragmented memory of Harry, who seems to be a bit amnesiac at the moment. The problem is: Keeping Harry alive might be harder than what players first taught, and the slightest mishap can result in a bad ending. Needless to say, each dumb choice can be the last, and there are many, many ridiculous choices to make.

4

Fable: The Lost Chapters

Chickenchaser Or Piemaster. Though Choice

From killing chickens to earn the Arseface title, to eating like a beast in front of a possessed door just to get some loot, Fable: The Lost Chapters concentrates a ton of the most ridiculous choices in the history of Fantasy RPGs, and that’s what makes this game so good. The absolutely chaotic world of Alvion is filled to the brim with opportunities to commit severe acts of foolery.

Needless to say, every action has its consequences in this magnificent game. If players are not careful, they could end up being the Village Idiots (or the villains) instead of Legendary Heroes.

3

The Outer Worlds 2

Where The Consequences Of Being A Fool Are Astronomical

The chaotic retro-style sci-fi game made by Obsidian Entertainment has a lovely sequel, but the number of ridiculously dangerous choices has increased exponentially. From taking in some of the worst possible flaws an RPG has ever offered, without a clear gain on sight, to dooming a whole space colony just because.

The possibilities in this game are enormous, and the consequences are even more impactful than in its previous iteration. The Outer Worlds 2 might very well be the game with the greatest amount of ridiculous player choices available from the start of the game until the end.

2

Borderlands

Sure, Let’s Scoop Those Poop Piles Searching For Ammo

The Borderlands series is one of the most fun experiences gamers can have while attempting all kinds of acts of stupidity: From attaching rockets to a chemical toilet with a bandit inside to indulging the request from the main villain to just kill themselves by jumping from a cliff, the things Vault Hunters do are questionable, to say the least.

Though the game doesn’t have an overwhelming branching narrative content like other similar games, its optional questing and the consequences of players dabbling with looters, psychos, and other potential Vault Hunters almost always end up with explosions, and involve tons of feces for reasons logic cannot grasp.

1

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Hero, Drunkard, And The Miller’s Daughter Sweetheart

From ruining a perfectly fine wedding to diving into a swamp of human filth to recover a bow, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 surely puts some emphasis on players’ freedom of choice, no matter how ridiculous and heinous these choices may be. The consequences of living like a pig in a partially civilized society are dire, and players are always two strikes away from being hanged and unlocking the bad ending.

In KCD2 the fun is not just about leading Henry in his quest for revenge against the man who took everything from him, but also seeking some balance between revelry, social life, and duty. Even if this duty is ensuring the survival of a pompous, blabbermouth, and irresponsible man-child who should have been smacked in the face in the first game. Someone had to say it.

More

Great Games Where Your Decisions Truly Matter

The following games stand out for forcing players to make tough decisions that can drastically change the story.