December 29, 2025
Safe towns, unsafe takes
Outside, Dungeon, Town: Integrating the Three Places in Videogames (2024)
Gamers clash over “safe towns” vs wild worlds
TLDR: A game designer wants to blur the lines between safe towns, risky dungeons, and open fields to spark real discovery. Commenters split: some demand clear safety rules, others crave chaos and dynamic events, citing Dark Souls, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Tarkov as both inspiration and cautionary tales.
A designer says videogames live in three zones — Outside (fields), Dungeon (danger), and Town (safe) — and wants to blur those borders for more surprise and wonder. Cue the comments section: chaos lovers versus comfort seekers. One camp, led by axblount, insists clear danger signals matter; if Town isn’t safe, how do you plan? The other camp wants drama everywhere. reactordev dreams of dungeons that trigger world events — villages burning, sieges unfolding — with the story “just kind of happening.” jesse__ throws shade at Escape from Tarkov, saying its big open-world vision never landed, which only stoked the fire. Meanwhile, crooked-v plays referee, pointing to Elder Scrolls and Fallout 4, where cultists ambush you in “safe” towns and raiders do slapstick in settlements. Some laughed at pop-up location names (“Gorbath’s Cove achieved!”) ruining discovery; others said checklists keep players sane. The author loves Final Fantasy VII Rebirth but dislikes the underworld in Tears of the Kingdom for feeling too separate, and teases a new game where a dungeon might literally connect to someone’s basement. robotsquidward drops a nerd nugget: the 2024 D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) starter set is literally Outside/Dungeon/Town. Verdict? The community’s split — but the drama is delicious.
Key Points
- •The article categorizes RPG/adventure game spaces into Outside, Dungeon, and Town, each with distinct characteristics of density and safety.
- •These categories are part of the game design “language” and help set player expectations; the author does not advocate removing them.
- •The author argues for blurring borders between these spaces to enhance discovery and wonder, citing Kakariko Village as an example.
- •Overt instancing and on-screen location announcements are criticized for diminishing the feeling of personal discovery.
- •The author plans to apply these ideas in a new game by making a largely safe town with integrated, less-safe areas and interconnected spaces.