If you look back through the annals of gaming’s history, you’ll find that combat in gaming has always been a staple of the video game design formula. InSpace Invaders,you were shooting aliens; inPac-Man,you could eat the Ghosts that pursued you; and inDig-Dug, you had to kill Poogas and Fygars. What I’m getting at here is that from way back in the 1980s all the way to now, you’ll struggle to name many games that don’t feature combat at all. The fact is that there are a handful of games that allow you to avoid combat almost entirely if you choose to, though.
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If you consider yourself a savant who can talk your way out of situations, or maybe you’re sneaky enough to avoid a brawl, then you may know one or two of them. But I want to highlight some prime examples of games where combat is basically optional, allowing all those who are lovers, not fighters, to role-play accordingly and play a game where bloodshed isn’t a mandatory task.
1Disco Elysium
Release Date
15th October 2019
Opencritic Score
We kick things off with a game that is one of a kind in many different ways. It’s unique because of its phenomenal writing, its dark and twisted humor and its intricate RPG systems. The unique aspect of this indie gem we want to highlight today, however, is thatDisco Elysiumis the only CRPG we’re aware of that has absolutely no combat at all. As you will come to see, there are quite a few CRPGs that keep fighting to a minimum, butDisco Elysiumavoids implementing combat entirely, allowing you to focus on your detective work, or you know, sleeping in a dumpster. Whatever floats your boat.
Thanks to the sublime, deep RPG systems that focus on your character’s ability to progress through skill checks and interact with the world around them, this game doesn’t need brawls or skirmishes to stay engaging. Revachol is plenty intriguing without fisticuffs, so if you want an RPG that handles things a little differently, thenDisco Elysiumis a game you need to check out.
2Fallout New Vegas
19th October 2010
TheFalloutseries has always been one that has allowed you to talk your way out of trouble, provided you have the gift of the gab to do so. Never has a game in the series, however, made the art of speechcraft quite as useful asFallout New Vegas. One can only assume that this shift to allow for non-lethal solutions to just about any questline or encounter directly correlates with Obsidian working on behalf of Bethesda on this one, as their games appear again on this list, but we are getting ahead of ourselves.
Fallout New Vegasconsistently allows players to do the extra legwork to appease and coerce NPCs, and this multi-layered quest design is what makes every moment of the game so special. It’s worth mentioning that the combat in this game is still as gory and satisfying as you want it to be courtesy of the VATS system, but if you want to settle your scores with words rather than bullets, thenFallout New Vegasis a game that will accommodate that.
3Planescape Torment: Enhanced Edition
11th April 2017
We considered adding more modern DND-inspired CRPGs such asBaldur’s Gate 3andDivinity 2: The Original Sin, but when it comes to minimal combat, there’s one game of this ilk that meets the criteria better than most.Planescape: Tormentis a game that allows you to lean into a high intelligence and charisma build, and through doing so, you can use brains over brawn to get out of most tussles without casting a spell or swinging a sword.
If I’m not mistaken, there are a handful of combat encounters that simply can’t be avoided, totaling four in the entire game. But considering the length of the campaign and the number of encounters you’ll navigate, this is still a pacifist-friendly gaming experience. You’ll need a lot of lucky dice rolls to actually make this happen, but if luck is on your side, you’ll hardly have to bloody your blade at all in this outstanding CRPG relic.
4Dishonored
8th October 2012
If you’re looking for a game where combat is optional, then stealth-based games tend to be gold mines in this regard. As, if you’re playing them as intended, you should be getting from one area to the next without anyone even knowing you were there at all. A lot of stealth games reward you for silent kills and walking out the last man standing, but inDishonored, the game actually encourages you to just get through each level without being seen or heard. I guess Corvo was a Milford man.
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The game allows you to spare all of your intended assassination targets if you wish, gives you all the tools needed to get through the world without drawing any attention courtesy of the Outsider’s otherworldly powers. Plus, thanks to the subtle karma system, if you do choose to keep your blade dry, the game will actually be easier as a result, with fewer enemies patrolling and fewer rats spreading the dreaded plague around Dunwall. It’s a stealth game masterclass, and if you play your cards right, you won’t harm a soul.
5The Outer Worlds
25th October 2019
I mentioned thatFallout New Vegaswouldn’t be the only Obsidian-made game on this list and here’s the proof.The Outer Worldsis another gem in the Obsidian crown that allows players to talk their way out of trouble, and while the combat is as fun and fluid as most modern FPS titles of the era, you’ll find that if you explore the world, get to know the NPCs that occupy each region and try to understand the nuances of every questline, you’ll be able to find a peaceful solution to just about every squabble.
It’s worth mentioning that, no matter how articulate you are, there’s nothing you can say that will tame a mutant space monster when it comes bounding at you. So combat isn’t completely optional here, but in civilized areas of the Halcyon Galaxy, you’ll be able to holster your weapons and use your sharp tongue to cut down foes instead. It may be a criminally-short game, but it’s a brilliant space-based RPG that’s well worth checking out if you haven’t already.
6Kingdom Come: Deliverance
13th February 2018
InKingdom Come: Deliverance,you don’t play as a super soldier or an inexplicably godlike being like you might do in other RPGs. You play as a peasant called Henry, and what that means for you is that there are a lot of bigger, badder guys out there in Bohemia, and you won’t be able to fight your way out of every problem you create for yourself. This means that you’ll need to use cunning, reasoning and deduction to influence those around you.
The game accommodates this non-neanderthal approach at almost every moment of the game, and aside from the end of the game, where you will be forced to take on the antagonist in a final showdown, you can complete the game without killing a single person and you’ll even get an achievement if you do. It’s an RPG where realism reigns supreme, and in the real world, you simply can’t win every fight. So pick your battles wisely and you just might be able to see Henry’s rags-to-riches story through from start to end.
7The Age of Decadence
14th October 2015
The Age of Decadence, even within the arena of CRPGs that can vary wildly in terms of scope and design, is an odd duck. It’s a game that proudly takes a lot of liberties with the tried and tested CRPG formula, and the result is something that even the developer warns might not be everyone’s cup of tea. If you’re on the hunt for a game where combat is secondary to intelligence, perception and smart decisions, however, then this one could be right up your alley.
The Age of Decadence, much likeKingdom Come: Deliverance,casts you in the role of a normal person, and due to your initially unremarkable nature, you need to use what skills you do have to get ahead in this world of intricate RPG systems and shape the world in your image by influencing the major factions of this world and understanding the nuances of this unique post-apocalyptic world.
The game supports non-violent approaches despite having a rather deep and interesting combat system. If you really want to give a pacifist run a go, however, you’ll need to realistically play as a Loremaster or a Merchant to pull it off. But that being said, the fact that it’s possible at all in a CRPG of this depth is remarkable, and even if it’s a bit of a divisive game, it’s one I would recommend you at least try on for size.
8Undertale
15th September 2015
Undertaleis a game that is as easy or as hard as you make it for yourself. Due to the unique combat system that Toby Fox cooked up for this indie RPG, players can take on enemies and navigate the bullet hell combat to kill everyone they come across if that is their choice. But the game actually encourages players to try and find creative solutions to end fights in non-lethal ways, and if you’re willing to work out how to do this in each encounter, you can actually completeUndertalewithout hurting a fly.
This focus on pacifism allows you to get to know each character more intimately, while still engaging with the combat system in a way that feels satisfying where you aren’t missing out on anything at all. Not to mention, if you’re not killing anyone, you avoid the potential perils of a genocide run, which is essentially playing Undertale on hard mode. It’s an RPG that sets out to break as many RPG traditions as it can, and by not forcing players to kill enemies, along with a laundry list of separate zany design choices,Undertalesucceeds in doing just that.
9Citizen Sleeper
5th May 2022
If we are going to includeDisco Elysiumon the grounds of being a deep, nuanced CRPG with no combat, then it would be cruel not to includeCitizen Sleeperas well, as this space-based CRPG manages to keep you on the hook for the entire game purely through the strength of its writing, world-building and the impact of the choices players will make on a routine basis.
Citizen Sleepersees you play as a runaway android aboard The Eye, and every moment is spent looking over your shoulder as you try to carve out a new life for yourself away from your masters. Through dice rolls that can be spent to perform actions daily, you’ll race against the clock to build a reputation, save your newfound friends and escape the seemingly-inevitable fate that follows close behind you, breathing down your neck.
It’s a game that feels like it should have combat, but due to the quality of the text-based format and the RPG systems present, it doesn’t suffer at all from the absence of action. It’s an impactful, engaging and engrossing indie RPG that you should play ahead of the upcoming sequel.
10Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Then, to wrap things up, we have the fourth iteration of the MGS series,Guns of the Patriots. In general, Hideo Kojima’s stealth-based series is one that falls into the category of forcing you to kill, but in a sneaky way, rather than allowing you to avoid lethal takedowns altogether. This game in the series allowed players to largely avoid confrontation altogether, however, and in a handful of genuinely amazing ways.
With tranquilizer darts, stun grenades, CQC takedowns to knock out guards and by using the environment to perform morally questionable indirect kills, you can clear the game with a body count of zero. It’s a game that actively punishes you for going in all guns blazing, so we urge you to do the opposite and keep to the shadows if you know what’s good for you.
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