Quest (video games)
A structured task in video games offering rewards.
In video games, a quest (also called a mission) is a task given to a player character, party, or group that, when finished, earns a reward. These tasks are most common in role-playing games and massively multiplayer online games. Rewards can include items or in-game currency (loot), access to new areas or levels, experience points that unlock new skills and abilities, or a mix of these. Quests usually fall into categories like kill quests, gather quests, delivery or fetch quests, and escort quests, but they can also combine multiple objectives—for instance, collecting an item and then transporting it. Quests may be linked into series or chains, which helps reveal background details about the game’s setting and advance the story or plot. Many quests that stray from the main storyline and aren’t needed to finish the game are known as sidequests.
At its simplest, a quest is a hunt for a specific outcome, rather than just winning the game. Common examples include killing a set number of creatures or gathering a list of specific items. Some quests take only minutes or hours, while others can last days or weeks. Generally, bigger rewards mean longer quests, and characters often must meet certain pre-conditions before starting. Questing is a tool used in role-playing games to keep players from doing repetitive actions, like endlessly killing creatures. Without quests, players might grind—repeating actions just to gain skills, reach new areas, or earn money for better gear—which can slow progress and hurt enjoyment. Offering a variety of quests gives players more to do and reduces the need for grinding.
A sidequest is an optional, smaller mission within a larger storyline, common in role-playing games. It can make a linear plot feel less rigid by offering non-linear choices. Completing sidequests isn’t required to finish the game, but it usually provides benefits to the player characters.
Common quest types include:
- **Kill quests**: The player must kill a specific number of named creatures or a particular non-player character (NPC). These often require proof, like trophies or body parts (e.g., boar tusks, wolf pelts).
- **Combo quests**: The player must attack enemies or structures with a certain combination of attacks until reaching a required number of combos.
- Field
- Video game design
- Known for
- Providing structured tasks with rewards in role-playing and massively multiplayer online games
Lore & Background
In the most general sense, a quest is a 'hunt for a specific outcome', in contrast to simply winning a game. Typical quests involve killing a set number of creatures or collecting a list of specific items. Some quests may take only a few minutes or hours to complete, while others may take several days or weeks. Often, the larger the reward, the longer the quest takes to finish, and it is common for a quest to require characters to have met a certain set of pre-conditions before they are allowed to begin. Questing is a tool used in role-playing games to avoid putting players in a position where they only perform a repetitive action, such as killing creatures. Players may be performing this activity in order to gain new skills and progress to new areas, or to gain in-game money in order to buy new items, such as armor and equipment. This process, commonly known as 'grinding', can slow down a character's progression in the game and ultimately limit the player's enjoyment. Having a number of quests for characters to tackle is seen as a way to provide variety, and to counter the need to grind in these types of games. A sidequest is an optional section of a video game, and is commonly found in role-playing video games. It is a smaller mission within a larger storyline, and can be used as a means to provide non-linear structures to an otherwise linear plot. As a general rule, the completion of sidequests is not essential for the game to be finished, but can bring various benefits to the player characters.
Reader's Guide
Quests serve as a fundamental mechanism in role-playing and massively multiplayer online games, structuring player activity around specific goals rather than repetitive actions. By offering rewards such as items, currency, access to new areas, or experience points, quests motivate progression and exploration. The variety of quest types—kill, gather, delivery, escort, combo, syntax, and hybrid—allows designers to create diverse challenges. Quest chains link multiple tasks in sequence, revealing plotlines and encouraging players to journey to new locations. Sidequests provide optional content that enriches the game world without being required for completion. The concept of questing counters the tedium of 'grinding' by giving purpose to player actions. Escort quests, while often unpopular due to artificial intelligence issues, can funnel players through specific routes or reveal plot sections. Overall, quests are a core tool for narrative delivery and gameplay variety in many video games.
Did You Know?
- Quests are most commonly seen in role-playing games and massively multiplayer online games.
- A sidequest is an optional section of a video game that is not required to complete the game.
- Escort quests are very unpopular amongst the gaming community because they are often perceived as being poorly done.
- Syntax quests are a phenomenon unique to text-based games.
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