History ButThouMust / RolePlayingGames

** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV - Hand of the Heavenly Bride'' is chock-full of this. There is not a question to be found where you can actually say no and get away with it - this includes a situation where the ''evil spirit'' you are ''supposed to fight'' invites you to lunch, promptly making you fall down a trap door. Very much a case of StupidityIsTheOnlyOption, as well.

*** It is just possible to avoid this fate by never rescuing the princess in the first place, in which case the [[HeroicMime silent hero]] marches off on his own in the end for a much less dramatic ending. Technically, you're supposed to rescue her so that you can get directions to a PlotCoupon, but you can find it by yourself [[SequenceBreaking if you're willing to search blindly around a swamp for half an hour]][[GuideDangIt or if you're willing to go and look up the location on a guide.]] Essentially, this dooms the princess to rot starving to death in the bowels of a pitch black dungeon. [[ClingyJealousGirl But nobody liked Gwaelin anyhow.]]

*** It is just possible to avoid this fate by never rescuing the princess in the first place, in which case the [[HeroicMime silent hero]] marches off on his own in the end for a much less dramatic ending. Technically, you're supposed to rescue her so that you can get directions to a PlotCoupon, but you can find it by yourself [[SequenceBreaking if you're willing to search blindly around a swamp for half an hour.]] Essentially, this dooms the princess to rot starving to death in the bowels of a pitch black dungeon. [[ClingyJealousGirl But nobody liked Gwaelin anyhow.]]

* ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana'' does this quite a bit.
** You can't refuse to bring Popoie/the Sprite along with you after clearing the underground cave. Saying "no" will just have the circus master say "oh, please!" and offer you the choices again until you say "yes."
** You can't leave the area where the Mana Sword is until you remove it from its pedestal. Your progress is stopped by an InsurmountableWaistHighFence that can only be chopped down by the sword.
** You have no choice but to recruit Primm/the Girl at some point. In one scenario, Randi/the Boy is nearly [[DistressedDude turned into soup]] by some goblins, but Primm quickly saves him when they are distracted; she can later be found bickering with her father at the castle. If you choose not to recruit her there, Randi will bump into her anyway in the Witch's Forest, where she forces her way into your party.
** When Gesthar tries the whole [[HostageForMacGuffin hostage stunt with Luka for the Water Mana Seed]], you ''can'' take Luka's advice and just run for it, but Gesthar will forcefully pull you back and call you an idiot for trying to escape.
** The King of Matango asks you what you think of the name "Flammie" for your flying dragon mount. In an interesting twist, both of the choices you're offered have you say that you think the name is dumb. But the king interrupts you before you can even make a selection and say that ''of course'' you think the name is amazing.
* Early in ''VideoGame/IAmSetsuna'', you have the "choice" of having Endir guard Setsuna on her journey to become the sacrifice, or just leaving her to her fate. The game doesn't let you refuse, giving you the options of either accepting or "taking more time to think about it." [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation Yahtzee]] criticised the game for this in his review, pointing out that, no matter what Setsuna says, you only have the options of agreeing with her or agreeing with her in a slightly sarcastic manner.
-->'''Setsuna:''' Let's all stick our privates in this hornets' nest
--->Yes, let's\\
'''-->'''[[SarcasmMode Yes, "let's"]]

* In ''VideoGame/UltimaUnderworld II'', you are offered the key to the sewers to investigate a plague of monsters. If you complain that you are 'loath to enter the sewers,' it is foisted on you anyway. Likewise, when you attend a meeting near the start and tell Lord British that you have some business to attend to first, the meeting continues regardless.
** There's an even better example in the ''first'' game. At the end, when you're talking to Garamon, he'll ask for you to sacrifice the Talismans so that he can complete the spell which will trap the Slasher of Veils and free you from the Abyss. You can either agree to it (while acknowledging that it's gonna hurt) or refuse. If you do the latter, he reminds you of what's at stake, and you can either agree now or say you have to think about it. However this conversation ends, you don't have any choice but to sacrifice those goldanged Talismans.
* {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in an {{easter egg}} at the beginning of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' At the Tantalus mission briefing the Leader asks Zidane who they're kidnapping to see if he knows what's going on. The two responses are Garnet and Queen Brahne. If you choose Brahne 64 times another Tantalus member inexplicably bursts out of a closet and demands you stop being so stubborn.
* ''VideoGame/{{Wild ARMs 1}}'' has one at the beginning of the game, where after the elder politely asks Rudy to return to the village for trial, saying "no" only makes him politely demand you do so, repeating until you say "yes". Afterwards you get exiled from the village for using forbidden weaponry and thereby forcing you to roam and begin your adventure.

* In ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' it actually asks you if you want to take partners. You ''can'' choose the option to not take the partner, but, of course, you'll be But Thou Must'd into choosing the option to take them ''anyway''. Which is a good thing, because, y'know, if they let you go without, you could end up making it {{Unwinnable}}. Koops from the second game is actually an example of this, as he will sadly accept your rejection but boasts a unique field ability vital to solving the next important puzzle.
** In ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' you can get a NonstandardGameOver by [[spoiler:accepting the Shadow Queen's invitation to join her at the end of the game]]. This actually still allows for a conclusive ending if you're feeling really lazy.
*** You can get another NonstandardGameOver by [[spoiler:reading the diary of the ghost when you are travelling in the train]]. And that even though you were told [[TooDumbToLive not to do it]] several times.
** ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' subverts this. If you say "no" to Merlon enough times at the beginning, when he offers you the first Pure Heart, you'll eventually get a NonstandardGameOver. Note that this occurs before the actual gameplay begins. The same happens if you repeatedly refuse an offer for a mission from Queen Jaydes. And also if you [[TooDumbToLive refuse to put on a helmet in outer space]].
*** It also plays with it near the end of the game. [[spoiler:At one point, the shapeshifting villainess Mimi disguises herself as Merlon and tells you to hit a box, in a way that's an obvious trap. If you try to avoid it by talking to her, instead of just repeating a single response, she has a variety of responses -- including direct LampshadeHanging in the form of mention of hypothetical [[EventFlag flags]] that can prevent you from doing what you want unless you trigger them.]]
*** Inverted later on when [[spoiler:Dimentio offers to team up with Mario and Luigi to take down Count Bleck]]. If you answer "no" a few times like you're supposed to the game continues, but if you answer "yes" a few times - as he'll continually sweeten the pot even though you're already accepting his offer, to throw up an even bigger red flag - then he'll [[spoiler:slap a mind-control plant on your head]] and give you a NonstandardGameOver.
* A short instance in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'': after rescuing Princess Toadstool from Booster and returning her to the Mushroom Kingdom, she'll say she is going to stay. She shortly contradicts this and sneaks out via parasol, and asks to join the party. If the player says no, one party member will come out, continuing on until they're all yelling at Mario, and Peach joins the group anyway.
** Earlier, if you leave Marrymore after saving Peach through the ''north'' exit, the entire party But Thou Must's you into leaving through the ''south'' exit. Storyline-wise, this is likely because the north exit is more ''northwest'', and thus visually leads to the next area, when you're supposed to go back to the game's first town at this point. Gameplay-wise, it doesn't matter, as any area exit just takes you back to the world map, which is why your party stopping you looks so ridiculous.
** Earlier on the game, after you meet Mallow, he'll ask Mario to help him recover his coin from Croco. If you refuse, he'll ask again... refuse a third time and he'll say "I didn't think you'd be so mean, Mario" and start crying again (which will cause the rain to restart). You can talk to him and keep refusing, but you can't get anywhere until you accept.
** Another example from this game: You return from the Sunken Ship with a brand new star. However, as you enter Seaside Town, the minions of Yaridovich demand the star or else they will harm the villagers. Say no and they'll send a minion to tickle the mayor. Say no again and they'll send two minions. Again and they'll send three. Then four. Then again four until you finally surrender your star.
*** This has the added effect of reducing the reward you receive later every time you choose no.

* A strange version of this can be found towards the end of ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings''. After defeating Teddy in battle he will offer to join your party to Mt. Itoi. If you refuse him repeatedly Ninten's father will call and order you to let him join. Saying no again will cause the group to be teleported back to the game's starting point at Ninten's house. Apparently he really wanted his 12-year old son hanging out with a known gangster.
* Shortly before ''VideoGame/EarthBound's'' first real boss fight (against a local gang leader), the protagonist is asked if he wants to join the gang. Answering "Yes" results in being told to come back after [[BreakingTheFourthWall finishing the game]].
** Before [[spoiler:time travelling]] to the BigBad's final lair, Dr. Andonuts gives a big inspirational speech about how Ness is TheChosenOne and all, and by pressing the "go back in time" button with his own hand, he is fulfilling his ultimate destiny, and then asks a yes/no question as to whether you want to do it. Saying no prompts him to simply say "Oh. I see", and then ask his own son to do it instead. Saying no past that just loops back to Ness, then back to Jeff, and so on until you press the button.
** When Jeff shows up in Threed, he'll give you a laundry list of his flaws and ask if you still want him to join. Say "no" and you'll be asked the same question again, after a [[WhatTheHellPlayer lecture.]]
** In the beginning of the game, Pokey will ask you to help him find his brother. If you say no, he will threaten to say something that will cut you like a knife. If you say no again, he will apologize. It loops.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'' when you refuse the Rope Snake's plead to aid you out of Saturn Valley enough times, the options become "Okay" and "I'm so moved".
** Kumatora But Thou Must's you into taking a shower. Saying "No" repeatedly causes her to yell "JUST TAKE A DAMN SHOWER ALREADY!" and the screen is tinted red. It is hilarious.
** Also, at the end of the game, [[spoiler:when Flint asks if you want to pull the last needle; if you choose no, he essentially tells you to suck it up and then gives the same speech he'd give if you'd said yes. After that, when the game asks you if you want to pull the needle, Yes and No do the exact same thing. Unused dialogue would've had Lucas ''actively defy the player'' if they chose no]].
** At the beginning of the game, if you say no when Hinawa asks you to change your clothes, she says that you can stay inside in your pajamas for the rest of your life.

* ''VideoGame/{{Grandia}}'':
** Happens all the time in the [[VideoGame/Grandia1 original game]]. Sometimes they give you a "choice" about how to respond that doesn't lead to anything until a particular one is picked, or the character will ask repeatedly. For instance when Justin's mother asks him if he's been causing trouble, the player can go through 3 different ways to say "no" but it isn't until they pick the last one which causes Sue to blurt out the truth that the game continues. In another case Justin breaks the statue in the museum, the player is given the choice to either lie to the curator about it, in which case he says "are you sure?" and loops back to the choices or be honest, oddly in which case he laughs it off as a joke.
** In ''VideoGame/GrandiaII'', when Ryudo is inside his own soul, he is forced to answer three questions about whether he desires power. However, if he says that he desires it, he is told that that is not his real opinion, and must answer again.This is kinda weird since after answering all the questions 'properly', the inner voice explains to you why your answers DO mean that you want the power, and you get punished accordingly. So why not let the player admit he wants power, and punish him for it like how it happens anyway?
* Subverted in the obscure NES RPG ''Destiny of an Emperor'' (based on the ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'' story). In one scene, a defeated enemy declares "I am the Emperor. Let me go!" and you are given the standard YES/NO choice. If you choose NO, he says it again and again. If you give up and choose YES, you fight him again as part of a later boss encounter, but if you choose NO enough times, the loop breaks, the enemy is executed, and the later fight becomes easier.
** Early in the game, the dying Emperor Tao Qian asks Liu Bei to become his successor, and if you say no, he asks you to reconsider until you say yes. The justification is that ''Destiny of an Emperor'' is based (loosely) on actual history, and this is pretty much exactly what happened in real life. Liu Bei refused the crown the first two times Tao Qian asked him.
*** Just for the record, this is actually considered common courtesy in China. If someone offers you something valuable, you should refuse the first two times. Only if he offers it a third time may you accept it. If he does not offer it a third (or second) time, the offer is not serious and it is wrong to accept.
* In ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', [[RebelliousPrincess Marle]] will keep asking you to reconsider not accompanying her after running into her at the beginning of the game; furthermore, after witnessing Lavos destroy the world, your other two party members are all gung-ho about stopping it (or, in Lucca's case, [[ShipperOnDeck about Crono looking cool in front of the other girl]]), and won't take no for an answer.
* Avoided in ''VideoGame/ChronoCross''. At no point in the game is any decision foregone, leading to what was a rather aimless game, according to some people.
** In an interesting inversion, when Nikki the rock star joins you, he offers to play you a song, and you get to choose one of several ways to tell him "no".
** In the earliest case where Kid (the female protagonist and hero's love interest - FirstGirlWins be (jarringly) damned even though the first girl is the childhood friend and girlfriend of the hero) tries to join up with you in what seems to be a But Thou Must sequence, repeated refusal will cause her to not join up with you and you will get a different party member instead. Because Kid will then join your party shortly after anyway, unless you pointlessly refuse this time and because that extra character (amusingly, the parallel world version of said first girl) who would join your party is otherwise [[PermanentlyMissableContent lost forever]], you're actually better off for refusing the first time it looks like thou must.
** In another scene, Kid is injured and the player either charges off to her rescue or expresses doubt he can save her. Although it looks like a But Thou Must situation, being pessimistic turns out just as well and sets you on the path to pick up Glenn, one of the most powerful characters in the game.
** The whole first half of the plot revolving around Kid can be interpreted as a double subversion of this trope. The game begins with you having a presumably prophetic vision/dream of Kid being in your party and having an unfortunate incident. You are then given multiple opportunities to try and prevent this from happening by not allowing Kid to join your party. You seem to be allowed to succeed. You are even rewarded (consistently you get to recruit better party members if you choose not to recruit/help Kid). But in the end Kid joins your party anyway and the unfortunate event occurs anyway (though not in precisely the way you think it would).
* From ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'':
** After the first chapter of ''NeverwinterNights/HordesOfTheUnderdark'', the mage you freed in the final battle places you under a {{Geas}} that forces you to track down and kill the Valsharess, or die. Of course, the mage is the notoriously AxCrazy Halaster Blackcloak.
** In the premium module ''Kingmaker'', you're offered a chance to run for rulership of the town you end up in. You can try to refuse, but your intelligent weapon that revived you after you died in the beginning tells you that you were brought back for this specific purpose. If you lose the election, your weapon kills you.
** In the ''Pirates of the Sword Coast'' module, you meet the ghost of Captain Allendry, your former employer. He'll ask you to swear an oath to avenge his death by slaying his killer, priestess Tasina. You can't refuse no matter what, otherwise you can't proceed further into the game. Later you meet the dragon Yxondralu. You can't pass her unless you make an oath to spare priestess Tatsina's life. At the end of the game, you'll have to break one of your oaths.

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
** Throughout much of the series, for virtually every quest, there is no option to actually say "no" to a quest giver. At best, you'll get a response option stating that you'll do it later. The ''Elder Scrolls'' series is remarkably open-ended with countless quests available, but the individual quests themselves are pretty linear and inflexible.
** That said, you can turn down all quests in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'' after reading the preamble to it. You can even turn down the main quests, and lock yourself out of the plot.
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'''s ''Knights of the Nine'' expansion, several people will try to join the [[TheOrder knightly order]] you are [[OrderReborn rebuilding]]. You can technically tell them "no," but if you do, they just stand around in your lodge waiting for you to change your mind.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'':
*** In order to progress with the Companions and Thieves Guild questline you have to [[spoiler:become a werewolf]] and [[spoiler:sign your soul away to Nocturnal]] and later [[spoiler:return the Skeleton Key]] respectively, despite the former being worded to sound like it's optional.
*** The player will hear rumors that there's a serial killer on the loose around Windhelm. With a little detective work, it's possible to find some incredibly damning evidence incriminating a local citizen... but, you aren't allowed to do anything about it until the quest advances and the killer strikes again. You can't even take justice into your own hands--the man is tagged unkillable until a certain point in the quest. (However, when he ''does'' try to claim another victim, you ''can'' stop him and save the victim--''if'' [[GuideDangIt you know where he's going to strike]] in advance.)
* In order to acquire the [[SummonMagic Guardian Force]] Bahamut in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', Squall must answer a series of dialogue prompts. The first has only one answer available; the second has two, one which allows Squall to proceed and one which ends the dialogue, requiring the player to start it over again in order to continue the sidequest. The third prompt is where things really get tricky: when Bahamut asks Squall why he wishes to fight, the two visible options both result in a fight with a pair of dragons and a repetition of the question afterwards, and it takes picking a third, ''invisible'' dialogue option to proceed to the boss fight and complete the sidequest.
** However, the question itself is a kind of LampshadeHanging on the concept. The question is, pretty much:" "Why do you fight?" To protect/none of your business/[[spoiler:It's our nature. We must.]]
* Another, particularly egregious Final Fantasy example appears in the ending of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2'', where much is made of the following decision: [[spoiler: whether Noel should go through with killing Caius or spare his life]]. The game even provides a button-press option to choose between the two. But this is frustratingly betrayed by the plot in an example of this trope, because [[spoiler: even if you choose to "spare" Caius, he commits suicide anyway and the exact same events unfold]]; this is doubly frustrating because [[spoiler: according to the plot, Caius has a death wish and only Noel can kill him, but suddenly he can commit suicide using Noel's sword without Noel's volition - a sword that was never at any point in the plot described as having special Caius-killing power - raising the obvious question: why didn't Caius just off himself years ago if he didn't need Noel to kill him? Argh]]!
* A minor variation on this pops up in ''[[VideoGame/UltimaIII Ultima: Exodus]]'' for NES. There's an NPC in the starter town that asks "I am Sherry. Think me beautiful?" Initially, saying Yes will generate "Thank you. Next time bring some flowers" (a big hint for later) and saying No will... repeat the question. You can keep this up indefinitely, saying No. However, when you then say Yes, she responds with "Flattery will get you nowhere".
* The Japanese Famicom game ''Doraemon - Giga Zombie no Gyakushuu'' begins with Doraemon asking the player character to help him find the rest of his lost crew and save the world from the game's BigBad in what seems like a standard But Thou Must. If you say no multiple times, however, Doraemon finally takes the hint, and walks off crying in a NonstandardGameOver. We hope you're satisfied. [[YouBastard Jerk.]]
* ''VideoGame/LunarTheSilverStar'' does it twice, both after having confronted a villain. Every time you say you won't forgive Dross, you'll hit him (which amounts to being treated to a series of <POW!> <BAM!> <BIFF!> OW!s), but you can't get him to give you any more money than he already has. The second time, your lack of options is directly lampshaded by the [[MediumAwareness Medium Aware]] villain in question.
-->"I'm tellin' ya, you're not going to make any progress until you forgive me. You might as well get it over with and get on with this game... I can wait a lot longer than you can, believe me..."
* If you talk to Yai at the beginning of ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork 2'', she'll assume you want to hear about her new [[spoiler:fan collection]]. If you say "No", she'll keep saying, "Ahem...you WANT to HEAR, right?" until you say, "Yes". It turns out to be important for when [[spoiler:Air Man gasses her house]], but Mega Man reminds you about it anyway and ''tells'' you about it (who knows how he found out) if you never talked to Yai in the first place.
* In the original ''VideoGame/{{Breath of Fire|I}}'' game, there is a part where you're in control of Nina and two soldiers from her kingdom will repeatedly insist upon escorting her. Granted, you might not make it without them, but it's still a non-choice. Equally, there is a part later in the game where one of your team asks to run off with a crazy amount of money from your stores (or just all of it) - an unreasonable request at the best of times - and he won't let you refuse.
** In ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireII'' there is a part where you learn that a poisoned needle is going to be shot into the ring during a coliseum battle to kill the other competitor. Noble as you are, you cannot accept this. After discussing it with a friend, your friend says he has an idea and needs all of your money. Refusing this causes him to tell you that it's dangerous for you too, and it would be a real shame if you died trying to save a little money. He will not accept denial, so once you open the dialog, you're going to lose all your money. And you just got paid 1,000G, which is quite a bit for that part of the game. Amusingly, you can actually deposit your money in the bank, then come back and talk to your friend. He will But Thou Must your money - except that you won't lose anything.
** If you say no when your father asks you to look for Yua at the beginning of ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireII'' he hits you on the head, says that you're supposed to be responsible for your sister and gives you the same yes/no choice.

* ''Franchise/DotHack'' brings us the big hulking green freak Piros. The people who designed the first [[VideoGame/DotHackR1Games four games]] must like this guy. He drags you on two quests per game. Half of which are caused by his ineptitude and gullibility. This guy is seriously annoying but the story will NOT progress until you clean up his messes. Because Kite has nothing better to do....... besides saving coma victims.
** Piros makes FAR more sense when you realize that he's the AuthorAvatar of Hiroshi Matsuyama, the president of [=CyberConnect2=] and the director of the .hack series. Not only is Piros literally Hiroshi in the game universe (i.e., the "graphics designer" who plays Piros' character is Hiroshi Matsuyama), but the real Hiroshi even sings his theme song in the GU games.
* In ''VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire'', when you're asked to return the orb (red or blue depending on the version), the old lady will not stop asking you until you finally agree to hand it back over.
** At the beginning of ''VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire'', Professor Birch asks if you want to meet his kid. If you answer no, he says "Oh, don't be that way. You should go meet my kid" until you answer yes.
** Also in ''Ruby and Sapphire'', there is an old lady who lives in a house in between Mauville City and Fallabor Town. She will offer to let you rest in her house and heal your Pokémon. If you say Yes, your Pokémon are healed, and she then goes on to say "Oh, dear, dear. Are your Pokémon still tired? You should take another rest here. That's a fine idea. You should do that." Saying Yes will cause her to heal your Pokémon again and loop this message until you refuse, making this a But Thou Mustn't.
*** That lady or her twin also pops up in ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl''/ Platinum, just outside Stark Mountain, and the same scenario ensues.
** In what can only be a LampshadeHanging, there's someone in Pacifidlog Town that you can answer Yes or No to... when they ask ''where you're from''. For the record, if you say Yes, the NPC remarks that he's never heard of "Yes Town", and if you say No, he says that you have to come from somewhere....
** Spoofed in ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'' if the player refuses enough when offered the Pokédex; Professor Rowan will tell the player that he "can stand here all day without talking if I have to".
** Also, before the player receives the Pokedex from Rowan, there are two occasions where the player's Rival asks them a question which he will continually pose should the player tell him "No." At the second occurrence of this, he even remarks how "That joke is getting old."
** Also spoofed in ''Platinum''. Buck asks the player to investigate Stark Mountain because something funny is going on - if the player responds with "No", Buck says "I'll just keep asking until you say yes!" and then repeats the question.
** Another weird place in ''Diamond'', ''Pearl'', and ''Platinum'' where this is spoofed is the Ribbon Society at the Resort Area. When you enter, you're stopped by a lady who tells you it's an exclusive club with very strict membership requirements. ''However'', if you actually meet said requirements [[spoiler:(your lead Pokémon must have at least ten Ribbons)]] she makes you a member, without even asking you if you want to join. The caption even ''says'' you weren't given a choice. (Of course, whether you take advantage of the membership benefits is entirely optional.)
** After using the Secret Potion to make the Psyduck move, Cynthia asks you to deliver a charm to her grandmother. Selecting "No" will cause Cynthia to say that she really wants you to deliver the charm to her grandmother, so you must choose take the charm.
** In the beginning of ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver''/''Crystal'', your in-game mom asks you whether or not you know how the [=PokéGear=] works. Regardless of whether you answer yes or no, she says pretty much the same thing anyway; they changed the first sentence of the explanation from a statement to a question, but the rest is unchanged. Can we call this an example of ViewersAreMorons?
*** That one is sort of lampshaded in the later ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite''. When Professor Juniper gives them to you, Bianca, and Cheren, Cheren clearly doesn't need it explained. ("That's the [=PokéGear=], right?" he asks, possibly meant to point out the absurdity of having it explained in every previous game.)
** Subverted in another incident in the same game/s, where one trainer in Cianwood City who gives you a Shuckle to hold onto temporarily will not keep on asking for it back if you refuse to give it back to him. He will, however, tell you that [[WhatTheHellPlayer what you're doing is akin to stealing.]] Keep in mind, that if you want it badly enough, [[spoiler:if its Friendship Level is high enough, he'll ''let'' you keep it]].
** ''Gold and Silver'' have a more subtle subversion in the Dragon's Den, where a sage asks a few questions to test your morality as a trainer. If you get any of them wrong, he claims he didn't hear you and asks again until you get it right, and you always get the Dratini reward at the end. However, if you get all the questions right the first time, the Dratini will know Extremespeed, a move it can't learn otherwise. Any missteps will quietly overwrite that move with Leer. Seems he heard your mean comments after all.
* In the UpdatedRerelease, the first house on the route to Mr. Pokemon belongs to a man who explains apricorns to you and gives you a bag for carrying them. If you walk past his house, he'll come out of the house to demand why you're passing his house by then explain apricorns to you and give you a bag for carrying them.
** In ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'', the only way you can defeat the Legendary Pokémon ''without'' capturing it before you fight N is if your PC Box does not have room for another Pokémon. Otherwise, defeating it by knocking it out will start the battle over. Fortunately, you have [[TakeYourTime all the time in the world]] and the place you're in has rooms where you can heal your Pokémon, swap them for other Pokémon, and even get free Ultra Balls. (Once you do catch it, you can add it to your team right there before you fight N, but this is ''not'' mandatory.)
** There's a fun one in ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2'', where your mom asks you at the beginning of the game if you want a Pokémon, you have the option of saying no, but she just states that its a shock, and asks you again, same thing applies to when she asks you if you want a Pokédex, and when Bianca asks you to help fill the Pokédex.
*** Also in ''Black 2'' and ''White 2'', the only way to go to Nimbasa City is through Join Avenue, a new addition to the game. When you enter for the first time, the developer is going on a trip, and decides that you are the perfect person to manage the place while he is away. Any attempts to turn down the offer result in a dialogue loop until you accept.
** In ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'', you ''must'' have a battle in which Korrina gives you a Lucario to battle her own. This is meant to be a tutorial for Mega-Evolution. If you wanted to save beforehand or just don't want to do it, Korrina won't let you go until you battle her.
** You also can't 'pass' the battle without actually using the Mega Evolution. If you didn't activate it and lost (it is impossible to win without it) Korrina will insist you do it again, and will keep doing so until you do it properly.
*** Except that it is possible to win without Mega Evolution, involving a fair bit of luck with the RNG. Not that it changes anything, the game still acts as though you have lost.
** Also in ''X and Y'', it is, much like the examples from ''Black and White'' listed above, impossible to continue the plot until you capture whichever legendary is the mascot for the version you own. If you defeat it, the battle will merely start over after a short cutscene. You cannot even bypass it using the full box trick this time; an additional PC Box is created right when you encounter the cover legendary to allow you to catch it.
*** This returns in ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' as well: you must catch the cover legendary to continue the story, as its capture is tied to the plot. Unlike the past two games; however, there is no cutscene or dialog for knocking it out this time. The game will just quietly fade out back into the overworld and act as if ''you never fought it''.
** A variation happens in ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' and their remakes: when Bill asks you to change him back to his human form, you will do it even if you refuse to, in which case he'll just beg you to do it for a little bit before proceeding with the dialogue that would've been shown immediately had you agreed to do it at first. Of course, refusing has no merit, as you are trapped in Cerulean City until you help him and he hands the player the next PlotCoupon (the ticket necessary to enter the S.S. Anne).
** Parodied in ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'': Kiawe's trial is a "spot the differences" game involving dancing Marowak. While the changes in the minigame become more blatant as you go on, this trope comes to a head in the third instance, as literally every choice about the "difference" in the picture revolves around [[spoiler:the Totem Salazzle that interjected herself into the scene]]. As the entity that serves as the difference in every picture is your opponent in the coming battle...
* ''VideoGame/PokemonRanger: Shadows of Almia'': After collecting the Yellow Gem, the third MacGuffin needed to stop the BigBad's plans of world domination, a member of the QuirkyMinibossSquad (who had been [[YouNoTakeCandle unconvincingly masquerading over voice transmissions as your rival]]) pops in and offers aforementioned rival in a HostageForMacGuffin scenario ''which you are given a Yes/No option for''. Now, despite the fact that it has been drilled into your head through most of the game that the titular Pokémon Rangers are focused on protecting people, Pokémon, AND nature, leading to a "needs of the many versus needs of the few" scenario... despite the fact that your rival is a Ranger easily as skilled as you and ''tells you to refuse''... despite the fact that YOUR RIVAL IS IN NO IMMINENT HARM SHORT OF BEING BOUND, [[StupidityIsTheOnlyOption selecting "No" simply leads to you being mocked and asked again]]. Apparently, [[HulkSpeak "Oh? You not care about Keith? Not a very good friend?"]] is the most compelling argument in all of history.
** While more of a Turn-based Strategy title than an RPG, ''VideoGame/PokemonConquest'' continues the franchise's proud tradition of giving the player a choice and refusing to accept "No." After a tutorial battle, Oichi will introduce herself to the Player Character and ask to join your forces. Oichi's responses will become increasingly desperate as you tell her "No" over and over, eventually she will run out of character developing lines and repeat the same one until you give in and choose "Yes."
* ''VideoGame/AlphaProtocol'' was designed around avoiding this trope as much as possible, to the point where Obsidian Entertainment [[http://blip.tv/file/3491456/ put on a presentation at PAX]] specifically named after the ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' example and discuss why and how developers should make choices matter. They then proceeded to make a drinking game out of the word "choice" and drink like fish, but that is neither here nor there.
** ....And it's then played utterly straight when you meet Madison, even if you're playing an utterly paranoid character, you have to take her back to your safehouse to keep her...er, safe.
* ''VideoGame/InfiniteSpace'' has a rather humorous (albeit a little disturbing) example of this case. At one point during the Magellanic Stream chapter, Cico wants to spend some time with Kira, the main character's little sister, and to confess his love for her. He won't stop bugging you until you[[strike: grant him permission]] give up and let him have his way.
* ''VideoGame/EVOSearchForEden'' features several of these that lead to Non-Standard Game Overs.
** Probably the best-known is [[spoiler:during the Dinosaur Era, near the ending, when "Tyrasaurus", the BigBad of that chapter, asks you to join him in world domination; answering yes leads to being killed by a meteor shower]]. However, after viewing the outcome, you are returned to the world map, and ''forced'' to fight.
** On the next stage you encounter a strange race of bird men who are manipulating the evolution powers to become more powerful. Again, they offer to let you join them. If you do, you become part of an advanced bird race that are eventually worshiped by humanity as gods. Then it dumps you back to the map and lets you play on, again not giving you the question when you confront the birdmen this time around.
*** There's more. There's also the sea creature in the sea in the final map who gives you the same proposal as the T-Rex and the bird chief where you can join him and rule the ocean or fight him. [[spoiler: as with the other two, however, you rule the ocean with him through fear and might, but then he is caught by fishermen and left you to your own imminent doom without him. You're then force to re-encounter him and fight him without the question]]. The fourth instance of this also includes a bonus [[spoiler: if you are able to fly either as a bird or past-evolving into a flying creature, you can attack the aliens hiding in the skies. They will beg you to spare them. If you don't, the ship will explode, causing all the aliens to fly out of their ship and toward their deaths way down below. If you accept to spare them, however, they are grateful and take you with them to Mars. This is a rare subversion, however, because they promptly bring you back to Earth and you can then continue on the next level normally]].
** Its predecessor, ''E.V.O. The Theory of Evolution'', gives you an evolution chart you can travel through by investing points into four attributes. At the end of each chapter, you can evolve one last time by maxing out one of them, which is usually Endurance or Wisdom and is pretty much spelled out by Gaia just before that moment. Pick any other attribute and you will get a NonstandardGameOver where you either go extinct or become unfit to keep evolving until you gain sentience.
* In ''VideoGame/MetalSaga'', the very first question asked of your character, "Do you want to be a mechanic?", can actually end the game about two minutes after it started.
* At the beginning of ''VideoGame/LegendOfLegaia'', Meta asks Vahn to join with him. If you say no, he apologises for forcing you but explains that you have no choice but to agree, and presents you with the choice again.
* A party member in ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory'' demands to accompany the player character on a quest. If you tell her 'no', she claims not to have heard what you said. Justified in that it fits the character perfectly...
** ...then turned on its head when you complete the quest and are given the option of dropping her like she's hot.
** Done again in the PSP port, ''Second Evolution'', with the new character Welch. You are given three options, two of which are "yes" and one of which is "something's not right". The last will lead to the main character {{lampshad|eHanging}}ing the fact that [[BreakingTheFourthWall the menu is stacked against them]], and then the menu comes right back up again.
** Averted with some characters where you can outright refuse to have them join (this is in fact the only way to have other characters join later instead). Lampshaded with Ashton, whom you can refuse to bring along with you and never see again. However, if you re-enter the room you find him in afterward, he will join anyway with the prompt "Ashton has joined the party whether you like it or not!"
* In ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV'', [[spoiler:when Chaz is given the choice of whether or not he wishes to learn Megid. If you say Yes, Re-Faze kills him; you have to say No to both stay alive and learn it]].
* Averted entirely by Canopus in the original ''VideoGame/OgreBattle''; when asked what you're fighting for, the PlayerCharacter is offered first one option with a yes/no dialogue, then (upon saying 'no') a second option, and finally a third, at which point, if the Player ''still'' says 'no,' [[spoiler:Canopus erupts in fury, saying that you're just barbarians fighting with no cause, your KarmaMeter takes a big hit, and you can't ever get either Canopus or his buddy Gilbert to fight for you]].
* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' has one of these at the beginning of the game (or at least, the beginning of the actual gameplay after going through an hour of interactive cutscenes), where you have to choose to own up to your mistake and go save the world, or... Not. [[spoiler:And if you don't, the screen fades to black and explains that your inaction causes the world to [[NonstandardGameOver wind to its inevitable doom]]. You then have to go back to the same choice and select yes.]] The first Djinni you encounter (in both games) gives you another, absolutely refusing to leave you alone until you let it join your party. Saying no enough times just makes them join you out of spite anyway.
** There is a more straightforward example at the beginning of the game where Jenna will get pissed if you say no and will keep asking until you say yes.
** Maybe the most hilarious example is when you meet Lord [=McCoy=], and Garet forces you to agree that his calling you a child is irritating, only then to brush it off with a line about proving him wrong, and continue on as if nothing happened.
** ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' is full of these things. At most, any given Yes/No input changes the next two or three lines of dialogue, and then the story gets right back to where it was.
*** Played with in ''The Lost Age'' where if you say no to every single response and say no once more when you reach Lemuria for the first time, Kraden will completely flip out and yell at you for not taking your quest seriously, to which you can tell him no when prompted to just to annoy him even further.
** ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'' adds emotion-based replies, which effectively work the same way, but also plays with and parodies the principle a lot more: having the FemmeFatale villain ask [[DoubleEntendre if she's tempted you]] and [[EvilIsSexy not accept "no" answers]], or beginning a quest with this lovely dialogue:
--->"Why are we doing this again?"\\
"[[LampshadeHanging Because Matthew can be talked into anything.]]"
** Of course, ''Dark Dawn'' also takes this approach to baiting you with the option of skipping the tutorials, like you could in ''The Lost Age'', and then going "juuuuuuust kidding! [[ForcedTutorial Here's the tutorial anyway!]]" And one wonders why the fans are peeved.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' has one fairly blatant example: In one scene, Tidus and Yuna have a chat with one of the Fayth to discuss their battle plan to defeat Sin. If the player answers that they don't have a plan yet, the Fayth will tell you to go away and come back when you have a plan, and the scene fades to black...and then fades right back to the start of the conversation to let you try again.
* ''VideoGame/RadiantHistoria'' is just plain ''mean'', though for what it's worth, you're told at the start that there's only one possible future where the world doesn't end. There's one real choice at the very beginning, explicitly marked as such, a few choices that initially don't mean anything, but result in a special quest if you get them all "right," and a whole bunch of choices that lead you off the path and result in an immediate NonstandardGameOver. These endings range from the predictable (why the hell did you let a nine-year-old girl [[spoiler:use a DangerousForbiddenTechnique]]?) to the absurd (did my healer just [[spoiler:kill the rest of the party out of rage]]?).
* Early on in ''VideoGame/SwordOfVermilion'', you have to go on a FetchQuest for the king of one of the cities in order to convince him to give you a MacGuffin. After you bring back the loot, he asks if you'd rather just give up on your quest and become a resident of the city instead, and won't take no for an answer. Once you eventually give in, you're not allowed to leave the city [[spoiler: until you talk to everyone and then return to the king to find out that he's actually the first boss of the game in disguise]], and no matter how insistent you were, the townspeople will still rub it in and ask you [[WhatTheHellHero if you're really willing to give up that easily.]]
* In ''King Colossus'', this old guy in the main room of the house you start out in at the beginning of the game asks if you're grateful for his having raised you and if you say no, you ''cannot get out of the room''.
* The [[http://frua.rosedragon.org/pc/uanews/uanl23/design01.htm article]] (written for the ''VideoGame/UnlimitedAdventures'' community, but readable to everyone) is mostly critical of these "illusionary choices", but acknowledges that they are useful if the "wrong" choices are there to make the situation clearer (by providing a suitable reason as to ''why'' a particular choice doesn't work) and increase tension.
* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'': If you haven't managed to persuade him at each prior chance [[spoiler:you get two chances for Renegade Interrupts when you confront the Illusive Man. Refuse to take the second and he shoots Shepard, giving you a game over]].
* In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic II'', you encounter a Force vision of Kreia where she is accosted by several other members of your party, and you supposedly have to choose a side. There's also an option to stay out of what appears to be turning into a violent dispute involving lightsabers, but doing so causes everybody to turn against you while muttering "Apathy is death!". However it turns out that all of the other non-apathy options just cause the scene to recycle again, and so the only way forward is to fail Kreia's little morality lesson.
* In the first ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey'', the mayor gives you a mission to annihilate the forest people - that's right, an entire ''race'' of sapient beings - in order to protect the town's ''tourist industry''. You cannot proceed until you accept it and carry it out.
* ''VideoGame/Conception2ChildrenOfTheSevenStars'': During your first trip into the dungeon, you encounter the first boss early, and Ruby orders you to flee. Your options are "No", "I won't run from an enemy", and "Too Hell with that".
* In ''VideoGame/ArNosurgeOdeToAnUnbornStar'', when you first start Ion/Earthes's (Avatar's) story, Ion will ask a series of questions to Avatar. The final one is a request and Avatar must accept it to continue, things will just be stuck if you just keep refusing it. As an added twist, however, you actually ''should'' refuse it the first time in order to receive a Trophy - "I Refuse." (Description: "Heartlessly refused Ion's request.")
* Done in a pretty heartbreaking way in the beginning of ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' where Toriel saves you from a homicidal flower, solves puzzles for you, and takes you into her home with a room prepared for you to live in. Talking to her afterwards has her asking if you'd like to hear a story and you can choose whether or not you want to listen or tell her that you want to go back home with the humans on the surface. Choosing to listen to her will have her give a brief snippet of the book she's reading, but this option won't get you anywhere, so you have to insist three times that you want to go home. She excuses herself and [[spoiler:following her causes her to fight you to see if you are really strong enough to make it on your own. If you decide to run away from the fight, you're sent back to your room and go to bed, but you're then told by a mysterious voice that the future depends on you and thus you have to get past Toriel to continue with the game]].
* At the end of the first mission in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'', you're ostensibly given the choice to join [=BLADE=]. Refuse, and [=BLADE=]'s leader will launch into a lengthy spiel that can be interpreted as either a guilt trip or a veiled threat. Refuse again, and he'll rephrase the question in such a way that [[HeadsIWinTailsYouLose either answer can be interpreted as "yes"]].
** However, should you refuse, he simply repeats his last question until you accept.
* In ''Videogame/TalesOfXillia2'', Rideaux heals you after a train crash and demands you pay him '''20 million''' [[GlobalCurrency gald]] for his services. Services you didn't ask for mind you. Your options are to take a loan for it (apparently banks in Elympios loan random unemployed dudes millions with no collateral, no wonder the country is in trouble) or to "think about it." Naturally, no amount of thinking will get you past that question until you agree to take the loan.
* Appears to be the theme of ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}''; despite appearing to have a similar structure to ''Undertale'' in terms of choosing between pacifism or more violent methods, the game constantly forces you along only a single path. You are even told multiple times that "the choices you make don't matter", and many of the choices you are offered get rescinded immediately, in direct contrast to the extremely choice-driven experience of Undertale.
* In the ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' franchise:
** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'':
*** At the beginning of the game, after having been killed and sent to Yomotsu Hirasaka, Dagda offers to revive you in exchange for becoming his {{People Puppet|s}}. If you persist in refusing, you'll simply stay in the afterlife and the game will end, causing the events of ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' to happen as usual. You can also refuse to let him revive you after you are defeated in battle, with the same result.
*** The FinalBoss [[spoiler:makes a WeCanRuleTogether offer to you]] midway through their fight, and you ''can'' actually accept it -- Dagda will try to persuade you otherwise but you can turn him down. [[spoiler:[[PressXToDie End result: the boss just kills you.]]]]
** In ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor2'', the Septentrione and Triangulum Arcs both give a NonstandardGameOver choice, if the player chooses to die when Tico asks whether you want to survive and fight demons or accept your fate of dying at the location the Death Video predetermined for you.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', the dates you can go on with Papyrus, Undyne and Alphys in the Pacifist route all function like this. With Papyrus, you can ignore or outright insult him, and he'll interpret it as you being shy or so honest with your feelings that it overwhelms his passions. Undyne requires you select some tea to proceed with her, which the game blatantly tells you is the correct choice, and picking anything else has her refuse or make a snide comment. Finally, Alphys will always come to the same conclusions no matter which choices you make, and the final choice made after the date doesn't affect the game at all.
** Also, at the end of a No Mercy run, a character asks you to [[spoiler:erase the entire game world]]. If you refuse, the character says that you were never the one in control and just goes ahead anyway on their own, [[spoiler: with a bonus JumpScare for defying them]].
* The ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' series is the king of this trope. The main character gets asked for his opinion every ten seconds, and his answers are completely irrelevant...
** ...Except for one of the first times in the game, where you are asked to embark on the quest or not. You can refuse, but the game then [[NonstandardGameOver immediately ends]]. (The CRPG ''The Magic Candle'' does this too.)
** ...and after finishing one of the sidequests, at which point the main character is offered a lift back to the city from which the plothook originated. It takes five or six tries, but the well-meaning {{N|onPlayerCharacter}}PCs can be convinced to let the party walk back.
** Also, when the first Djinni Flint comes to add his powers to yours, he asks if you will take him with you. You can of course say no, which makes the But Thou Must start. But after answering no sufficient times, he'll suddenly say "But I'll come with you anyway" and join.
** The second game parodies this with an additional scene if you answer "no" to every such question at least once up until you reach Lemuria, the resident ancient civilization, in form of ThePhilosopher Kraden going into a longwinded rant about you not taking your quest seriously and entering Lemuria on his own if he has to regardless of what you think about it.
* ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'' is one of the few games that utilizes both this trope and the KarmaMeter. While picking the most heroic answer will raise your "Swashbuckling Rating", which is relevant for a few sidequests (for example, a certain crewmember needs a Vyse the Daring or higher before he'll join), the plot itself is never changed.
* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games, all of them.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', Terra is asked to help the Returners defeat the Empire. If she says yes, she is given a Gauntlet, a nice Relic that lets you increase your attack power. If she says no, the Returners will attempt to convince her, but she can continue to refuse up to three times. After the third time, the Empire attacks the Returner hideout ''anyway'' (though you miss out on the scene where the Returners discuss their plan to get Terra to talk to the Frozen Esper in Narshe), and she is given a Genji Glove Relic, which normally can't be found until much, much later in the story[[note]]The first one is found in the Cave to the Esper World, towards the end of the first half of the game[[/note]], making it far more valuable to refuse to assist. From there, however, the game continues exactly as it did if you said yes, as Terra is swept up in the attack and forced to flee with the Returners, who are heading to Narshe anyway.
** In the Timber section of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', incorrectly giving the password to the resistance only has a tiny impact on the game: you don't get a [=SeeD=] promotion, but the resistance contact knows you're the mercenaries that were hired and brings you to the hideout anyway. Likewise, when coordinating Garden's defense at the beginning of the Battle Between the Gardens, your decisions don't change the way the battle goes, just your [=SeeD=] rating: if you give the correct orders and don't give any useless orders, you get promoted. If you forget an important order or give an extraneous order, one of your adult mentors will just interrupt you to give the correct orders anyway (and you don't get a promotion).
*** There's also the interrogation scene at the D-District Prison, during which Squall has a choice between lying in order to stay alive and ''taunting the angry guy controlling the lever to electrocute you.'' Despite the ViolationOfCommonSense implicit in the latter, it is the "correct" choice and results shortly thereafter in a reward[[note]]The taunting is intended to get the interrogator to make a mistake and ''kill you'' so that you don't break under torture and give away secrets[[/note]], but since the point of the interrogation is to extract information Squall ''doesn't have'' so that the torturer can confirm information they already know, the lie doesn't do anything significant.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', you can have Cloud refuse to bodyguard Aerith in the Sector 5 church, but it doesn't matter, he'll end up doing it anyway. It does affect RelationshipValues though.
* Early on in ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', the protagonist is arrested and tried for allegedly kidnapping the princess. Based on your actions at the Millennial Fair, there are two outcomes: If you're found guilty, you're sentenced to death. If innocent, the judge gives you a lighter sentence of a few days' confinement... but the crooked chancellor lies and says you were sentenced to death anyway. (Of course, you're not executed either way.)
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' uses a form of this trope -- your selections affect your [[RelationshipValues relationship with party members]], but (with two exceptions) do not affect the plot. One determines something at the very end of the game, and one much earlier can allow you to take a faster route through an annoying plot arc. (Speedrunners can tell you, ''Releasing the Seals comes first'', makes the game faster.)
** In one of the first decisions, Lloyd, upon being told to stay behind when Kratos offers to accompany Colette into the Martel Temple, can either say "What did you say?", which prompts an argument with Kratos until Colette intercedes on his behalf, or "Gotcha", which seemingly implies agreement with Kratos, but leads to Lloyd [[LoopholeAbuse promising to follow Kratos in on his own]], at which point Kratos reluctantly allows him to follow. In most other cases, Lloyd's choices are not as diametrically opposed (such as deciding to let Regal and Presea stay, or consulting the others), or result in other party members overruling him.
** This trope also applies to certain unwinnable boss fights--you theoretically ''shouldn't'' be able to win these fights, though if you are sufficiently leveled to beat the BigBad early on, the fight will simply fade to black somewhere in the middle. You can't beat [[spoiler: Yggdrasil]] until the end!
* ''Symphonia'''s sequel, ''[[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld Dawn of the New World]]'', also does this when the player must choose which of two Lloyds is the real one. Despite it being patently obvious, choosing the wrong Lloyd has Zelos unmask the traitor anyway.

* The ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' series plays this trope for laughs -- knowing full well that whatever choices you make are irrelevant, the games are packed with outrageous answers and willfully ignorant {{N|onPlayerCharacter}}PCs (and ones that aren't ignorant at all and actually respond to said outrageous comments, notably your party members), such as an elderly town mayor who pretends to be hard of hearing so that he can browbeat you into solving his town's FetchQuest.
** In the first game, after defeating Lakilester, his girlfriend Lakilulu will ask you to spare his life. Refusing will cause her to get mad, throw an attack at you, and ask you again. There's also the "Let there be hot dogs!" option in the second game.

* In ''VideoGame/MegaManLegends 2'', when you get to the island where Glyde's base is, you're immediately confronted by Appo and Dah, who want you to rescue their sister Shu. No matter how many times you say no they will not stop asking unless you say yes.
** Similarly, after you [[spoiler: return from the Forbidden Island at the beginning of the game]], Barrel asks you for your help with finding the keys to the Mother Load. You can refuse, only for Barrel's friend Von Bluecher to ask you as well. No matter how many times you say no, he keeps asking for your help.

* ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireII'' has an instance where you are asked to cough up 900K Zenny or an Uparupa (an exceedingly rare creature) in exchange for releasing the Grass Man, Spar. After encountering and subduing the Uparupa (releasing it gives some good booty in exchange for your kindness), you can choose to give the Uparupa, the obscene sum of money, or you can valiantly refuse. MC Tusk (the guy who made the offer in the first place) chooses to kill you regardless of your answer. Cue boss fight.
** The MC Tusk situation is actually a slight inversion, in that you can actually skip the entire Uparupa sequence if you have that ridiculous sum of money. In most [=RPGs=], such monetary offers usually exceed [[{{Cap}} the player's maximum gold-carrying capacity]], forcing you to follow the alternative path (in this case, catching the Uparupa), thus creating a financially-driven But Thou Must. However, through cheats or ridiculous diligence, it's entirely possible to have 900,000 Zenny to give to MC Tusk, so that you can avoid the Uparupa cave altogether.
* ''VideoGame/SuikodenTierkreis'' uses this over and over, typically as a choice between "Yes, I know what to do" and "No, please tell me what to do" with you doing the same thing either way. Then, ''very'' far into the game, it subverts this with a default answer that [[KillEmAll kills the entire cast]] if chosen, with no indication this choice is any different from the others. Here's hoping you were roleplaying rather than just skipping through the conversations to get to the combat.
* ''VideoGame/BlueDragon'' is full of these. You'll be asked "Do (plot required action)?" The correct answer is "yes". The characters will always just do it anyway or ask again until you answer yes.
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'', the [[MurderInc Dark Brotherhood]] quest line always offers three options in dialogue when talking with an involved {{N|onPlayerCharacter}}PC, yet all three options mysteriously give the same result. There is a single exception where you can taunt your target into attacking you using one of the responses. Quite useful, as an Imperial Legion guardsman is stationed inside that very room, and will actually help you out as long as your target attacks first.
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', a side quest can result in a conversation with the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon that works like this. Apparently Dagon doesn't care much for mortals since whether you chose to defy him or join him he always says exactly the same thing (and then summons some minions which immediately attack you).
* In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'', during the school camping trip, Chie and Yukiko attempt to make curry, and are met with [[LethalChef disastrous results]]. Yosuke tries it, expecting a brilliant dish, and not only is the curry horrible, but Yosuke flies into a rage. You then are asked by Chie and Yukiko to try the curry, and even if you pick the options in which you refuse, you'll be successfully pressured into eating it anyway, with predictable results.
** In ''Persona 4: Golden'', they take it a step up. [[spoiler: Nanako]] makes you a dish which appears to be BLUE and has a shape most resembling gelatin. She says it's supposed to be chocolate and that the [[LethalChef girls taught her how to make it]]. Expectantly, she looks to you to eat it. The game LITERALLY SAYS YOU HAVE NO OPTIONS.
** Justified in the SchoolFestival. When the class takes a vote on what they're going to do for their stall, the player can vote for what they want to do. However, no matter what, the class will always do a Group Date Cafe, because [[RealityEnsues it's a fair ballot]], and enough other people voted for it to avert DecidedByOneVote.
* Several conversations in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'' can have Joker/the protagonist refuse to go through with an idea or express doubt about an upcoming plan, and yet the game continues as if he hadn't said it. At one point, he can even refuse to be the leader of the Phantom Thieves, and the other characters basically browbeat him into it.

* At the end of the game in ''VideoGame/FableII'', Lucien, the Big Bad, will go off on a monologue. You have the option to shoot him, but if you don't, Reaver will shoot him for you and say, "Oh, I thought he'd never shut up. I'm sorry, did you want to kill him?"
* In ''[[VideoGame/LegendOfLegaia Legaia 2: Duel Saga]]'', Lang is given the choice of joining the DarkSide early on by a pair of villains. Your possible answers change depending on Lang's personality (which is molded by your dialogue choices throughout the game, between brash or cowardly). You can rudely refuse, respectfully refuse, or agree. They [[HopelessBossFight kick your ass]] and drag you back to the castle regardless, even if you agree...
* A humorous scene from ''VideoGame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime'' has a female NPC start flirting with the main character, only for his {{Clingy Jealous|Girl}} [[LikeBrotherAndSister Not!Cousin]] to show up. When the NPC asks if she's your sister, your choices of response are basically "She's my girlfriend," "Yeah, something like that," and "Her? Never seen her before." Regardless of choice, she'll end up leaving by herself, with no way to go with her. (Note: the ''second'' option, which sounds like the neutral one, actually causes a shouting match that ''has to be censored''.)

* This actually happens in the fourth ''{{VideoGame/Star Ocean|TheLastHope}}'', which is odd considering the series is known for its multiple endings. Not in ''The Last Hope''. You could drive [[spoiler:her]] affection into the ground and have max affection with someone else. It doesn't matter what you do. [[spoiler:Edge will still end up with Reimi]] in the end.
** The same happened in the first game. No matter how hard you tried to arrange it otherwise, Roddick and Millie were going to end up together.
* ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII'' had a particularly annoying example. Shortly reaching the first town a man are greets you with a sound effect that clearly marks him as a lunatic, and then offers you help. There is no reason whatsoever why you would trust him, but if you keep refusing his assistance, the game just picks you up and warps you where he was trying to take you.
** In ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIIThroneOfBhaal,'' more or less the first person you meet will do this, the conversation going in a circle until you agree to do what they want. Especially jarring since the sole reason you are supposed to trust the person is that they ask for pity on starving people. However, if you ask about them and their knowledge of you, they give a [[MostDefinitelyNotAVillain completely unconvincing and uninformative answer]] that would arouse immediate suspicion in anyone, let alone the constantly-betrayed child of Bhaal. There is also nothing the character offers in return for your services.
** {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d later in [=ToB=], where several dialogue options with a Solar about what they have to do because destiny give the player the choice of grumbling that they never get a choice in these sorts of matters.
* ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga'' gives the player several opportunities to [[spoiler:veto a fake alliance with the Maribel against the Solids, but even if you try to do so there's almost no change in the dialogue, although in the end the Maribel's lieutenant betrays them and you leading to the wholesale massacre of the Maribel before you can betray them anyway]].

* ''VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire'' has Birch ask you if you want to go meet up with your rival, but if you say no, he'll say "Aww, don't be that way. Go see my kid" on endless loop until you say yes.
* When you try to suck the JackassGenie back into its bottle in ''VideoGame/{{Miitopia}}'', he will beg you to let him go and promise he won't be a bother to the Neksdor citizens anymore, and you have the choice to listen to him or to continue sucking him. However, in the end, you are compelled to let him go as each time you select the "suck him" option, nothing will happen.

* ''VideoGame/Mother3'' has an example that combines this with the SlidingScaleOfGameplayAndStoryIntegration. When playing as Salsa the monkey, Fassad will just zap you into submission if you try to refuse his orders.
** Special mention goes to the final choice of the game. If you decide [[spoiler: not to pull out the last needle, causes Lucas to do it anyway, [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight actively defying the player to do what he knows is right]].]] There was even [[DummiedOut special Unused text that was supposed to show if you chose No]], which was [[spoiler:"No one can stop Lucas from pulling the needle. No one.]]
* Early in ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'', Fei is helping his friends Alice and Timothy prepare for their wedding. Alice's brother Dan asks to talk to Fei privately, and if you go talk to him, he suggests that Fei should stop the wedding and marry Alice himself. If you choose the "wrong" answer and agree to run off with Alice, Dan suddenly changes his mind and says that there's no point in trying because Alice would never go for it. No matter which choice you make, it doesn't affect any of your future interactions with Dan, Alice, or Timothy.
* In ''Franchise/MassEffect'', particularly the first installment, you direct the conversation by selecting some generic type conversation "seeds". In many cases, Shepard will say the exact same thing with several different seeds.
** Also even when Shepard does say something different it doesn't really matter, especially when choosing to take new party members, specifically Tali, Ashley, and Liara. If you try to kick Ashley off the crew, Anderson will pull rank on you and force you to keep her; if you reject Tali's help, then Udina will do the same. For Liara, you can also tell her no, to which Garrus will force you to keep her even though you outrank him; there is no further options to challenge him and you are forced to take her into your group. Though Liara does end up helping you find [[spoiler: where the BigBad is headed]], there is no storyline-imperative reason for you to have to take Ashley and Tali with you. Averted with Garrus and Wrex on the other hand, as you can reject either of their (but not both of their) help.
** Although many conversations do play this completely straight, it is averted just as often. Especially with the Charm and Intimidate options which can completely change the outcome of an event, even to the point of preventing a party member from [[spoiler: being KilledOffForReal]] or [[spoiler: skipping the fight with the first form of the FinalBoss]]. However, these options are only available if you have enough Paragon/Renegade skill points. If you don't, these special options are disabled, and the enabled "regular" options usually all have the same effect.
* ''VideoGame/{{Robopon}} 2'' has this when Cody is about to destroy Dr. Zero's Battleship.
-->'''Game:''' And so, the Pandora's Box that is the Battleship has been opened... Metaphors aside, will you press the red button?\\
'''Player:''' No.\\
'''Game:''' Umm... you should really think about pressing the button soon.

* There are several of these in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon'', which appear as a [[SecretTestOfCharacter Secret (or not so secret) Test of Character]]. However, if you pick the wrong option the game will generally just lightly scold you and tell you to give it more thought, before asking you again. Generally you always want to go with whatever option will ultimately make you the most altruistic and forgiving.
* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'':
** The game as a whole seems to have an odd love of this, to the point that it's less "dialogue choices" and more "what you want to chime in with." Most of them fall into the "say yes/say yes, but in a snarky tone" format, at most changing the next one or two lines of dialogue from other characters before moving on. In fact, when the Babylonia arc featured cases where your choices actually ''do'' matter (namely, saying the wrong thing to certain characters makes the upcoming boss fights harder), the fandom as a whole treated it as a big twist.
** This was parodied in ''Webcomic/LearningWithMangaFGO'', where Rider attempts to make Mash join her by saying she has to choose whether she wants Director Olga Marie or Gudako. Predictably, the choices are between saying she prefers being together with Olga Marie, and saying she's fine with being together with Olga Marie. Mash, as it turns out, is smitten with both, and [[TakeAThirdOption makes a break for it rather than answer]].

* ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' plays with it in a different fashion when Peach encounters the uber-nerd Francis. Francis treats the encounter as a DatingSim and attempts to woo Peach in a variety of ways. After each attempt, the player is given three potential responses for Peach, ranging from calm acceptance to outright yelling at Francis. Regardless of the response chosen, Francis only finds her more attractive by the minute. Finally he mentions the possibility of marriage. The player's three responses now range from accepting the proposal to merely ''considering'' the proposal. After starting to say the chosen response, however, Peach demands to know who's choosing the answers, insists she'll never marry someone like Francis, and declares the whole thing a waste of her time.
** Also, when Mario first meets Squirps, Squirps tells him, "Your only responses should be 'Yes, sir!' and 'Gotcha!' Understand, squirkle?" It goes without saying what the available responses to that question are. ([[DontExplainTheJoke They are "Yes, sir!" and "Gotcha!"]])
** Additionally, when meeting Boomer, he tests your compatibility by asking you a bunch of questions. You're only given variations on "yes" for each question. Carrie asks questions in a similar manner, but your answers vary somewhat there; she just happens to agree with you whatever you say... making the following line of dialogue possible.
--> '''Carrie:''' So you think [[HollywoodNerd Francis]] is an awesome irresistible guy? Basically, a stallion? Well... imagine that! You and I feel the same way about him!
* ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana'' played with this trope at one point. The leader of the mushroom people asks you if you like the name he chose for your dragon. However, before you get a chance to respond, he interrupts your bubble, realizing that no matter what you really think you'd say you like it because he's the king. So he decides to keep the name. The rest of the game mostly avoids this trope, by the revolutionary and edgy means of giving your character a voice and a personality.
** Doubly subverted, since both your answers are telling him that you ''don't'' like the name.
* Want to prevent a companion from joining your party in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2''? Sorry, that's not an option. Not even for [[TheScrappy Grobnar]].
* An early funny moment in ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts: Covenant'' is when you arrive at Le Havre for the first time. On the way to the mayor's house, a character claiming to be a Lottery Member stops Yuri and But Thou Must's him into participating in the Lottery game. All three choices Yuri can make all equal "Yes."
* ''VideoGame/SoulBlazer'' does this to you at the end; when the {{Love Interest|s}} asks if you'll come back to see her, you can literally only say yes.
* At one point in ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime'', you're instead provided no ''right'' answer. To pass a gate, Luigi has to pick the correct answer out of three provided... except, none of them are the right answer -- the correct answer is a fourth option that doesn't exist. The gate claims Luigi is lying when he points this out.
* In the third battle of ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfileCovenantOfThePlume'' the game won't let you move or do any commands until you use the Destiny Plume on Ancel. Even if you manage to get through the battle without it (only really possible on a NewGamePlus using counter attacks), the game continues on as if you used it anyway.
* In ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'', during the "Distant Glory: Heroes" segment, the third map opens with [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI Shantotto]] offering the player a job. You can see two opposing choices, (which basically amount to "yes" and "no, shorty") but you literally can't move the cursor to the "No" option, so it may as well not be there. Upon giving up and choosing the yes option, Shantotto delivers the {{lampshad|eHanging}}ing quote seen at the top of the page.
* ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' asks [[http://lparchive.org/Fallout-3-(by-Lizard-Wizard)/Update%2001/68-Fallout3_2012-01-17_14-48-33-94.jpg this]] tough question. This is at the end of a series of questions in a school-exam, most of the others determining the skills your character will be good at. The teacher administering the test reads this last question in an extremely sarcastic tone. The entire exam has no real bearing on the game, anyway. You can choose to not take it and manually assign your upgrades, or switch the upgrades after seeing which it recommends.
* In ''VideoGame/Fallout4'', in the beginning, you can say no to helping Preston Garvey in Concord, but the game will assign you the quest anyway.
** Also, say "No" to the Vault-Tec guy at the beginning of the game enough times, and then your spouse will step in and force you to accept and fill out the form. Justified, in that it's where you enter your name and starting stats.

* [[http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/495903 Super PSTW Action RPG]] is a parody of RPG clichés, so it's no surprise it includes this, with a "press space to accept the quest" option. No alternative is given. Of course, space is the only button in the game, so there are no options in the whole game.
* In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII'', after you defeat Visas, even though she was obviously a Sith and just fought you with a lightsaber, there is no option to kill her. No matter what you say, you must take her to the medical bay and then let her join your party.
** In the first ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', there is no possible way to refuse the Dantooine Jedi Council's surprising (and rather insane) idea to train [[spoiler: (technically, ''retrain'')]] you as a Jedi. Of course, the fact you're Force Sensitive, they're really freaking desperate for recruits, you just helped bail out their star Padawan, Darth Malak's hunting you anyway, [[spoiler: and you don't know it yet, but you're a mind-wiped Sith Lord]] means you're pretty much screwed anyway.
* A minor example from ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}} Portable'': in the fourth rank of Akihiko's S.Link, he tells the female protagonist that rumor has it she is going out with Junpei(who cannot be romanced), and asks her if it's true. All three of the responses the player can choose from amount to "No" (although only one of them translates into "I'd rather go out with you").
* ''VideoGame/Persona5'':
** Just after you defeat the FinalBoss, Sae meets with you and reveals that [[spoiler:in order to ensure that Shido is brought to justice, and prevent his cronies from coming after your friends and allies, you must turn yourself in to the police]]. You then have two choices- one says you'll do it to change society, and another says you'll do it to protect your friends.
** Right before TheReveal, Sae asks you if [[spoiler: Goro Akechi is a Phantom Thief]], and all the options amount to "No."(Admittedly, [[spoiler:she had given you a chance to sell out your party members and Confidants for a lighter sentence, and saying yes to either would have gotten you the bad ending.]]) [[spoiler: Guess who TheMole turns out to be?]]
* ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'' has an odd case of this, where the player will be asked a question yes/no and can only respond with one of four emoticons - essentially :), :D, >:| or :(. The player and the game will inevitably have different opinions on what any of these are supposed to mean in any given situation, and every face will generally mean "yes", just with different intonations (which is meaningless).

* When you prematurely encounter the first boss in ''VideoGame/Conception2ChildrenOfTheSevenStars'', your MissionControl immediately tells you to back off. The three alternatives given all amount to merrily ignoring this instruction. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools It works]] because Wake has more personality that your average DatingSim hybrid protagonist and highlights his ItsPersonal approach to monsters.
* An interesting variation occurs in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'': when faced with the option of either turning the Fire Emblem over to the enemy in exchange for Emmeryn's life or refusing and fighting for her life...[[spoiler: it won't matter anyway because Emmeryn will TakeAThirdOption and jump off the cliff herself to end the fighting.]]
** This happens again at a later point. Lucina realizes that [[spoiler: the Avatar under DemonicPossession is the one who killed her father in the BadFuture and decides to kill them to prevent it from happening again. You're given the choice of either accepting her judgement or refusing and fighting back, but Chrom interrupts and stops her no matter which one you choose]].

* One of the funniest of these in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' involves Steiner. When he's with Garnet and they're trying to cross back to Lindbum, Steiner encounters a guy who's been slacking off on his work, which is the reason why South Gate has been messed up.
-->'''Steiner''': (''thinking'') You were the reason we couldn't come in through this gate! (Choice: Kill! / Don't kill.)\\
'''Kill!''': (''Garnet kicks Steiner from inside the bag she's stuffed in'') I almost lost control of myself!\\
'''Don't kill''': I must tolerate him for the sake of the princess!
* While ''VideoGame/{{Tyranny}}'' offers many possible paths to take, it only allows choosing them at jarringly arbitrary times. For the most part, you can break off your current allegiance near the start of any quest line, but if you pass that point you're committed, and the game will flat out not offer any dialogue options that would disobey your current superior. Even if it would be [[StupidityIsTheOnlyOption sensible]] or dramatically appropriate to do so. For example, you cannot prevent [[spoiler:the Voices of Nerat]] from gaining access to the forbidden [[spoiler:Silent Archive]] once you get a hold of it, or stop the same Archon from taking a terrified mother and her infant into his "[[FateWorseThanDeath custody]]", even though the woman and possibly some of your party members outright beg you to intervene.
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVI'' inverts this with Somnia's Chancellor's question to the hero [[BluffTheImpostor to prove he's the real prince]]: The game gives you four choices, but all of them are ''wrong''.
** ''Weaponized'' in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX''. [[spoiler:It is a plot point that Celestrians ''cannot'' disobey their superiors, even if that means forcing them against their will. The main antagonist of the game is Corvus, a fallen Celestrian who went insane due to being betrayed and [[BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil tortured]], and then [[GoMadFromTheIsolation chained alone in his cage for 300+ years]]. By eating all of the [[MacGuffin Fyggs]], he becomes the most powerful Celestrian in history, and is [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority thus at the absolute highest of their hierarchy]], even though they ''really'' don't want him to be. He abuses this by commanding any Celestrian they encounter, including the player, to not attack him, rendering them unable to harm him in any way. The only way for the player character to get out of this is to [[MortalityEnsues forsake their angelic nature and become mortal]], thus freeing them from the Celestrian hierarchy. [[CombatPragmatist Your mortal allies who could harm him, he just knocks out when you encounter him]].]]
* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' allows the player character to be ambivalent or even hostile about acting as the Herald of Andraste, but they still have to accept. When being recruited into the Inquisition, they can even ask if they're allowed to refuse the position, and Leliana tells them they're free to go if they choose. Except then following conversation options are: "join the Inquisition enthusiastically," "join the Inquisition and make a joke about it," and "join the Inquisition, but remain skeptical." It happens again when the PC is named Inquisitor- they can flat-out say they don't want to job and intend to refuse, but the actual options for the choice don't offer more than being grumpy about it.
* The WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic fangame ''Super Lesbian Horse RPG'' has multiple instances of this.
** The first one, very early on, is when Fluttershy says she was hoping Rainbow "had something in mind for the two of [us] to do together". Rainbow Dash asks if Fluttershy meant kissing, and the available answers are "heck yeah" and "heck yeah".
** Later on, there's an NPC who asks if you like bees. The only possible answers to their question are "yes" and "yes".
* ''VideoGame/GrandKingdom'': You're about to kill the enemy's princess, stop the summoning ritual, and save the world, when [[ButtMonkey Weiss]] butts in and ''orders'' you to spare her life so she can defect to his unit. Your only "option" is [Yes] - you don't even get a second 'yes'. He does it again later when he orders you to fight him, again, just so you can thoroughly wipe the ground with his face, again. It's unclear why he can take your free will away when your healer has enough power to knock him out with one jar.
* ''VideoGame/LoserReborn'': When Nya tells you to kill Gla'aki, you can choose to say no several times before Nya replaces all choices with "Kill Gla'aki."
* In the ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' franchise:
** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI'' is on railroad tracks when it comes to Yuriko. At the beginning of the game, the latter states that she'll be your "eternal partner," but never gives you the chance to say yes to her. Instead, she just kidnaps your other female partner, and later allies with the Chaos Hero, all the while hoping to snare your character but never actually giving you the option to make your own feelings known. It can be somewhat jarring.
** PlayedForLaughs sometimes when negotiating with demons in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV''. Occasionally, a demon will ask you who's stronger, humans or demons. Your options? >Demons, >Demons, and >Demons. You can also run across demons who order you to start digging or tell you to submit to them, with similar response options.
** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'':
*** In the Neutral ending, Arthur asks if you will [[spoiler:grant him the knowledge imparted to you by Commander Gore]], and a dialogue box pops up. It features only one option: Yes.
*** If you are too devoutly devoted to Law or Chaos when you reach the alignment lock, [[spoiler:Commander Gore]] won't even bother asking for your choice; he'll just attack you. Then again, if your character is far gone enough to trigger this, you're probably not going to turn back at the last second.
* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOdyssey'': The "Fields of Elysium" DLC is lousy with this. The Eagle Bearer ''cannot'' turn down any quest given in it, regardless of the player's feelings on them, nor can they put them off. They have to be taken to move the story forward.

** It's subverted in the sequel, ''VideoGame/SuikodenII'', however -- two of the OneHundredAndEight warriors can only be recruited by saying 'No' to the same question three times in a row...

** After the first chapter of ''NeverwinterNights/HordesOfTheUnderdark'', the mage you freed in the final battle places you under a {{Geas}} that forces you to track down and kill the Valsharess, or die. Of course, the mage is the notoriously Ax-Crazy Halaster Blackcloak.

** After the first chapter of ''NeverwinterNights/HordesOfTheUnderdark'', the mage you freed in the final battle places you under a geas that forces you to track down and kill the Valsharess, or die. Of course, the mage is the notoriously Ax-Crazy Halaster Blackcloak.

* In the ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'' premium module Kingmaker, you're offered a chance to run for rulership of the town you end up in. You can try to refuse, but your intelligent weapon that revived you after you died in the beginning tells you that you were brought back for this specific purpose. If you lose the election, your weapon kills you.

*** The {{Trope Mamer|s}}: the princess asks you to let her accompany you on your travels, which inevitably leads to her marrying you, and if you answer no, she simply says "But thou must." and gives you the choices again. You can keep hitting "No" until the cows come home, but she just won't take it for an answer. (Telling the Dragon Lord "Yes" when he asks you to join him, however, is a NonstandardGameOver. [[note]]This is only true in the NES version. Agreeing his offer in the Super Famicom and GBC remakes return you to Rimuldar's inn.[[/note]])

** The {{Trope Namer|s}} usage in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestI'' -- the princess asks you to let her accompany you on your travels, which inevitably leads to her marrying you, and if you answer no, she simply says "But thou must." and gives you the choices again. You can keep hitting "No" until the cows come home, but she just won't take it for an answer. (Telling the Dragon Lord "Yes" when he asks you to join him, however, is a NonstandardGameOver. [[note]]This is only true in the NES version. Agreeing his offer in the Super Famicom and GBC remakes return you to Rimuldar's inn.[[/note]])
** It is just possible to avoid this fate by never rescuing the princess in the first place, in which case the [[HeroicMime silent hero]] marches off on his own in the end for a much less dramatic ending. Technically, you're supposed to rescue her so that you can get directions to a PlotCoupon, but you can find it by yourself [[SequenceBreaking if you're willing to search blindly around a swamp for half an hour.]] Essentially, this dooms the princess to rot starving to death in the bowels of a pitch black dungeon. [[ClingyJealousGirl But nobody liked Gwaelin anyhow.]]

** Another instance occurs in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII''. After you reclaim the King of Romaly's crown, the king will offer his entire kingdom to you. You've got better things to do, but he will not take no for an answer (however, in the Game Boy version, he ''will'' give up after you say no enough).

** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVI'' inverts this with Somnia's Chancellor's question to the hero [[BluffTheImpostor to prove he's the real prince]]: The game gives you four choices, but all of them are ''wrong''.

** ''Weaponized'' in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX''. [[spoiler:It is a plot point that Celestrians ''cannot'' disobey their superiors, even if that means forcing them against their will. The main antagonist of the game is Corvus, a fallen Celestrian who went insane due to being betrayed and [[BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil tortured]], and then [[GoMadFromTheIsolation chained alone in his cage for 300+ years]]. By eating all of the [[MacGuffin Fyggs]], he becomes the most powerful Celestrian in history, and is [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority thus at the absolute highest of their hierarchy]], even though they ''really'' don't want him to be. He abuses this by commanding any Celestrian they encounter, including the player, to not attack him, rendering them unable to harm him in any way. The only way for the player character to get out of this is to [[MortalityEnsues forsake their angelic nature and become mortal]], thus freeing them from the Celestrian hierarchy. [[CombatPragmatist Your mortal allies who could harm him, he just knocks out when you encounter him]].]]

* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' is still keeping this trope alive and well, and may still be reigning champion. ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVIII'' rarely even bothers to offer you any options of what to say. On the rare occasion where you're given a "Yes" or "No" option to choose, it not only doesn't affect the game plot... the maximum difference you might get is a tiny, TINY difference in the other character's response to you, which immediately thereafter is treated as if you'd made the "right" choice all along.
** The best such scene is during the standard ending. [[spoiler:The princess clearly doesn't want to marry [[{{Gonk}} Prince Charmles]], instead hoping to run off with the main character. When she asks if you'll elope with her, choosing "no" results in her weeping over the decision, her father getting comically irate, and the question posed once again to the player.]]
** Played with a bit in three. You can refuse to see the king at the very beginning of the game, and you can even lie having done so to your mother. However, your {{personality|Powers}} is changed to "Stubborn", which has [[VideoGameCrueltyPunishment the absolute worst stat growths in the game]].

* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVI'' inverts this with Somnia's Chancellor's question to the hero [[BluffTheImpostor to prove he's the real prince]]: The game gives you four choices, but all of them are ''wrong''.
** ''Weaponized'' in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX''. [[spoiler:It is a plot point that Celestrians ''cannot'' disobey their superiors, even if that means forcing them against their will. The main antagonist of the game is Corvus, a fallen Celestrian who went insane due to being betrayed and [[BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil tortured]], and then [[GoMadFromTheIsolation chained alone in his cage for 300+ years]]. By eating all of the [[MacGuffin Fyggs]], he becomes the most powerful Celestrian in history, and is [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority thus at the absolute highest of their hierarchy]], even though they ''really'' don't want him to be. He abuses this by commanding any Celestrian they encounter, including the player, to not attack him, rendering them unable to harm him in any way. The only way for the player character to get out of this is to [[MortalityEnsues forsake their angelic nature and become mortal]], thus freeing them from the Celestrian hierarchy. [[CombatPragmatist Your mortal allies who could harm him, he just knocks out when you encounter him]].]]

* Shortly before ''VideoGame/EarthBound's'' first real boss fight (against a local gang leader), the protagonist is asked if he wants to join the gang. Answering "Yes" results in being told to come back after [[LogicBomb finishing the game]].

** ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor2'':
*** The game will refuse to have certain dialogue options count, mostly because it's trying to tell you to stop joking around during some of the more intense, serious moments of the game.
*** The Septentrione and Triangulum Arcs both give a NonstandardGameOver choice, if the player chooses to die when Tico asks whether you want to survive and fight demons or accept your fate of dying at the location the Death Video predetermined for you.
** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI'' is on railroad tracks when it comes to Yuriko. At the beginning of the game, the latter states that she'll be your "eternal partner," but never gives you the chance to say yes to her. Instead, she just kidnaps your other female partner, and later allies with the Chaos Hero, all the while hoping to snare your character but never actually giving you the option to make your own feelings known. It can be somewhat jarring.
** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiII'' has Beth force you to let [[spoiler:Daleth]] live so he can flee. It still impacts your KarmaMeter, though.
** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'':
*** In the Neutral ending, Arthur asks if you will [[spoiler:grant him the knowledge imparted to you by Commander Gore]], and a dialogue box pops up. It features only one option: Yes.
*** If you are too devoutly devoted to Law or Chaos when you reach the alignment lock, [[spoiler:Commander Gore]] won't even bother asking for your choice; he'll just attack you. Then again, if your character is far gone enough to trigger this, you're probably not going to turn back at the last second.
** PlayedForLaughs sometimes when negotiating with demons in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV''. Occasionally, a demon will ask you who's stronger, humans or demons. Your options? >Demons, >Demons, and >Demons. You can also run across demons who order you to start digging or tell you to submit to them, with similar response options.
** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'':
*** Justified if you attempt to do something that runs directly counter to Dagda's plans after making your deal with him, such as refusing to unseal the Ark where Krishna is imprisoned or attempting to take Krishna's hand during his boss fight; he [[PeoplePuppets hijacks your body and forces you to do what he wants]].
*** At the beginning of the game, after having been killed and sent to Yomotsu Hirasaka, Dagda offers to revive you in exchange for becoming his {{People Puppet|s}}. If you persist in refusing, you'll simply stay in the afterlife and the game will end, causing the events of ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' to happen as usual. You can also refuse to let him revive you after you are defeated in battle, with the same result.
*** The FinalBoss [[spoiler:makes a WeCanRuleTogether offer to you]] midway through their fight, and you ''can'' actually accept it -- Dagda will try to persuade you otherwise but you can turn him down. [[spoiler:[[PressXToDie End result: the boss just kills you.]]]]

* ''Videogame/DragonAgeInquisition'' allows the player character to be ambivalent or even hostile about acting as the Herald of Andraste, but they still have to accept. When being recruited into the Inquisition, they can even ask if they're allowed to refuse the position, and Leliana tells them they're free to go if they choose. Except then following conversation options are: "join the Inquisition enthusiastically," "join the Inquisition and make a joke about it," and "join the Inquisition, but remain skeptical." It happens again when the PC is named Inquisitor- they can flat-out say they don't want to job and intend to refuse, but the actual options for the choice don't offer more than being grumpy about it.

*** This returns in ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' as well: you must catch the cover legendary to continue the story, as its capture is tied to the plot. Unlike the past two games; however, there is no cutscene or dialog for making knocking it out this time. The game will just quietly fade out back into the overworld and act as if ''you never fought it''.

* In ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'', a sidequest allows you to recover Miss Mari's bag, which has an item that she [[spoiler:actually Kresnik, who is inside her]] needs to [[spoiler:fight Kudlak]]. If on the next day you talk to Mari while you still have the bag, you are given two options: Give her the bag or hold on to it. If you choose the latter, [[WhatTheHellPlayer Yuzu and Atsuro will punch you]] and you'll have to pick an option again. Unless you hand Mari the bag, the dialogue won't advance. Kinda ironic, when you consider that if you want to save both [[spoiler:Miss Mari and Keisuke]] you have to give the bag to Kaido, NOT Miss Mari. If you give her the bag either [[spoiler:Kaido will not come to help you save Mari and will kill Keisuke before you can rescue him or if you save Keisuke, Mari will have to fight Kudlak alone, and will die just when the party reaches her]]. Thus you shouldn't even TALK with Miss Mari if you want to avoid both {{player punch}}es. However, this game usually averts this trope quite well, although the results are usually [[NiceJobBreakingItHero not pretty.]]
** Whenever a [[InfoDump plot-important concept]] comes up, you're usually asked if you understand. In some instances, however, it doesn't matter how you respond -- Yuzu will protest and insist they repeat the information, simplifying it even further if possible.
* ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor2'':
** The game will refuse to have certain dialogue options count, mostly because it's trying to tell you to stop joking around during some of the more intense, serious moments of the game.
** The Septentrione and Triangulum Arc both give a NonstandardGameOver choice, if the player chooses to die when Tico asks whether you want to survive and fight demons or accept your fate of dying at the location the Death Video predetermined for you.
* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'' usually have the "Dagda hijacks your body to prevent you from making choices that disrupt his plans" schtick in effect, but there are two exceptions to this rule that lead to this variant of the trope:
** At the beginning of the game, after having been killed and sent to Yomotsu Hirasaka, Dagda offers to revive you in exchange for becoming his {{People Puppet|s}}. If you persist in refusing, you'll simply stay in the afterlife and the game will end, causing the events of ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' to happen as usual. You can also refuse to let him revive you after you are defeated in battle, with the same result.
** The FinalBoss midway through their fight [[spoiler:makes a WeCanRuleTogether offer to you]], and you ''can'' actually accept it -- Dagda will try to persuade you otherwise but you can turn him down. [[spoiler:[[PressXToDie End result: the boss just kills you.]]]]

* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiII'' has Beth force you to let [[spoiler:Daleth]] live so he can flee. It still impacts your KarmaMeter, though.
* ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'' has an example that combines this with the SlidingScaleOfGameplayAndStoryIntegration. When playing as Salsa the monkey, Fassad will just zap you into submission if you try to refuse his orders.

* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'' actually justifies this variation of the trope: If you try to do something that runs counter to Dagda's plans, he'll [[PeoplePuppets hijack your body and stop you]]:
** An early quest has you unsealing a MacGuffin, with the QuestGiver stating that doing so will greatly benefit Flynn, who is on his mission to save Tokyo from Merkabah and Lucifer. When you're about to, Asahi expresses doubts about whether it's a really good idea, and if you agree with her instead of willingly opening said [=MacGuffin=], Dagda works his powers and forces you to open it. Krishna and his fellow Divine Powers are unsealed, havoc is wrecked all across Tokyo, and the main plot of the game is set in motion.
** While fighting Krishna, he'll extend his hand as an offer of peace. For those wondering if this would cause a NonstandardGameOver or "bad ending" of sorts, it won't: If you try to accept his hand, Dagda will pull your hand back and offer you power to get you to stay focused on your mission.

* In the Neutral ending of ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'', Arthur asks if you will [[spoiler:grant him the knowledge imparted to you by Commander Gore]], and a dialogue box pops up. It features only one option: Yes.
** If you are too devoutly devoted to Law or Chaos when you reach the alignment lock, [[spoiler:Commander Gore]] won't even bother asking for your choice; he'll just attack you. Then again, if your character is far gone enough to trigger this, you're probably not going to turn back at the last second.

* PlayedForLaughs sometimes when negotiating with demons in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV''. Occasionally, a demon will ask you who's stronger, humans or demons. Your options? >Demons, >Demons, and >Demons. You can also run across demons who order you to start digging or tell you to submit to them, with similar response options.

* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI'' is on railroad tracks when it comes to Yuriko. At the beginning of the game, the latter states that she'll be your "eternal partner," but never gives you the chance to say yes to her. Instead, she just kidnaps your other female partner, and later allies with the Chaos Hero, all the while hoping to snare your character but never actually giving you the option to make your own feelings known. It can be somewhat jarring.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'': A large portion of what made the Catalyst [[TheScrappy so disliked]] is that Shepard has no option in the original ending but to take one of the three given choices for how to reformat most of existence, rather than, say, tell the Catalyst that [[InsaneTrollLogic its plan is incredibly stupid and horrible and makes no sense]], or better yet, [[ShutUpHannibal attack it]]. The Extended Cut DLC gave the ability to refuse the Catalyst's offer, but this is generally treated as the worst possible answer, and even in the extended cut, there is still ''no'' option where Shepard verbally expresses any sort of disagreement with the Catalyst's logic.

** Right before TheReveal, the game takes a moment to ask if [[spoiler: Goro Akechi is a Phantom Thief]], and all the options amount to "No." [[spoiler: Guess who TheMole turns out to be?]]

** This was parodied in ''Webcomic/LearningWithMangaFGO'', where Rider attempts to make Mash join her by saying she has to choose whether she wants m Director Olga Marie or Gudako. Predictably, the choices are between saying she prefers being together with Olga Marie, and saying she's fine with being together with Olga Marie. Mash, as it turns out, is smitten with both, and [[TakeAThirdOption makes a break for it rather than answer]].

* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' seems to have an odd love of this, to the point that it's less "dialogue choices" and more "what you want to chime in with." Most of them fall into the "say yes/say yes, but in a snarky tone" format, at most changing the next one or two lines of dialogue from other characters before moving on. In fact, when the Babylonia arc featured cases where your choices actually ''do'' matter (namely, saying the wrong thing to certain characters makes the upcoming boss fights harder), the fandom as a whole treated it as a big twist.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'': A large portion of what made the Catalyst [[TheScrappy so disliked]] is that Shepard has no option in the original ending but to take one of the three given choices for how to reformat most of existence, rather than, say, tell the Catalyst that [[InsaneTrollLogic its plan is incredibly stupid and horrible and makes no sense]], or better yet, [[ShutUpHannibal attack it]]. The Extended Cut DLC gave the ability to refuse the Catalyst's offer, but this is generally treated as the worst possible answer.

* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' seems to have an odd love of this, to the point that it's less "dialogue choices" and more "what you want to chime in with." Most of them fall into the "say yes/say yes, but in a snarky tone" format. In fact, when the Babylonia arc featured cases where your choices actually ''do'' matter (namely, saying the wrong thing to certain characters makes the upcoming boss fights harder), the fandom as a whole treated it as a big twist.

** ''PokemonSwordAndShield'' has an inversion in the fairy-type gym. During battles, you are given quiz questions; [[HandWave "fairy magic"]] increases or decreases your stats depending on whether you answer correctly. The first few questions are genuine, but during the battle with the leader herself, she weasels her way out of granting you the stat boost regardless of which answer you pick, so every answer offered is effectively ''incorrect''. A particularly silly one asks you her age; the only options are 16 and 88. She obviously isn't 16, but if you pick 88 she says you're technically correct but also [[WhatTheHellHero insensitive]], and you get debuffed.