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A Rock Paper Shotgun writer visualises a Batman-inspired game told from the viewpoint of the city's low-level offenders rather than its vigilante. Instead of playing the hero, you navigate the everyday danger of petty theft and vandalism while an ever-present, almost supernatural force shapes Gotham's streets.

  • Premise: Reframe the setting so players are pickpockets, taggers or shoplifters trying to stay unseen and scrape by in a city dominated by legends.
  • Environmental threat: Batman functions less as an NPC to fight and more as a pervasive pressure that alters architecture and atmosphere, making mundane crimes feel fraught.
  • Gameplay hooks: Stealth, improvisation, social manipulation and managing a low-profile reputation could replace traditional combat mechanics.
  • Tonal shift: The idea leans into surreal and darkly comic veins—small acts of larceny gain outsized psychological weight in a decaying urban landscape.
  • Genre value: This approach offers a counterpoint to standard superhero games by focusing on how ordinary people survive under a mythic, intimidating presence.
Source: Rock Paper Shotgun https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/this-batman-through-the-eyes-of-npcs-video-makes-me-yearn-for-a-game-about-being-a-petty-criminal-in-gotham