Some people love to play games, but others don’t want the agency over their player. They might want less pressure, need less skill, and just enjoy the game more as a spectator than a participant.
Luckily, there are tons of games that are made just for these people, and some of them can be quite fantastic. There are multiple genres, and multiple methods of taking away the need to have sharp reflexes or having to defeat tough enemies.
10 Best JRPGs For Non-JRPG Fans
JRPGs are an acquired taste for some, but these games are tasty no matter what.
For those who want games that play themselves, but are still a ton of fun, this list is for you, so ease up that white-knuckle grip on the controller, relax a little bit while you give control over to the game for once.
10Dwarf Fortress
An Unending Simulation
Dwarf Fortress
Dwarf Fortress is hard to describe in terms of the depth there is. It’s less a game and more of a simulation. You put the pieces in place, but then, the overall experience is very much a passive one, watching the unmitigated chaos unfold.
You are essentially trying to run a Dwarven society, and that is far easier said than done. The AI running in this game is simply astounding.
There will be murderous rampages, cannibalism, wars, all within this hilariously modest-looking game, and the sheer amount of craziness that can happen on screen.
You do your part to manage the society and have different characters interact with each other, but much of the game is watching the ways the dwarves will interact with each other on your own, and it’s quite an amusing and often horrifying sight.
9Tales of Vesperia
Watch the Magic Unfold
Tales of Vesperia
Tales of Vesperia is one of the all-time great JRPGs, but the combat is a tough and fast-paced affair that demands careful timing and management of resources.
If that sounds too intense, there is an auto battle that takes care of all that for you. You can effectively watch the combat play out on screen and really just take part in the item management, arte selection, and moving around the game world as your character.
It’s a great way to play the game, so whether you’re not physically able to play at a fast pace or just want towatch the beautiful graphics in motionwithout the stress of button inputs, this is an amazing way to play a great game.
There are also options for semi-auto play, which allow you to control a little bit of the combat but not every aspect, so you can switch these up depending on how much impact you want to have on the gameplay.
8Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
Your Imagination Going to War
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator is aone-of-a-kind gamethat takes very little player agency to enjoy it to the fullest.
There are multiple modes to play with, with a basic campaign and a custom battle mode that allows you to put together any fights you’d like to put together.
You choose different characters to fight in battles, and then you watch the chaos unfold. The gameplay is basically you setting up armies of various kinds and trying to overcome the odds.
So much of the gameplay happens with your hands off the controller or keyboard, and it’s a hilarious and fascinating sequence that takes place.
It’s one of the better games that requires you to do little to get the best possible experience out of it.
7Asura’s Wrath
Playable Anime
Asura’s Wrath
If you want to go on a journey, and an unforgettable one at that, Asura’s Wrath is the game for you.
It’s a game that gives you some control, but overall, you’re sitting back and taking part in a handful of interactive cutscenes that require little more than a button press.
The game itself is a mad revenge story of cosmic proportions, with you fighting a handful of god-like beings, and it’s clear that the fights here were an inspiration for the boss fights in Final Fantasy 16, so you’re in for quite the spectacle.
It’s an easy game for the most part, and you’re pretty much along for the ride when it comes to the gameplay.
For anyone who wants to play an action game without the frustration and challenge it can bring, this is the perfect place to start.
6Detroit: Become Human
Existential Crisis Androids
Detroit: Become Human
Detroit: Become Human is one of thedeepest experiences I’ve had in a game. It’s emotional, philosophical, and a startlingly realistic picture of what the near future could very well look like.
You play three different androids who are all in different places in the city of Detroit, one a babysitter, the other an assistant to a paper, and another who is a cop given the task to hunt down rogue androids.
The plot is familiar, but well done, and the performances by the cast are all fantastic, as are the incredible graphics that depict the action.
Detroit: Become Human Has Sold Five Million Copies Worldwide
After launching in 2018, Quantic Dreams' Detroit: Become Human has sold five million copies worldwide between PlayStation 4 and Steam.
Gameplay-wise, you’ll be doing some minor exploration and puzzle solving, and there are just a couple of action-focused scenes throughout the game that require a QTE to get through.
Most of the time, you’ll be watching cutscenes and choosing dialogue options while the game essentially plays itself.
There are multiple paths to take, and each one changes the story in a certain direction, so multiple playthroughs are definitely encouraged here.
5Final Fantasy XII
A System Made To Watch
Final Fantasy 12
Final Fantasy 12 changed the gameplay of the series in a big way by introducing the gambit system. This system is so intricate that you’re able to basically set it up in a way that the game will play itself.
Selecting your moves on the fly is a thing of the past. Of course, you may do that if you still want to, switching through characters doling out commands, but the gambit system automates everything for you.
The only thing required of the player is to move around in the game world, as a proper gambit setup makes combat a"put the controller down and watch"affair, which could be what some gamers want to do.
Final Fantasy 12 is one of the best JRPGs ever, and if this is the way you choose to experience it, you’re fully able to and will still get a huge thrill out of the game.
4The Quarry
Movie Mode
The Quarry
The Quarry is one of many movie-style games made by Supermassive Games, but this one comes with a unique mode that is perfect for gamers who just want to watch the action unfold.
This mode, called movie mode, allows you to choose various paths for the game to take and then watch it all unfold.
It’s still an exciting experience because you don’t know all the story implications each choice has at first, and it’s a little bit like watching a movie from behind the director’s chair.
It kind of feels like you’re playing god for these characters rather than playing as them, and it introduces a sadistic new spin on playing horror games that more games in the genre should consider, as it’s a great way to experience these games that are just playable movies to begin with.
3Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Let Your Party Decide
Yakuza: Like A Dragon
Yakuza: Like A Dragon is one of the best JRPGs of the past 5 years, but the combat is highly interactive, with button prompts for offense, defense, and generally requiring a ton of on-the-fly decision-making.
However, if you’re just there for the story, you may select an option at the bottom of the screen during the combat that lets your party members act on their own.
You can still enjoy the combat and dip in and out if you’d like, but if you want a completely hands-off approach, you can do that too, and, honestly, the amazing animations and combat choreography are still fun as hell to just watch.
You still have to run around and talk to people, but since you’ll be fighting for a large portion of the game, you can really just let the game play itself and enjoy the story, which is worth the price of admission for that alone.
2Dragon Age: Origins
Set it and Forget it
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age: Originsis one of the best games ever made, but you actually don’t have to play as much as you’d think.
Much like Final Fantasy 12, there is an in-depth system where you can set up how your party fights.
This goes into everything from who attacks and when they attack, to when they heal, when they revive, when they defend the main character, and when they buff. It’s an outrageously in-depth system.
With the hands-off approach to the combat that it offers, you can take in the fantastic story and characters in a way that makes the game feel like a playable movie.
you’re able to effectively set the controller down and watch the action unfold on screen, and it’s honestly a great way to play the game.
You still have to know what you’re doing when setting your party up, but once you do, you’re in the clear to sit back and explore at your will and enjoy the amazing world of Dragon Age.
1Unicorn Overlord
Become the Audience for a Beautiful War
Unicorn Overlord
Unicorn Overlordis an incredible game that takes a lot of pages out of games from the past and delivers them with its own flavor.
The concept is you command an army, and you’re trying to take back your kingdom from an evil ruler. It’s fairly generic story-wise, but the battles are what make the game great.
Unicorn Overlord takes away your direct control over encounters and instead has you program your characters on what to do when battle starts, much like the gambit system from Final Fantasy 12.
You will have multiple squads to direct, and each one can have its own set of directives. Unlike other games in this genre, you cannot directly take control over battles even if you want to, as the squads simply act on their own.
Unicorn Overlord allows you to watch the action unfold while you travel around the map and talk to characters. It makes for a great experience, andone of the better games of 2024.
