Kingdom Come co-founder calls modern RPGs ‘games for teenagers’ due to repetitive chosen-one tropes

Warhorse Studios co-founder Martin Klima is challenging the repetitive design patterns that dominate modern role-playing games. He argues that the industry's reliance on the 'chosen one' narrative has created a stale experience for players who have seen the same power fantasy repeated across dozens of titles. This critique matters because it highlights a growing disconnect between developer ambitions and player fatigue with formulaic progression systems.

Warhorse Studios co-founder Martin Klima criticizes the repetitive chosen-one trope in modern RPGs

Klima points to major franchises like Ubisoft's Far Cry and Watch Dogs as examples of games that lose their appeal after the initial novelty wears off. He notes that playing similar mechanics for the tenth time makes the experience feel monotonous rather than engaging. The studio's own title, Kingdom Come Deliverance, offers a different approach by casting the protagonist as a blacksmith's son without any prophetic destiny or innate superpowers.

"I played the original Assassin's Creed, and the original Far Cry, and the original Watch Dogs, and most of these games in the first iterations, and it was fun. But once you play the same game for the 10th time, it sort of becomes stale," Klima stated in an interview with PC Gamer. This direct quote underscores the studio's commitment to grounding their narrative in realistic consequences rather than fantastical heroics. The approach allows players to earn their skills through effort rather than inheriting them through plot armor.

The developer also describes many modern RPGs as effectively 'games for teenagers' due to their heavy focus on power fantasies and linear progression. This perspective has sparked mixed reactions within the gaming community, with some players agreeing with the critique while others defend the appeal of escapist narratives. Kingdom Come: Deliverance continues to serve as a case study for developers seeking to differentiate their products through historical realism and skill-based gameplay loops.

We have been tracking Kingdom Come: Deliverance closely and previously covered unofficial DLSS 5 support for the sequel. That technical update demonstrates how the franchise continues to evolve its technical foundation even as it maintains its core design philosophy. The studio remains focused on delivering a distinct experience that contrasts with the mainstream industry trends Klima has criticized.

Source: NotebookCheck