Optional quests are goals players can choose to pursue outside a game’s required story path. They may be stand-alone side quests, short encounters discovered in the world, or subquests attached to a larger objective. Their labels and effects differ by game, so “optional” does not always mean disconnected from the story or inconsequential.
What makes a quest optional?
A quest is optional when completing it is not required to advance the game’s critical path. It might be offered through a quest log, encountered while exploring, or nested under a larger quest. Some optional activities are self-contained; others can influence a main quest or alter the game world.
Optional content can give players short-, medium-, or long-term goals, introduce areas or mechanics, add variety, provide resources or progression, invite experimentation with unfamiliar play styles, or tell stories and reveal backstory. These are possible design uses, not guaranteed benefits of every quest. Roblox Creator Hub outlines these roles in its quest-design guidance.
Side quests, subquests, and world events are not the same thing
| Type | How it is structured | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Side quest | An optional task or story outside the required path; it may be tracked separately and become available at a particular point in the game. | Atelier Ryza 3 describes World Quests as side quests that players can undertake when they choose. Its manual says they become available as the story progresses. Koei Tecmo America’s manual |
| Subquest | A goal attached to a parent quest, which can contribute to or change that parent quest’s end goal. | Baldur’s Gate 3 documents this quest hierarchy in its modding journal-structure overview. |
| World event | A brief, discoverable encounter rather than a conventional logged quest. The player can engage or leave it behind. | Assassin’s Creed Valhalla uses World Events as encounters rooted in curiosity and exploration. Ubisoft’s account of the design |
These terms describe different structures, not a universal taxonomy used identically by every game. Check how a particular game tracks objectives and whether they affect other quests or the world.
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Can optional quests affect the story or world?
Yes. An optional quest can have consequences beyond its own reward screen, although the kind and scale of consequence depend on the game. In Baldur’s Gate 3, an optional subquest can help or alter the goal of its parent quest. In Atelier Ryza 3, completing World Quests can change the world, including by adding buildings to towns, according to the official manual.
Other games keep optional encounters deliberately self-contained. In Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, World Events do not require the player to accept a task or return to a quest log if they walk away. Narrative Director Darby McDevitt explained the approach in an interview with Ubisoft News: “If you see somebody trapped in a tower who needs help, you can go up and say, ‘OK, I’ll help you get out of this tower right now,’ or if you’re not interested, you just walk away and there’s no quest that goes, ‘Did you help the person in the tower?’ because it just doesn’t make sense for the character.”
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Why games structure optional content differently
Fit the quest to the protagonist and setting
A familiar side-quest formula—accept a problem, add it to a log, and complete it later—may suit one protagonist and feel out of character for another. McDevitt said Valhalla replaced traditional side quests with brief World Events and regional story arcs because that conventional pattern did not fit its Viking-invader premise. The regional arcs support the game’s alliance-focused story, while encounters let players respond to what interests them in the moment. That is one creative solution to a specific setting, not evidence that traditional side quests are obsolete.
Match the size of the activity to its purpose
Santa Monica Studio’s Anthony DiMento described three levels of optional quests in God of War: “A” quests were dedicated levels with cinematic and narrative support; “B” quests emphasized exploration with moderate narrative support; and “C” quests were lighter discovery-and-exploration rewards. Because the game’s world lacked friendly towns and hubs, wayward spirits served as recurring quest givers. DiMento said the team removed an early quest that had an amusing twist but amounted to a fetch quest without meaningful gameplay.
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His standard for inclusion was clear: “If the quest didn’t serve a definitive purpose, it didn’t make it into the final game.” DiMento shared this account in PlayStation.Blog’s discussion of the game’s quest system, published December 5, 2018.
What helps an optional quest feel worthwhile?
Design guidance and the examples above point to a practical set of questions for evaluating an optional activity:
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- Does it have a clear purpose? The objective should contribute something beyond filling time, whether that is a story beat, a discovery, a mechanic, or a useful resource.
- Does the character have a reason to act? The request and its presentation should fit the protagonist, setting, and tone.
- Does the player have meaningful freedom? A discoverable encounter can let curiosity guide the player; a tracked quest can support a longer or more involved objective.
- Is the activity varied enough for its scale? A small reward or brief encounter need not be a dedicated level, but it should deliver on the kind of experience it promises.
- Are rewards proportionate and understandable? Resources can support progression, but a reward that is too scarce or demands disproportionate effort may feel unfair, as Roblox Creator Hub cautions in its design guidance.
These are design considerations, not a formula that guarantees player satisfaction. An optional quest can be valuable for its story or atmosphere even when it offers little progression, while a reward alone may not make an activity feel purposeful.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Are optional quests necessary to finish the main story?
By definition, optional quests are not required to advance the critical path. However, the word does not guarantee that every optional task is isolated: a subquest may affect its parent quest, and some optional activities can change the world. A game’s own quest descriptions and journal structure are the best guide to what a specific activity unlocks or influences.
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