What does this list consider an RPG?
- Either it meets all these criteria:
- It is primarily a single-player or cooperative experience, rather than competitive.
- It has some kind of number-based character development that goes beyond the simple collection of items.
- It has a system for combat (or another interaction) where effectiveness is dependent to some degree on character attributes.
- It has a flexible inventory with items that are not just based around solving puzzles. This typically means weapons, armor, gadgets, magic items, food/drink/medicine, or money.
- Or it’s something that’s popularly known as an RPG, regardless of those criteria.
- Criteria not considered:
- Whether the game is turn-based or real-time.
- Whether you play as a “blank slate” character or one with a personality defined by the game’s writers.
- Whether the game asks you to make choices that affect the outcome of the game’s storylines.
- Whether the game “feels like” a movie, a novel, an anime, a tabletop game, or a sandbox.
- What kind of setting the game has.
- Whether the game has character classes/differing builds.
- Whether you are “playing the role of a character”, whatever that means.