For me it would be a dungeon crawler in the style of Monomyth but with AAA graphics. Also, it would start with a massive intro sequence, like in Kingdom Come: Deliverance, when you’ve been playing for ages and then realise the game hasn’t really even started yet. It would also have really emotionally engaging writing and cut scenes like in Eriksholm: The StolenDream.

The most important ingredient though, and I can’t stress this enough, because so many games get this wrong in my opinion, is a world that doesn’t appear to give a damn that I’m in it or need me to do anything. Monomyth nails this as does, I think, GTA5. Everyone’s just living their lives and you are one tiny part of it, nothing more. I really hate games that feel like the Truman Show. I want to be able to hide in the world, to be unnoticed. Thief by Eidos gets this right too.

Also I want my dungeons to hint at light above through maybe cracks way up high in the rocks, like the caves and temples of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.

Finally I want the player to be able to choose whatever play style they want, without shaming them for making it easy or glorifying them for making it as hard as possible. I don’t like games that tell me how to have fun and if a player finds a completely unexpected way to achieve something good. No sudden patch to nerf it. Just leave it.