High fantasy epics are excellent fodder for video games because they play into the power fantasy aspect of gaming. There’s a special sort of pride that comes from leveling up, becoming the ultimate badass, taking out the Big Evil, and saving an entire world.

But sometimes, we play to relax. To enjoy a world, and not just constantly defend it from destruction. To have fun, without the pressure (real or imagined) of high scores, high difficulties, and high fantasy tropes like finding out you’re The Chosen One.

Low fantasy video games are often on the quieter side, smaller in scale but no lesser in emotional range, with a personal side to them that can be explored to a greater degree than most high fantasy plots have time to allow.

If that’s the kind of experience you seek… these are the games you’re looking for.

What Counts as a “Low Fantasy” Video Game?

Genre is somewhat fluid, and where the boundaries of one subgenre may end and another begins is always up for debate. For the purposes of this post, “low fantasy” refers to stories that take place in a fundamentally mundane reality, where literal magic is rare and often subtle. Low fantasy is also sometimes called “intrusion fantasy” because magical influences are considered supernatural rather than a natural part of the world. 

High fantasy (and especially epic fantasy), by contrast, is set in a blatantly magical, obviously “Other” world and tends to be grander in scale and theme. (Think The Lord of the Rings.)

Fantastic Low Fantasy Video Games and Where to Find Them

Here are a few low fantasy video games that prove fantasy doesn’t have to be epic to be absolutely magical.

‘Thief: The Dark Project’ (Looking Glass Studios, 1998)

Thief: The Dark Project and (some of) its sequels are classic examples of low fantasy video games that eschew big battles and heroic quests in favor of a more focused, heavily atmospheric experience. While the 2014 reboot, to some, left something to be desired, the original 1998 game was a study in stealth, spookiness, and subtlety. Its influence continues to ripple through the community to this day.

Where to find it: Thief Gold is considered the definitive release of the game (featuring an extended experience and revamped graphics). It is currently available for PC only.

‘Kentucky Route Zero’ (Cardboard Computer, 2013)

A point-and-click adventure game set in the Bluegrass State doesn’t seem a likely place to look for magic. But if there’s one thing critics loved about this game, it was its masterful use of magical realism to tell a strange story about a long, mysterious stretch of road in Kentucky, the deliveryman tasked with traversing it, and the individuals he meets along the way.

Where to find it: Kentucky Route Zero was originally a PC game, but has since been released for Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo platforms.

‘The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’ (CD Projekt Red, 2015)

This is the recommendation that most often pops up on low fantasy video game lists—in part because it’s so good, but also, I think, because there are so few other options in this particular subgenre.

The Witcher 3 is one of my all-time favorites, but its place on this list is contestable. It looks and sometimes feels rather high fantasy, especially in terms of sheer scale. But at its core, it’s a story about realistically rendered people, fatal flaws and all, just trying to survive in a world full of monsters (many of them human). And honestly, whenever you give me a chance to recommend this game, I’m going to take it. I just can’t help myself.

Where to find it: PC, Playstation, Xbox, even Nintendo (though I strongly recommend playing on a big screen, the better to ogle this game’s beautiful, horrifying world and inhabitants).

‘Life is Strange’ (Dontnod Entertainment, 2015)

I can’t speak to the entire series, as I still haven’t finished it yet (yes, yes, ring the bells of shame, I deserve it). But the original Life is Strange? I’m still in love. In Life is Strange, you play Max, an otherwise fairly normal teenager in high school who is thrust into an utterly strange state of existence after she discovers she has the (limited) ability to turn back time. But there is so much more to it than that, and the experience of slowly peeling back the layers of truth and supposition is where the real magic of this story lies.

Where to find it: Life is Strange can be played on a wide array of platforms, including mobile, PC, Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo options.

‘Disco Elysium’ (ZA/UM, 2019)

This one’s an example of fantasy so low, some players never picked up on the fantasy elements at all. This one’s not your typical fantasy RPG, full of monster slaying and bad guy beating—in fact, there’s no combat at all. Just good old-fashioned skill checks and dialogue trees… and a gritty, dark sense of humor.

Where to find it: As of this writing, Disco Elysium is available to play for PC, Mac, Playstation, Nintendo, and Xbox users.

More Good Places to Look for Low Fantasy Games

If this list does nothing to quench your thirst for low fantasy video games, don’t worry… there are more out there. But you might have to do a little digging to find them.

Visual novels are a great category to check out if you haven’t already. While high fantasy VNs abound, there are plenty of the other kind too, often grounded in historical settings with just a few magical elements like fantasy races or subtle spellcasting. (It took everything in me not to recommend the Hakuoki games for the umpteenth time… oops, too late).

Interactive fiction is also a good place to check—I think in part because it is so heavily indie-slanted, and thus a more welcoming arena for experimental magical realism and other low-fantasy tropes. (Several of my own games would certainly qualify.)

I hope this list has helped you find your next favorite low fantasy video game—or if not, that it has at least helped point you in the right direction. Take care, fair traveler, and may you find the treasure you seek!

Kim Berkley is a fantasy fiction author and video game writer. Her works include several titles that fall under the low fantasy umbrella, including The Harbinger’s Head (set in a myth-riddled 19th century Ireland) and chiaroscuro (set in modern-day Rome).