Ex-PlayStation boss told Clair Obscur devs to avoid calling it a 'turn-based RPG' — 8 million sales prove he was right
Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida advised the developers of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to avoid the term "turn-based RPG" in their marketing to prevent players from dismissing the game. He shared this story during a lecture at the Busan Indie Connect Festival 2026, as reported by Automaton.
Yoshida recalled playing a demo of the game a couple of years before its release and being impressed by its similarities to The Legend of Dragoon, a title he had produced. Despite his enthusiasm, he recommended that Sandfall Interactive find alternative ways to describe the combat system. "It's incredibly well-made, but it would be better not to call it a turn-based RPG," he said. "That alone might cause players to overlook it."
The developers took his advice and began marketing the combat as "reactive turn-based battles." Whether this phrasing directly contributed to the game's success is unclear, but with over 8 million copies sold, it certainly didn't hurt. Yoshida's reasoning was rooted in the stigma surrounding turn-based RPGs, particularly Japanese role-playing games, which he claimed were so unpopular several years ago that he would tell indie developers to avoid the label entirely.
Beyond marketing strategy, the term "turn-based RPG" arguably undersells the active nature of Clair Obscur's combat. Unlike traditional turn-based games where players can take breaks between actions, Clair Obscur requires constant attention. Players must study enemy movements to time dodges and parries, creating a gameplay loop more akin to a soulslike experience. The reactive elements make each encounter feel dynamic, distinguishing it from the genre's more passive reputation.
