Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Lead Designer Says RPG Friction Helps Players Earn Achievements

Warhorse Studios has outlined the core design philosophy behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. The development team intentionally incorporates difficulty and complexity into the role-playing game mechanics. This approach diverges from industry standards that typically seek to minimize player obstacles.

Prokop Jirsa serves as the new creative director at Warhorse Studios and previously worked as the lead designer on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.

Prokop Jirsa serves as the new creative director at Warhorse Studios. He previously worked as the lead designer on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Jirsa explains that the studio believes overcoming friction helps players feel a sense of achievement. The team views these challenges as essential to the player experience rather than unnecessary hurdles.

The game features complex systems that require manual effort from the player, including the manual crafting of items such as Fever Tonic and horseshoes.

The game features complex systems that require manual effort from the player. Examples include the manual crafting of items such as Fever Tonic and horseshoes. Jirsa notes that the sequel starts the player with nothing. This intentional difficulty is designed to make rewards feel earned and significant.

This design ethos was established during the development of the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance. The studio maintains that these mechanics help players feel they have overcome actual problems. The focus remains on the satisfaction derived from mastering difficult systems.