In a Tribeca Festival panel, Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser and longtime collaborator Lazlow outlined an open-world design philosophy that places player agency and emergent systems above narrative completion. Houser said he does not mind if players never finish a game’s story, as long as they enjoy exploring the world. “If someone enjoyed a game, that's great,” he explained. “If you can’t finish a story, but you loved it in other ways: Great, I don't care. I mean, I would like it if you finish the story because I spent ages on it. If you enjoyed it, that's enough for you.”

Player Agency Over Story Completion

Houser framed open-world games as providing guides rather than strict paths. The studio’s goal since Grand Theft Auto III has been to encourage more players to complete the story, and completion rates have risen accordingly. Yet he emphasized that the ultimate choice rests with the player: “The players enjoy being in the world, mucking around, doing whatever they want to do, messing with the systems.”

Systems as the Core Fun

According to Houser, emergent gameplay from interactive systems — jumping off buildings, driving vehicles, interacting with characters — is the primary source of fun. Story, he said, is “just the icing on the cake.” He noted that the studio cannot be precious about how players engage with the world. “We can encourage them to play it the way we want them to play it. But we have to give them agency.”

Lazlow added that the team delights in burying extremely deep Easter eggs, sometimes taking years for the community to discover. A Red Dead Redemption 2 spiderweb mystery, for instance, remained unnoticed for seven years after release. “We love burying stuff so deep that sometimes three or four years goes by, I'm like, ‘Maybe this makes it too hard to find.’ And somebody finds it and then it blows up on Reddit, and we're like, ‘Yay.’”

Satire and Worldbuilding

Lazlow described the challenge of crafting satirical in-world media — billboards, radio ads, TV spots, phone pop-ups — that reinforce the game’s tone without being overtaken by reality. He recalled creating Grand Theft Auto V’s Jock Cranley, an ex-stuntman politician whose campaign ad “hates the elderly, hates crippled people, hates the military.” At the time, the team thought such absurdity could never happen in real life. “The thing that became difficult as the projects took longer, is making ridiculous characters, brands, products, situations so that the world doesn't catch up with you.”

Absurd Ventures’ Output

Houser and Lazlow founded Absurd Ventures in 2020 after leaving Rockstar. The studio has released the comic series American Caper (Dark Horse), the novel A Better Paradise alongside an audiobook, and the Absurdaverse animated shorts that premiered at Netflix Is a Joke. An unnamed AAA open-world sci-fi action-adventure game set in the A Better Paradise universe is in development with South Korea’s Smilegate as publisher.

About the Red Dead Redemption 2 and Steam Review

Red Dead Redemption 2 invites players into a breathtaking western landscape, where every decision shapes the fate of Arthur Morgan and his gang. The game’s immersive world teems with unpredictable encounters, stunning environments, and compelling storylines that unfold as you explore towns and wilderness alike. On Steam, Red Dead Redemption 2 earns praise for its impressive graphics, deep character development, and engaging gameplay, although some users note its slow pacing can be challenging. Overall, it stands out as a must-play open world adventure with remarkable attention to detail and emotional storytelling.

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