NPC Energy

Jul 25, 2025

Dive into the intriguing world of "NPC Energy," where hosts explore the cultural implications of being 'non-player characters' in our own lives. They humorously contrast predictable behaviors with 'main character energy,' prompting a reflection on personal agency. The conversation spirals into the impact of AI on human authenticity, questioning whether we are losing our unique narratives. Amid discussions of systemic oppression and the quest for genuine connection, listeners are invited to ponder their own roles in this expansive digital age.

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INSIGHT

NPC Energy as Existential Condition

NPC energy describes people acting like they're trapped in scripted roles without real agency or originality.
It reflects a low-key existential state where individuals stop playing and start sleepwalking through life.

INSIGHT

Main Character vs NPC Autonomy

NPCs are functions wedded to a specific game's system, unlike player characters who can play multiple games and exit.
Main character versus NPC distinction depends on autonomy and freedom to step outside the current system.

ANECDOTE

DMV as Real-Life NPC Example

The archetype of an NPC in real life can be someone working at the DMV, performing repetitive and scripted interactions.
It surprises people if someone at the DMV shows any sign of main character energy.

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Are you even playing the game?

In this episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, co-hosts Rick Lee, Talia Mae Bettcher, and Leigh M. Johnson dive deep into the meme-turned-metaphor of “NPC Energy,” unpacking its cultural roots and existential weight. Originally a gaming term describing non-player characters who move on rails and repeat scripted lines, “NPC Energy” has become a way to call out people who seem disengaged, overly programmed, or existentially asleep. But is it just a meme—or a diagnosis of modern life under systems that drain our agency and originality?

The HBS hosts explore the difference between NPCs and so-called “main characters,” debating whether the capacity for resistance, awareness, or choice really sets us apart from algorithmic behaviors. With references ranging from Dungeons & Dragons to the DMV, they question if we’ve all become NPCs in a system too vast to escape—and whether flashes of resistance, even subtle or psychological, are enough to reclaim player status. Talia proposes that multiple overlapping “games” may offer exits from oppressive scripts, while Rick and Leigh examine whether our insistence on agency is more therapeutic than real.

As AI develops more dynamic NPCs and human lives become increasingly scripted, the line between the player and the played grows fuzzier. Are we walking into walls of our own making? Or are we being marched along paths we didn’t choose? This thoughtful and provocative conversation calls on listeners to pause, self-interrogate, and maybe, just maybe, write their own dialogue before the simulation resets.

Full episode notes available at this link:
https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/npc-energy

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