Great games are built on emotional investment, not just mechanics. If a character’s presence in the world feels passive, interchangeable, or irrelevant, they are dead on arrival—even if technically animated.
1. Ordinary is invisible
When everything about a character is “normal,” players instinctively ignore them:
- They don’t have goals
- They don’t cause friction
- They don’t affect the world
This doesn’t mean every NPC needs to be dramatic or loud. It means every character must have a reason to be remembered.
If you can replace them with a signpost and nothing changes, they don’t belong in the game.
2. Case example: Undertale’s shopkeepers
Undertale is full of small NPCs, but none of them are “just there.” The shopkeeper is a tired bunny mom. The skeleton brothers are comedians and tragic figures. The ordinary guard has romantic tension with his colleague.
Each one breaks the mold of “just a role.” They have opinions, backstories, quirks. Even if they only say one line, that line sticks.
The player cares—because the world cares.
3. Narrative energy comes from tension
What makes a character worth caring about is not the amount of screen time, but the contrast they bring:
- A coward in a world of heroes
- A dreamer in a world of machines
- A liar who tells one beautiful truth
“Flat” means no dramatic pressure. Memorable means some form of struggle or contradiction.
4. Design rule: Every NPC needs at least one hook
If you want players to care:
- Give the NPC a want (even a silly one)
- Put them in tension with their environment
- Let them surprise the player at least once
No drama = no memory.
One-liner takeaway:
The player has a limited spotlight. Don’t waste it on someone with nothing to say.