While blowing things up still thrills many gamers, recent years have seen a shift toward non-violent games like PowerWash Simulator and Minecraft.
These games offer a welcome break from the typical shooting and fighting titles that dominate the market. One theory suggests that, due to the prevalence of violence in the real world, gamers are increasingly seeking fantasy fulfillment that doesn’t rely on violence.
On the other hand, another theory argues that gamers have collectively decided that even their favorite violent games can be played non-violently, if they try hard enough. Playing as a pacifist in a game designed for violence opens up hundreds of new narrative possibilities and offers a refreshing take on familiar worlds. Whether it’s using persuasion in Fallout to avoid combat or stealing thousands of dollars worth of valuables in Thief without harming a single NPC, pacifism can provide an exhilarating change of pace.
So, without further ado, here are there are the best games to support pacifist runs…
(Note: This list includes only games where violence can be avoided, not games where violence is entirely absent, such as Dear Esther or Euro Truck Simulator.)
10. Thief trilogy
Originally from the now-defunct Eidos Interactive, Thief is a series centered around infiltrating various locales in search of valuable treasures. As the main character, Garrett, progresses through the overarching narrative, the game weaves in heavy elements of fantasy, including undead creatures and occult happenings.
In Thief, you employ a variety of weapons and tools. These can incapacitate enemies you encounter, but they also serve to create distractions and diversions. For example, in a typical playthrough, you might use the bow to headshot a guard and clear your path. However, if you’re playing as a pacifist, you could opt to use a water arrow to extinguish a nearby torch, creating shadows that allow you to move unseen. After all, the best thieves are the ones who never leave a trace.
9. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Another Eidos title, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is an action RPG originally releasing in 2016. Set 2 years after the events of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Mankind Divided follows Adam Jensen as he recovers from a mission for TF29 in Dubai where he barely escapes with his life. Jensen returns to Prague to meet Varga and is victim to an explosion which damages his augmentations. During the process of repairing the augments, he discovers hidden abilities which he upgrades as the campaign progresses.
The campaign can be completed without killing anyone, instead by opting to neutralise enemy combatants with non-lethal means. Certain characters can also be removed from play by completing narrative arcs which allow other NPCs to do your dirty work for you. After all, you’re still a pacifist if there’s no actual blood on your hands.
8. Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an RPG with a difference. Instead of being a ‘chosen’ one or a world-changing protoganist, you play as Henry. Henry is a lowly apprentice to his blacksmith father. With no special skills of which to speak, Henry develops as a character throughout the game. Players can choose to make Henry a war-mongering psychopath if they wish, but the more interesting path lies in subtlety and manipulation.
When starting out, Henry is weak and meager and not very useful in a fight so needs to rely on his speech and persuasion skills (such as they are) to get himself out of sticky situations. Killing a single soul isn’t necessary throughout the majority of the story. The only exception to this is a narratively important kill which completes the main quest line.
One would not expect a game set during this time in European history to be so easy or fun to complete (mostly) non-lethally, yet Kingdom Come: Deliverance is exactly that.
7. Alpha Protocol
If ever there was a game that allowed you to play a set story in whichever fashion you see fit, it would be Alpha Protocol. With every major action comes a variety of choices, which range from allowing a criminal to go free, to killing your allies. The real fun however in Alpha Protocol is the option to play the game non-lethally. This allows you to experience, arguably, the best playthrough while also maintaining relationships with every character possible.
Alpha Protocol lets you complete the story by killing just one person, offering the ultimate James Bond/Jason Bourne fantasy. However regardless of it being worthy of a successor, it will most likely never receive one. This is largely due to its poor visual presentation.
6. Elite Dangerous
Offering a 1:1 scale of our Milky Way galaxy, Elite Dangerous lives and dies by the tagline, ‘blaze your own trail.’ What Elite Dangerous lacks in a concrete step-by-step narrative, it more than makes up for in its range of activities.
Many of the things you can do in Elite Dangerous have a heavy emphasis on combat, this includes; piracy, bounty hunting and alien extermination. If however, you find yourself desiring a more peaceful experience. Elite Dangerous allows you to play in solo mode, which enables you to avoid being attacked by other players. While in solo mode, you can mine asteroids, ferry passengers from system-to-system, or if you really want, trek across the galaxy as interstellar truck driver.
The options available to you are limitless, and the choice is yours. If you want a game that lets you be either a combat-focused psychopath or a Gandhi-like pacifist, Elite Dangerous is a great choice.
5. Outer Worlds
Another Obsidian title, The Outer Worlds is a space RPG where you play as “The Stranger,” navigating a web of intrigue surrounding the powerful corporation, The Board..
Outer Worlds is entirely classless. Therefore, as the Stranger you are able to switch up the style in which you approach each encounter – in true Obsidian fashion.
Dialogue checks, stealth, and technical skills to bypass locked doors and access restricted areas are invaluable for pacifist players. While most quests seem to want you to kill everything in your immediate area, further investigation provides alternative non-lethal routes. This – remarkably – extends to many main encounters, including the final scene where you can avoid combat with the boss entirely. An absolutely perfect pay to bookend a pacifistic playthrough.
4. Undertale
A standout among the other games on this list, Undertale encourages you to play as a pacifist. A kill-less playthrough will show you the true ending of the game. If you do opt to kill even one soul, you will not be privy to this.
The pacifist route is extremely difficult and dependent on player choice throughout. In most games, the pacifist option is simply about avoiding combat, but not in Undertale. Players must make the right choices to avoid being forced into a battle that can ruin their pacifist playthrough, no matter how far they’ve progressed.
Choosing to spare Asgore leads to the final confrontation with Asriel. However, you can only achieve this if you unlock the True Lab after the battle with Asgore.
Many players choose the pacifist playthrough to revisit the weird and wonderful world of Undertale. They should always avoid attempting it on their first try.
3. Minecraft
Originally developed by Markus “Notch” Persson in his spare time as a response to his love of Inifiniminer and Dungeon Keeper, Minecraft would go on to become the best-selling game in history – and for good reason.
Minecraft is the original survival experience, with its heavy emphasis around crafting and preparing for the night to come, and subsequently monsters. Even with its inclusion of some of the most iconic villainous creatures in gaming history, Minecraft is still able to be played entirely non-lethally. How? simply sleep through the night.
While it is true that Minecraft takes on a whole new life when including the monsters and resources they leave behind after dying, this isn’t all the game has to offer. Even without the monsters, Minecraft is a solid crafting, farming and trading game with a uniquely beautiful art-style. There really is nothing like starting life in a mud hut, and progressing to own your own farm and small village. Or even just starting your own little frog farm?
2. Disco Elysium
Edward Bulwer-Lytton, in his 1839 play Cardinal Richelieu, wrote: “The pen is mightier than the sword”, and never more is this true than when playing Disco Elysium. Disco Elysium instead understands that you do not need a weapon, to take a life. Words carry weight in this universe. You play as a detective as he investigates a series of crimes and navigates his own – seemingly – alcohol-induced amnesia.
A true pacifist run in Disco Elysium is not as simple as not pulling the trigger, due to its unique approach to role-playing. Throughout the campaign, you must make dialogue choices which can inadvertently cause distress and even death. If you want to complete a pacifist run in Disco Elysium, you will need a keen eye and even keener ears. Hell, a note book wouldn’t go amiss either.
1. Dishonored
Following the story of the disgraced iconic protector Corvo as he makes his way through the conspiracy group responsible for his predicament. Dishonored, an atmospheric RPG from Arkane Studios, features heavy supernatural elements like time travel and possession, which you can use to both hilarious and horrific effect. If you choose to play non-lethally, you can remove main targets in inventive and disturbing ways.
Dishonored offers the most karmically beautiful methods, with each method pertaining to the reason for the assassination to begin with.
Whether forcing a wealthy mine-owner to work in his own mine or condemning a socialite to a life of violent servitude. These fates are truly worse than the sharp end of the blade, and it is this that makes this one of the best games to support pacifist runs.
Conclusion
When developing a game meant to be played aggressively, it must a great challenge to include the option of non-lethality, but we are very happy that the attempts are made. After all, whether it be placing a bucket on a person’s head in Skyrim to rob them blind without the need for murder, or condemning people to fates worse than death via mechanical manipulation, non-lethal playthroughs leave us with some of our fondest memories, and they make us come back again and again.
