Pentiment director emphasizes the importance of RPG players not controlling everything

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Game Developer · 4 min read · culture

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Pentiment director Josh Sawyer argues RPGs are most engaging when players can control a lot but not everything. Sawyer cites examples like Pillars of Eternity 2, where players cannot stop an in-game deity, to illustrate how limiting player agency can create meaningful choice and emotional impact.

Appeared in 2026-07-22.