Why RPGs Have Side Quests

Open an RPG and you will find two kinds of quests. There is the main story. There are also side quests. A side quest is not needed to beat the game. But almost every RPG has many of them.

Side quests give the player a choice. The main story moves on a fixed line. Side quests let the player wander. They make the world feel bigger.

There is also a design reason. Side quests teach skills before the player needs them. A small quest might ask the player to fight one easy monster. This lets the player learn the rules without dying in the main story.

Side quests also slow the player down at the right time. If the main story is too hard, the player can do side quests to grow stronger. Then they come back ready.

Good side quests are not boring tasks. They tell their own small stories. A village problem, a missing friend, a hidden treasure. These little stories often stay in the player's memory longer than the main one.