Josh Sawyer says RPG cities cost four times more per square meter than dungeons

On Nov. 2, 2026, Obsidian Entertainment’s studio design director Josh Sawyer compared city and dungeon construction costs during a YouTube Q&A. He said a city costs about four times as much per square meter as a dungeon.

Sawyer described the four-times figure as a generalization drawn from Obsidian’s and Black Isle Studios’ experience rather than a precise measurement. He used a contrast: building a dungeon costs X, while a realistic city filled with characters costs four times as much. The report links the cost difference to the lack of cities in current role-playing games.

The expense comes from the many non-player characters (NPCs) cities need, each with unique dialogue, a specific look, and a routine. Cities hold a high density of non-player characters and far more custom content than dungeons. Every non-player character adds dialogue lines, animations, and interactions, causing the workload to grow exponentially.

A city has to seem alive. That means routines for inhabitants, varied buildings, and a unique atmosphere. The Nintendo World report says players want to explore every corner, speak with everyone, and discover side quests inside cities. The report links those demands to higher costs, saying the pressure leads developers to pack more content into urban areas.

While Pillars of Eternity was in development, Obsidian built Twin Elms late in the project. Sawyer labeled Twin Elms an enormous pacing trap and said the team went back to producing costly content. The episode strengthened his belief that cities require investment out of proportion to their size.

Sawyer named Athkatla from Baldur’s Gate 2, Disco Elysium, and Zero Parades as cities worth remembering. He said Disco Elysium and Zero Parades require fewer credible combats, which cuts complexity.

Baldur’s Gate 3’s third act takes place mostly in the city and has a reputation for bugs and poor performance. Novigrad and Oxenfurt from The Witcher 3 rank among that game’s best-regarded locations.

The early-access game Moves of the Diamond Hand provides a niche take on urban role-playing. The report frames Sawyer’s comments as a dilemma: unforgettable cities demand investment, yet they can make a role-playing game memorable.

As costs rise, many studios are likely to favor dungeons and wild zones because they cost less to build. Current engines build urban spaces more quickly, and AI (artificial intelligence) might eventually help generate non-player characters and dialogue.