The Expanse: Osiris Reborn makes player choices matter

Owlcat Games published a developer diary this week outlining how player decisions will shape narrative and characters in The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, an upcoming role-playing game.

Before the main campaign begins, players choose an origin: Martian, Earther or Belter. Each origin provides a distinct backstory, opens faction-specific quests and influences how non-player characters and organizations respond.

The diary describes decisions that range from short dialogue choices to larger determinations that redirect NPC storylines and change events across the game world. Players can resolve encounters through violence, empathy, pragmatism or selfishness. Some choices change quest outcomes immediately; others alter relationships and faction status over time.

Companions have individual personalities, personal quests and development paths that respond to player actions. The diary uses the companion Polly as an example: she is the crew’s youngest member and a Belter who wants to help her people. Small choices shift Polly’s outlook, and a later decision about her mentor can lock her into a particular development path and, in some outcomes, grant the crew a unique skill line.

The developer diary frames decision points as cumulative: choices build on one another to form a protagonist defined by repeated decisions rather than a fixed route. The entry also highlights replayability, noting that different origins, interactions and key decisions can produce substantially different playthroughs.