{
  "id": 17722263,
  "title": "Obsidian's Josh Sawyer on RPG cities: 'Compared to a dungeon, generally speaking, a town is 4x the expense per square foot'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/obsidians-josh-sawyer-on-rpg-cities-compared-to-a-dungeon-generally",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-02T01:39:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PC Gamer",
    "slug": "pc-gamer",
    "url": "https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/obsidians-josh-sawyer-on-rpg-cities-compared-to-a-dungeon-generally-speaking-a-town-is-4x-the-expense-per-square-foot/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Obsidian studio design director Josh Sawyer recently discussed the challenges and costs associated with creating RPGs set in urban environments. In a YouTube Q&A, Sawyer explained that compared to a dungeon environment, cities are generally four times more expensive per square foot to develop.\n\nSawyer cited several examples of urban RPGs that successfully capture believable, dense settings, including Baldur's Gate 2's Athkatla, Disco Elysium, and Zero Parades. However, he noted that the latter two benefit from not needing to incorporate as many believable combat encounters as other RPGs.\n\nSome additional urban RPGs Sawyer mentioned include Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, Cyberpunk 2077, and Baldur's Gate 3's rendition of the titular city. While he acknowledges that these titles pose significant development challenges, Sawyer remains a staunch defender of urban adventures in RPGs, including those that form the entire game.\n\nNovigrad and Oxenfurt, two standout locations from The Witcher 3, serve as examples of the captivating urban environments Sawyer admires. For a niche urban RPG worth checking out, he recommends Moves of the Diamond Hand, an early access title currently available.",
  "summary": "It's these freaking zoning laws, man.",
  "key_points": [
    "Creating RPG cities is four times more expensive per square foot than dungeons.",
    "Examples of successful urban RPGs include Baldur's Gate 2's Athkatla.",
    "Sawyer praises Novigrad and Oxenfurt from The Witcher 3 for captivating urban environments."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The high development costs of urban environments force designers to balance dense city layouts against the logistical complexity of creating believable combat encounters within those much more expensive spaces.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}