How Side Quests Can Make or Break an RPG’s Narrative

In role-playing games (RPGs), side quests are more than just optional content—they can enhance world-building, develop characters, and create emotional depth. But when done poorly, they can also feel disconnected, repetitive, or even contradict the main story.

So, what makes a side quest truly great? And how can it make—or break—an RPG’s narrative?

The Role of Side Quests in RPG Storytelling

Side quests expand the world beyond the main plot, giving players a chance to:

• Explore different regions and factions.
• Learn about minor characters with rich backstories.
• Gain extra rewards, abilities, or lore.

But the best side quests do more than just fill time—they add meaning to the world and its characters.

How Side Quests Can Enhance an RPG’s Narrative

Expanding the Lore

Great RPGs use side quests to deepen the world’s history, politics, and cultures. These quests provide backstory that makes the setting feel real without forcing players to read through long exposition dumps.

Example: The Witcher 3 – ‘A Towerful of Mice’

This side quest explores a haunted tower with a tragic backstory, weaving magic, betrayal, and horror into a memorable experience. It enhances the world’s lore while maintaining the dark fantasy tone of the main story.

Developing Side Characters

Memorable RPGs have compelling side characters, and side quests are where many of them shine. These quests offer insight into their struggles, motivations, and growth, making the world feel more alive.

Example: Mass Effect 2 – Loyalty Missions

Each squad member has a unique personal quest that strengthens their bond with the player and influences their fate in the final mission. These quests turn companions into fully realized characters rather than just extra firepower.

Reinforcing the Main Story’s Themes

The best side quests aren’t just fun distractions—they reflect and reinforce the themes of the main narrative. Whether it’s about moral dilemmas, war, or survival, a well-designed side quest can add emotional weight to the larger story.

Example: Red Dead Redemption 2 – ‘The Veteran’

This quest follows a lonely war veteran and his growing friendship with Arthur Morgan. It quietly reinforces the game’s themes of loyalty, regret, and mortality, making it one of the most touching moments in the game.

How Side Quests Can Ruin an RPG’s Narrative

Breaking Narrative Consistency

When side quests feel completely disconnected from the main story, they can ruin immersion. If the world is on the brink of destruction, yet the protagonist can take time off to collect flowers for a random villager, it creates a disconnect between gameplay and story.

Example: Final Fantasy XV – Hunting Frogs During a War

The main story is a race against time to save the world, yet many side quests involve mundane fetch tasks, making the stakes feel meaningless.

Relying on Fetch Quests and Repetition

Repetitive, uninspired side quests can make an RPG feel like a chore rather than an adventure. If the majority of side quests involve collecting random items, killing a set number of enemies, or delivering messages with no real story impact, they become filler.

Example: Skyrim – Radiant Quests

While Skyrim has many strong side quests, its procedurally generated “radiant quests” often feel meaningless. These quests send players on generic tasks with little story, making them feel like busywork rather than true exploration.

Overshadowing the Main Story

In some cases, side quests are so well-written that they make the main story feel weak in comparison. When side quests offer deeper choices, better character development, and more engaging plots than the main narrative, players may lose interest in finishing the core storyline.

Example: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – The Dark Brotherhood Questline

The main story of Oblivion is a fairly standard fantasy plot, but the Dark Brotherhood side quests are full of intrigue, betrayal, and unique assassination missions. Many players found these quests far more compelling than the game’s central conflict.

Side quests can elevate an RPG’s story by enriching its world, deepening its characters, and reinforcing its themes. But if they feel disconnected, repetitive, or poorly designed, they can weaken the overall experience. The best RPGs strike a balance—making side quests feel meaningful without undermining the main narrative.

A well-crafted side quest should leave players with a sense of discovery, emotional connection, or narrative impact, ensuring that every moment spent off the main path is just as memorable as the journey itself.

Also Read: Emergent Gameplay: When Players Break the Game in the Best Ways

--Silviya.Y