Hi everyone!
I'm not entirely sure if this is the right place to post this, or if what I'm imagining is even realistically possible, but I figured there's no harm in putting the idea out there and seeing what people think.
For a while now, I've had this idea for a game that I would absolutely love to play, but I haven't come across anything on Steam that quite captures what I'm looking for.
My dream game is an incredibly immersive, open-world medieval fantasy life simulator where players have the freedom to create their own lives and stories within a living, breathing world.
One of my biggest inspirations is Red Dead Redemption 2. Not necessarily because of its setting or storyline, but because of the amount of freedom it gives players and how alive the world feels. You can spend hours exploring, interacting with NPCs, discovering little details, or simply enjoying the environment without feeling like you have to constantly complete missions.
I'd love to see that same level of freedom and immersion brought into a medieval fantasy setting, but with a much greater emphasis on everyday life, character customization, professions, relationships, and social progression.
I understand that what I'm describing is a massive undertaking, and I genuinely don't know what would go into making something like this. But I wanted to share some of the ideas I've been imagining.
The General Concept
Rather than being forced into the role of a hero with a predetermined destiny, players would have the freedom to decide who they want to be and what kind of life they want to live.
You could choose to be an ordinary villager, a successful merchant, a talented dressmaker, a blacksmith, a farmer, a noble, or perhaps someone who becomes involved with the royal family.
You could also choose a completely different path and spend your time traveling, exploring mysterious forests, discovering magic, and uncovering secrets hidden throughout the world.
The idea is that there wouldn't necessarily be one correct way to play the game.
I want the ordinary aspects of life to feel just as meaningful as the adventurous ones.
Professions and Building a Life
One of the features I'd be most excited about is having detailed, interactive professions that players could genuinely develop over time.
For example, if you wanted to become a dressmaker, you could start as an apprentice, learn how to create clothing, collect different fabrics and materials, accept commissions from NPCs, and gradually improve your skills.
Eventually, you might open your own shop, gain recognition for your designs, and even receive commissions from wealthy or royal clients.
The same concept could apply to other professions, such as blacksmithing, farming, and trading.
I'd love for professions to involve actual gameplay rather than simply clicking a button and receiving money.
Your career could influence the people you meet, the opportunities available to you, your reputation, and your place within society.
Character Customization and Personal Expression
I'd also love for character customization to be a major part of the experience.
Players could create their own characters, potentially choosing between different fantasy races such as humans, elves, and fairies, with extensive options for hairstyles, clothing, appearance, and personal style.
Fashion would be especially important, with clothing that could be crafted, purchased, customized, or earned through different activities.
Eventually, players could own homes, decorate them, establish businesses, and create a lifestyle that reflects their character.
I think it would be amazing if two people could play the same game and have completely different experiences based on the lives they choose to create.
NPCs, Relationships, and Social Progression
Another feature I'd love to see is a world filled with NPCs who feel like actual inhabitants rather than characters standing around waiting to give you quests.
Ideally, NPCs would have their own schedules, personalities, occupations, relationships, and routines.
Shops would have customers, villagers would go about their daily activities, and different areas of the world would feel busy or quiet depending on what's happening.
I'd love for relationships and reputation to matter.
For example, someone starting as a commoner might eventually become an influential member of society through their career, friendships, wealth, or accomplishments.
You could attend festivals, markets, royal gatherings, and other social events, meet different characters, and gradually become part of the community.
I also think it would be interesting if your decisions and relationships influenced how people treated you and what opportunities became available.
The Open World
This is probably the most ambitious part of what I'm imagining.
I'd love a large, detailed medieval fantasy world filled with castles, villages, bustling cities, forests, countryside, mountains, coastal settlements, and mysterious locations to discover.
I don't necessarily want the world to be enormous just for the sake of having a large map.
I'd much rather have a world that feels genuinely alive and interactive.
Imagine walking through a village and seeing merchants selling goods, people working in their shops, townspeople having conversations, or travelers passing through.
You might visit a castle, wander through the countryside, explore an enchanted forest, or spend the day working in your own shop.
I'd love for the world to encourage exploration and spontaneous interactions, similar to what makes Red Dead Redemption 2 so immersive.
It would be incredible if players could enter buildings, interact with everyday objects, discover unexpected encounters, and feel like they're truly living in this world rather than just passing through it.
Fantasy and Optional Magic
Since the setting would be medieval fantasy, I'd also love to incorporate magical elements, but I wouldn't want magic to be something every player was required to pursue.
Maybe you could discover hidden magical locations, meet unusual creatures, learn certain abilities, or uncover mysteries throughout the world.
Alternatively, you could completely ignore that side of the game and live as an ordinary villager.
I think having that choice would be an important part of the experience.
Multiplayer
Another dream feature would be multiplayer, where players could share the world and create their own experiences together.
Imagine being able to open a clothing shop that other players could visit, trade goods, attend social events, explore together, or simply spend time in a fantasy world with friends.
I understand that multiplayer would add an entirely different level of complexity, so I don't know how practical it would be, especially in the beginning.
But it's something I'd love to see eventually.
The Reality of Making Something Like This
Now, this is where I want to be completely transparent.
I know absolutely nothing about coding or what actually goes into developing a video game.
I don't know how to create 3D models, build game mechanics, design animations, or even what engine would be the best choice for something like this.
For all I know, this idea could be completely unrealistic, especially considering the scale and level of detail I'm imagining.
I understand that a game like Red Dead Redemption 2 required an enormous team, years of development, and a massive budget. I'm definitely not expecting a handful of people to somehow recreate that level of production for free.
I also realize that experienced developers and artists have their own projects, jobs, responsibilities, and much better opportunities to spend their time on, including work they could actually get paid for.
I would never expect anyone to dedicate hundreds of hours of their time to somebody else's dream without compensation or some meaningful reason to be involved.
That's partly why I've been hesitant to even make this post.
But at the same time, I keep coming back to this idea because it's genuinely a game I wish existed.
I thought that maybe there are other people out there who have wanted something similar, or who might find the concept interesting enough to explore together.
I'm not committed to any particular game engine, and I would absolutely be open to suggestions from people who understand game development better than I do.
If a project like this ever did move forward, I understand that the only sensible way to begin would probably be with something much smaller, such as one detailed village, a few interactive NPCs, and a functioning profession system.
I would love to eventually see this grow into something much bigger, but I know that would take a tremendous amount of work.
Why I'm Posting
I suppose I'm posting for a couple of reasons.
First, I'd genuinely love to know what people think about the concept.
Is this something other people would actually be interested in playing? Are there games out there already doing something similar that I may have overlooked? And from a developer's perspective, how unrealistic would a project like this actually be?
Second, I wanted to see if there happened to be anyone who shares an interest in this type of game and would potentially want to explore the idea together.
I have been putting thought into the world, gameplay systems, professions, and other features, and I would be happy to contribute to the creative planning, documentation, worldbuilding, organization, and anything else I could realistically help with.
I'm also very willing to learn.
I wouldn't want this to be a situation where I come up with ideas and expect everyone else to do all the actual work. If people were interested in collaborating, I would want it to be something we could all contribute to creatively and have a genuine stake in.
I can't offer upfront payment, and I wouldn't want to make promises about future profits. If something serious ever came from it, I would want to discuss fair arrangements and expectations with everyone involved.
Final Thoughts
I realize this might sound like someone with no development experience dreaming up an impossibly ambitious game, and maybe that's exactly what it is. But I also think it would be a shame to never even share the idea simply because I don't know where to begin.
More than anything, I'd love to see a medieval fantasy game where you aren't obligated to save the world, fight enemies, or follow a particular storyline. You could simply exist in that world, build a life, and create your own adventures.
It's the type of game I could imagine spending hundreds of hours playing, and I'd love to help make something like that a reality someday. Even if nothing comes from this post, I would genuinely appreciate hearing people's thoughts, suggestions, or advice about where someone like me could even begin.
And if there are any developers, artists, or other creative people who have dreamed of making something similar, I'd love to hear from you.
Thank you to anyone who took the time to read all of this!