History Main / LowFantasy

* In ''LightNovel/IShallSurviveUsingPotions'', the Isekai protagonist talks a ditzy goddess into granting her the ability to create magic potions, assuming that since magic exists in the new world, those are common fare and she can thus make a very good living without trouble. It turns out that while there ''is'' magic, it's rare, and her potions are borderline miracles. Which is a problem when some unscrupulous people would very much like to lock her up so they can take advantage of those miracles...

* ''LiteratureShadow2010'' by Jenny Moss is set in a low fantasy environment, where magic is considered a superstition or the work of witches, and the main plot is driven by the titular Shadow trying to unravel the secrets of her kingdom following the queen's death. However, as the story goes on, more mystical elements start to be introduced as TheMagicComesBack.

* Although ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'' (moreso the original version) is predominantly a DarkFantasy, it also contains several crucial elements of this genre to make it qualify as such.
** Human Dominance: Most of the main characters are human beings. While StandardFantasyRaces do exist, it is clear that humans and elves are not so different except for age. Half-lings, while similar to dwarves, are portrayed as shorter humans upon closer inspection, and [[AlwaysChaoticEvil orcs]] are counted as TheHorde. Surprisingly, [[MythicalMotifs classic mythical creatures]] '''don't exist''' -- no dragons, no phoenixes, no unicorns, only beasts.
** Methods: Victory is achieved mostly through physical combat, small or [[WarArc large]]. Magic exists, but "sorcerer versus sorcerer" battles don't. Warfare is a common element in this story, where people fight for power, land, and resources. For extra realism, strategy, tactics, and logistics do play a role in determining which side has the upper hand.
** Morality: [[TheGoodTheBadAndTheEvil All characters fall somewhere between white, grey, and black]], but the truth is that the one party who is [[MightMakesRight the strongest, the most efficient, and the most effective is undoubtedly superior]]. If a character, regardless of motives or morality, makes an [[TooDumbToLive unwise]] [[DidntThinkThisThrough decision]], they'd better wisen up, lest they would either be frowned upon or suffer dire consequences.

* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'': While traditionally a HighFantasy setting in terms of [[TheEpic scope]], [[OurMagesAreDifferent magical abilities]] and [[Main/{{Romanticism}} themes]], this series [[ZigZaggedTrope consistently enjoys toying with general trappings and themes]] of the LowFantasy genre. There are [[OurDragonsAreDifferent other]] [[OurWerebeastsAreDifferent races]] than humans, but humans constantly act as the dominant force in the world. There's no real epic quest in most of the games (or, at least, it's almost never framed as such) instead focusing on the outbreak of war between human nations and heapings upon heapings of political intrigue. There were ancient heroes with legendary weapons who helped seal away an evil dragon/god, but those legends have long faded into myth, and many of the different settings' individuals at large forgot the existence of said legendary weapons. Monsters can exist, but not it's very case-by-case depending on the setting, it's very often they're regarded as mythic like the legendary weapons and are unexpected developments in-universe into the plot whenever introduced. Magic is common, but it's not seen as a occult happenstance so much as a science, with ''Radiant Dawn'' mentioning scientists developing the Rewarp stave of that game, Anima and Dark magic being regarded as "Reason" in ''Three Houses''.

** Arguably the most LowFantasy of any of the ''Fire Emblem'' games is ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance''. To this day, it's the only ''Fire Emblem'' game not to have an overhead threat from an evil deity or dragon, nor figure in blatantly supernatural elements into the plot. It rather focuses on the commoner protagonist Ike getting caught up in a otherwise mundane war between Crimea and Daein, and generally has the entirety of the plot focused on the war than any kind of looming machinations from the more overwhelmingly supernatural elements. Any supernatural elements that are factored into the plot are kept distant and under wraps for [[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn the sequel]], with even the werebeast Laguz taking a backseat to human politics and intrigue. Even the final boss [[spoiler:only becomes truly supernatural on Hard Mode, as they're otherwise an extremely powerful [[TheCaligula Mad King]]]].

* ''TabletopGame/D20Modern'': The "Shadow Chasers" setting.

* ''Literature/MoribitoGuardianOfTheSpirit'' has a disillusioned cynic trying to make up for her past deeds. Fictional medieval setting with limited magic.

* In ''LightNovel/AscendanceOfABookworm'' magic is so distant from the lives of commoners that Maine doesn't even realize it's real ''despite having magic herself'' for years. It just doesn't affect the lives of anyone who isn't in the clergy or a nobleman because it seems to be mainly used for ceremonial purposes and as a proof of status. This gets subverted as she rises into the Church and Nobility, who use far more magic.

* ''LightNovel/SpiceAndWolf'': one of the two main characters is a wolf goddess in humanoid form, but the plot is mostly about the mundane things she and the trader she travels with encounter.

* ''LightNovel/WorldEndWhatDoYouDoAtTheEndOfTheWorldAreYouBusyWillYouSaveUs'': In the distant past, the world of ''WorldEnd'' was a standard {{high fantasy}} setting. This all changed with the emergence of the [[EldritchAbomination 17 Beasts]] who wiped out humanity, along with dragons, elves, and the majority of the world’s magical knowledge. Few people in the present-day setting know of the advanced magic of the past, which is regarded as LostTechnology. Only characters who were alive before the apocalypse possess any knowledge of these lost arts. The story also tends to focus more on the mundane lives of the people left behind, rather than the heroes who go off to battle. There is also no obvious evil in the story, with the 17 Beasts being more akin to a force of nature, [[spoiler:while later reveals show that the conflict with the beasts was more [[GreyAndGrayMorality complicated]] than first shown.]]

** Creatures: Mythological creatures like dragons and demons are either likened to animals, [[RealAfterAll assumed to be legend]], or [[OutsideContextProblem unaccounted-for for in the work's setting]].

* Shades of Grey: While HighFantasy usually features BlackAndWhiteMorality with clear-cut heroes and villains, many Low Fantasy works have [[GreyAndGrayMorality Gray and Gray]], [[BlackAndGrayMorality Black and Gray]] or BlueAndOrangeMorality. More importantly, the success of the victor often has no bearing on their motives or honor.

** [[spoiler: It ''is'' however possible for a very skilled Loremaster to unlock many of the secrets left behind by the ancient civilization, including some of their nearly invincible armor and regenerative machines.]]
*** [[spoiler: In the case of very skilled, and particularly callous Loremasters, it's even possible to unlock enough of the ancient secrets to destroy the world ''again.'']]

** The spiritual successor, ''VideoGame/ExitFate'', is most definitely in this category. While elves, magic, spirits, and [[TheChosenOne a destined hero]] all exist, the focus is primarily on the wars fought between two nations over territory [[spoiler:and a third nation that invades both lands as part of a plan to unite the world by force]]. Furthermore, while spirits exist (and may actually be the souls of the departed), they are inherently eldritch beings who seem either indifferent or actively malevolent towards the living.

* ''VideoGame/MountAndBlade'' takes place in the ConstructedWorld of Calradia, and other than the total lack of magic and the supernatural it fits the mold quite well. You take on the role of a wandering hero seeking to make a name for himself in a land of warring kingdoms controlled by {{Feudal Overlord}}s who are out to expand their holdings and gain personal glory.
** ''VideoGame/ProphesyOfPendor'' mod fits the mold even better with a mostly human-populated Constructed World with some fantasy races such as Elves and Demons and low amounts of magic thrown in. Though unlike most low fantasy stories it is [[TheEpic an epic]] about a hero attempting to unite a war-torn land and stop the forces of evil infesting it.

* While ''Literature/WingsOfFire'' stars sapient dragons instead of human(oid)s, there are no other fantastical creatures in their world, the ability to use magic is a rare genetic trait, and most of the conflicts are caused by the monarchs' politics.

* While ''Literature/WingsOfFire'' stars sapient dragons instead of human(oid)s, there are no other fantastical creatures in their world, the ability to use magic is a rare genetic trait, and most of the conflicts are caused by the monarchs' politics.

** Magic: While Magic is prominent in HighFantasy, it's generally rare if not non-existent in Low Fantasy. What magic does exist is [[RitualMagic complicated]], [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane ambiguous]], [[SupernaturalElite reserved for a very select few]] and/or [[MagicAIsMagicA has specific scientific rules]]. It's also likely to be dangerous, corruptive or difficult to control, and magic-users are likely to be distrusted and often genuinely untrustworthy sorts.

* ''Manga/PlusAnima'': Is a story about a group of children (the oldest being 17) that are +Anima, people that can [[VoluntaryShapeShifting transform]] to varying degrees into [[{{Animorphism}} animals]], which is the closest thing to magic the setting has. The setting is a world with (with very few exceptions) medieval or renaissance technology, full of wars, slavery, discrimination, ethnic conflicts, insecurity, inequality, amoral researchers and abuse of power. The story however is [[WorldHalfFull fairly optimistic]] about it, with the main characters and most people they meet merely trying to survive and find happiness despite everything.

** Methods: Victory is achieved mostly through physical combat, small or [[WarArc large]]. Magic exists, but "sorcerer versus sorcerer" battles don't. Warfare is a common element in this story, where people fight for power, land, and resources. For extra realism, strategy, tactics, and logistics do play a role in determining whoever side has the upper hand.
** Morality: [[TheGoodTheBadAndTheEvil All characters fall somewhere between white, grey, and black]], but the truth is that the one party who is [[MightMakesRight the strongest, the most efficient, and the most effective is undoubtedly superior]]. If a character, regardless of motives or morality, makes an [[TooDumbToLive unwise]] [[DidntThinkThisThrough decision]], they'd better wisen up, lest they would either be frowned upon, or suffer dire consequences.

* In ''LightNovel/AscendanceOfABookworm'' magic is so distant from the lives of commoners that Maine doesn't even realize it's real ''despite having magic herself'' for years. It just doesn't affect the lives of anyone who isn't in the clergy or a nobleman because it seems to be mainly use for ceremonial purposes and as a proof of status. This gets subverted as she rises into the Church and Nobility, who use far more magic.
* Glen Cook's ''Literature/TheBlackCompany'' series is Low Fantasy with a High Fantasy backdrop. The titular Black Company is a mercenary company employed in a High Fantasy-type war of Evil Empire versus Heroic Rebels. However, they aren't working for the Heroic Rebels. Definite [[GreyAndGrayMorality gray morality]]; the "Evil" Empire is more Lawful Neutral, while the "Heroic" Rebels are rather less heroic on closer examination. The main characters are all loyal to each other and the band, but are interested in survival, not saving the world. And as to magic users being rather freakishly evil, there's the Dominator...

* Gene Wolfe's ''Literature/BookOfTheNewSun'' is a work of ScienceFantasy taking place in an Earth so far in the future that the sun has gone red and counting individual years have become meaningless. Before the fall of humanity into an impoverished dark age of ignorance and superstition, humanity had reached levels of technology that borders on the supernatural, having mastered things such as dimensional portals. Now humanity is fighting over the scraps, while the End Times grow ever closer. Psychic powers and bizarre alien creatures from other planets and dimensions further confuse the line between sci-fi and low fantasy, but these are rare. In this world, eating a pork sausage is considered a stroke of luck for most people and until near the end of his tales, the main character is mostly stumbling around between his execution jobs rather than doing epic deeds. (‘’The Book of the New Sun’’ arguably belongs to a category of its own.)

* The ''Literature/EddieLaCrosse'' series might count, though equally it might belong to SwordAndSorcery, which is typically not considered low fantasy. It varies from book to book exactly which label is best. Supernatural elements definitely exist, but are reare. The primary antagonists are non-magical and human.
* Creator/StephenKing's ''Literature/TheEyesOfTheDragon'' is features BlackAndGrayMorality, with no ChosenOne and TheGoodKing being turned on by his people, who much prefer the EvilSorcerer[[spoiler:, who is eventually spared because, 400 years ago, one of the heroic characters put his need for vengeance above a need for justice]]. King wrote it as an experiment in writing children's stories.
* Creator/RobinHobb's [[Literature/RealmOfTheElderlings Farseer]] series is classic Low Fantasy. Notable because the events described are very much high fantasy, but the story focuses on characters who barely ever see the significance of their actions, and the plot is very much grounded in their day to day experiences.

* ''Literature/TheGoldenDreamOfCarloChuchio'' is a simple travel tale with little magic involved(mostly dreams and visions which have minor bearing on the plot). The setting is rather like Medieval Central Asia and if you look up place names you will sometimes find them actually corresponding to place names in medieval times.
* The ''Literature/{{Gormenghast}}'' Trilogy by Mervyn Peake could be seen as an extreme case of this even to the point where it's open to debate whether it actually counts as a fantasy series or not. While it does take place in a rather fantastical setting (i.e. an impossibly large and ambiguously sentient castle) and is doused with a good dose of fantasy imagery (e.g. a giant dead tree suspended many hundreds of feet from the ground on which a set of twins frequently have tea), it contains no instances of magic, dragons, talking animals or any other such elements found in even the lowest of fantasy novels. Also, the nonexistence of major conflict throughout most of the novels sets it apart from other fantasy stories. The third books ''really'' brings up doubts about the books' fantasy merit. Still, this doesn't repel book stores from insisting that these books be placed in the fantasy section. The related novella "Boy in Darkness," however, is a ''slightly'' more traditional fantasy story, but most of the magic and shape shifting elements present may've just been more metaphor than anything.
* ''Literature/GracelingRealm'' starts off focusing on the magical beings known as Gracelings- people who are supernaturally endowed in one particular skill. These skills are based off of things that an actual human can possibly do, such as fighting or disguse. As the series goes on though, it becomes more interested in the politics of its world than its magic.
* ''LightNovel/GrimgarOfFantasyAndAsh'': A group of young Japanese teenagers [[YouWakeUpInARoom awaken in the world of Grimgar]] with no memory of how they got there. Magic is largely limited to minor healing, some sword skills, and a few dark-based spells that inflict minor status ailments. Combat is brutal and savage: many of the battles our main party gets into are more reminiscent of UrbanWarfare of the likes seen in [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror Fallujah]] as goblins take full advantage of buildings and town architecture to ambush and snipe from.[[labelnote:*]]Episode 8's battle strongly resembles a contemporary room-clearing exercise you would expect a modern special forces unit to do, starting off with picking off the enemy sniper and sentry, then stacking up to do a door breach and fighting for every square inch of the building's interior.[[/labelnote]] The goblins so far are the only non-human race, and the question of how "evil" they are is implicitly asked as they are clearly intelligent creatures who enjoy games and playing with small animals. And even all this, fighting is only a small part of life in Grimgar: much of the time, the characters are living in a much more mundane fashion by doing things such as washing clothes, cooking meals, and paying for daily living expenses.

* James K. Burk's ''High Rage'' (and its as-yet-unpublished sequel ''Taking Hope''): intrigue, war, politics, swordfighting and some interesting magic, but no dragons or world-shattering conflicts.
* ''Literature/{{Hollow}}'' is an interesting take. Everything regarding Das Kagel (actually the ossified remains of the Tower of Babel), the inhuman Oracles, the eternal battle of the dead in the Gland of Mercy, and the monsterous Boschian creatures that are appearing is definitely fantastical, but the main setting of the story is an otherwise extremely grounded and realistic depiction of Europe during the middle ages. The two meet in the middle, and produce something like this.
* Although there is an evil dark ancient power threatening to come into play in the ''{{Literature/Inda}}'' series, it's mostly a background event and not at all the main focus of the story, which is instead concerned primarily with explaining the life of the titular character and how it relates to the history of his homeland and the rest of the world, particularly the strait which eventually becomes named after him. In fact, the story of what's going on with Norsunder and the most prominent Norsundrian in the story (Ramis), is a plotline that's left hanging for the next book set in the same world, which takes place some 400 years later -- and which again primarily focuses on the intersection between different cultures and how characters cope in day to day life. Basically, the whole Sartorias Deles storyline seems to all be shaping up to have a slowburning HighFantasy epic showdown by having multiple installments of Low Fantasy stories leading up to the ultimate confrontation with Norsunder.

* ''Literature/TheIronTeeth'' a free fantasy web serial that features grey morality, a human dominated world, comedy, and magic is of limited use and often unimportant. It does also feature goblins and other races but while human civilization is fragile and decaying they are still by far the most powerful race.

* Literature/KalpaImperial, by Creator/AngelicaGorodischer, is a no-magic alterante world with a vast Empire, destroyed and rebuilt over and over again.

* ''Literature/AMemoirByLadyTrent'': In most regards, such as politics, culture and physics, the world of the novels is entirely like ours. The only significant differences from real life are geography and the presence of [[OurDragonsAreDifferent an additional animal clade]].

* The ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'' novels are another example of low fantasy, where the villains often go to war for petty reasons, [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane magic is almost nothing more than prophecy and ascended parlor tricks]], the scope is limited to Mossflower woods (or if they do go afar, wherever that place happens to be; our heroes are not going out to save the world as you'd expect in HighFantasy), and where in the earlier books, AnyoneCanDie. What breaks that mold is the FunnyAnimal cast, the BlackAndWhiteMorality, and the fact the Brian Jacques himself ostensibly [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids writes these books for kids]].

* ''Literature/TheReynardCycle'': GreyAndGrayMorality? Check. AntiHero? Check. An almost complete lack of magic? Check. It would actually be easy to mistake the setting of the series for Europe of the mid-1400's if were not for the presence of a polytheistic religion, as well as the [[MixAndMatchCritters chimera]], giants, sea monsters, etc. There is some fan speculation that the setting is our own world, long AfterTheEnd.

* K.J Parker's ''Literature/TheScavengerTrilogy'' is good example of a low fantasy. The series sticks to mundane settings and has a dark tone. It provides a troubling take on heroism. Supernatural elements are present but low-key. The wars are inglorious, both in the field and their aims.
* ''Literature/TheShadowOfTheLion'' by Creator/EricFlint, Creator/DaveFreer, and Creator/MercedesLackey is set in ancient Venice, and, though magic exists, it has little more to do with the day to day life of most citizens than historical "witchcraft" did, and, indeed is treated in much the same way. [[spoiler:Except for protagonist Marco Valdosta who ends up fulfilling his destiny as a mage by acting as a vessel for the [[DeusExMachina Winged Lion of Venice]] and saving the city.]] Virtually the only other fantastical elements are spirits/demigods and demons (from whom humans draw magical power, so arguably these two are just different aspects of the same element).

* Eisenstein's ''Sorcerer's Son'' is fairly idealistic, but the small scale plot and human dominated world are enough to mark it as low fantasy.
* ''LightNovel/SpiceAndWolf'': one of the two main character is a wolf goddess in humanoid form, but the plot is mostly about the mundane things she and the trader she travels with encounter.

* ''Literature/TheStoneDanceOfTheChameleon'' takes place in a world with no magic at all, but has all the worldbuilding hallmarks of a fantasy series.

* ''Literature/{{Uprooted}}'' is set in a fantasy version of Poland with magic and {{Grey and Grey morality}}. Even [[TheCorruption the wood]] is more complicated then it first seems.

* ''Franchise/TheWitcher'' stories fit very much. There are non-human races like elves, dwarves, halflings, trolls, dopplers, and succubi, but they act more or less human, their fantastical attributes follow consistent and easily identifiable rules, and most of them are dominated by the humans (who are not above the occasional pogrom or two). Magic exists, but it's functional instead of fireworks wizard or king's healing power, and its users seem to spend most of their time plotting, Eminence Grise-ing, or basking in vanity. Said magic is known only by a handful of people and fairly modest in what it can do, meaning any given village, town, or battlefield will look nearly identical to its equivalent in real-world 14th century Europe (in fact in the game-only sequels, one of the greatest conquerors of the era is a man who entirely disregards all magic, including in war). Minor magic is contained in some potions and slightly enchanted objects (like swords) which are more common (more so among the nonhumans), but also even less impactful (in many cases basically just being a fantastical shortcut to a real-world object, e.g. a magic potion that mimics penicillin, another magic potion that's basically just an adrenaline shot, or a one-handed sword that due to its enchantment hits harder than normal but still not as hard as a regular two-handed axe). Most of the fantastical creatures hunted by the protagonists are treated like regular megafauna that just happen to have weird attributes to them (in ''Wild Hunt'', for instance, it's explicitly stated in the Bestiary that a mere brown bear is as dangerous as most monsters). Those creatures that are genuinely magical fit the usual trend of being so in a modest and self-consistent way. There is no central EvilOverlord or [[TheHorde Horde]], most conflicts encountered by the heroes are with wild animals or small-time criminals, and the larger conflict comes from politicking between more or less realistic power-hungry nobles. The "good" category is inhabited by protagonists and their friends, and almost no one else (and the protagonists themselves have some KickTheDog moments in their biographies). Also, fairy tale elements often show up in more-or-less their original forms only to be subjected to DarkParody.
* ''LightNovel/WorldEndWhatDoYouDoAtTheEndOfTheWorldAreYouBusyWillYouSaveUs'': In the distant past, the world of ''WorldEnd'' was a standard {{high fantasy}} setting. This all changed with the emergence of the [[EldritchAbomination 17 Beasts]] who wiped out humanity, along with dragons, elves, and the majority of the world’s magical knowledge. Few people in the present day setting know of the advanced magic of the past, which is regarded as LostTechnology. Only characters who were alive before the apocalypse possess any knowledge of these lost arts. The story also tends to focus more on the mundane lives of the people left behind, rather than the heroes who go off to battle. There is also no obvious evil in the story, with the 17 Beasts being more akin to a force of nature, [[spoiler:while later reveals show that the conflict with the beasts was more [[GreyAndGrayMorality complicated]] than first shown.]]

* The Brazilian drama ''Series/DeusSalveORei'' takes place in a fictionalized version of Medieval Europe that contains some mystical elements, but the larger focus is on politics between kingdoms and forbidden romance. The conflict between the two main kingdoms of Montemor and Artena is also closer to WhiteAndGreyMorality, since they are mostly sympathetic sides placed at odds with each other due to unfortunate circumstances beyond anyone's control.

** That said, it's not ''dark'' fantasy; most of the factions have a sympathetic side and magic is treated similarly to High fantasy, aside from [[BlackMagic Unholy magic]] which is unquestionably evil (though WhiteMagic isn't necessarily good), and the setting is reaching a renaissance.

* ''TabletopGame/TheHyborianCampaign'' went even further than Literature/ConanTheBarbarian on which it was based, doing away with magic all together and just keeping the {{Fantasy Counterpart Culture}}s in Hyboria intact.
* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'' is this to the DarkFantasy setting of TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}. In this game the sweeping battles of the army tabletop game are far away, and you take the roles of humble adventurers (often from working-poor backgrounds like ratcatcher and beggar) trying to get by. Combat is very lethal (what would be a "mere" {{Elite Mook}} in the army tabletop game is [[CurbStompBattle capable of cutting through your party like a chainsaw through tapioca]] here, to say nothing of the really big monsters!), and [=PCs=] will live in PerpetualPoverty for most of their careers -- you might not start with a proper weapon if your character generation goes badly, any armour you gain will be moth-eaten and nabbed off a dead bandit, and magic is both extremely rare and hard to learn because it comes with great costs ([[PowerAtAPrice and we're not just talking financial]]).

* The work of {{Creator/Peter Fenton}} largely falls into low fantasy: ''{{Theatre/Knights of the Square Table}}'', ''{{Theatre/The Thousand Year Rose}}'', and ''{{Theatre/See Amid the Winter Snow}}'' each take place in fantastical settings but the conflicts explored are largely contained to the principal characters. ''{{Theatre/Abandon All Hope}}'' follows only four characters facing their interpersonal issues in a supernatural torture chamber that looks otherwise like a college dorm room. Even the demon in charge of them rarely uses her powers.

* ''Videogame/ChivalryMedievalWarfare'' is a multiplayer medieval first person game with melee and archery and had no magic whatsoever.

* ''VideoGame/LastScenario'' straddles the line between this and high-fantasy. On one hand, there's a race of elf-like people (though they don't have the longevity that are typically associated with elves,) and in the past everyone had to contend with demons [[spoiler: though this turns out to be propaganda.]] On the other hand, much of the game is spent contending with a messy war involving three different nations and lots of political intrigue and scheming.

* While relatively high on the Fantasy scale, ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' is a low fantasy take on the typical high fantasy of the series. While Link is able to use basic magic, the fact that he can puts those who witness it in awe and leads them to assume that he's capable of even greater feats like resurrection. And while there is a prophecy that the world will be saved by a hero, it never specifies Link or any vague description of him. Not to mention that the villain isn't a conquering tyrant, but a lonely child corrupted by dark power.

** ''VideoGame/ProphesyOfPendor'' mod fits to the mold even better with a mostly human populated Constructed World with some fantasy races such as Elves and Demons and low amounts of magic thrown in. Though unlike most low fantasy stories it is [[TheEpic an epic]] about a hero attempting to unite a war torn land and stop the forces of evil infesting it.
* ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler'': Subverted. While magic and monsters both exist in the game's world, they have little bearing on the story. Moreover, each character's specific quest tends to be very personal (e.g., revenge or solving the mystery behind a missing object) rather than epic in scale. However, towards the end of the game it takes a sharp turn towards Heroic Fantasy upon revealing that much of the game's events were masterminded in part by an evil cultist attempting to bring about the resurrection of the Dark God Galdera, and the final battle of the game takes place in a portal to the netherworld while the party do battle with the Dark God himself.
* ''Pigskin'' takes place in a "Seventh Century A.D." where Vikings battle barbarian hordes on the English countryside for no determinable reason or purpose, with trolls sometimes joining either or both sides. Historical accuracy is definitely not the point.
* ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' during the classic era and throughout most of ''Runescape 2'' had allot of this going on in booth game play, setting and design. The player was depicted as just a random adventurer (one among many running around), Magic was very limited and expensive compared to other combat styles and scope itself was relatively small with very few 'world-ending' threats around. The years leading up to ''Runescape 3'' and ''3'' itself changed a lot though, with [[PhysicalGod gods]] starting to become active players in the story rather than just being in the background and with them much higher stakes, the player character became TheChosenOne rather than just a random dude, the MedievalStasis was broken in favor of SchizoTech, and the games designs started becoming allot more stylized towards HighFantasy (compare the [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/runescape2/images/1/1a/Wizards%27_Tower_old.png/revision/latest?cb=20121202131057 old]] wizard's tower with the [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/rsroleplay/images/c/c6/Wizards%27_Tower.png/revision/latest?cb=20150816031337 new]] one)

* ''VideoGame/{{Thief}}'' fits this trope to a tee and [[RuleOfCool even adds]] a very gritty FilmNoir aesthetic coupled with medievalish ClockPunk and SteamPunk into [[JustForFun/XMeetsY the overall mix]]...
* The ''VideoGame/TrailsSeries'' is less about world-shaking events and more on the daily lives of characters. While there's definitely more of a plot here in comparison and there are villains to defeat, the world itself is never really in danger. While non-human beings exist, they are rare in the extreme, and only occasionally make an appearance. MagiTek called Orbments replaces combustion-based technology but mostly behaves like our own electronics. The battle Orbments that allow use of spells are expensive and slow to be produced, and those that do own one are either members of the Bracer Guild to protect civilians or the mercenary Jaeger Corps. Most of the time, the protagonists are doing all they can to protect their own home countries/cities, let alone saving the world and rarely step outside their nation's borders. Plots tend to be concerned with the grounded lives of its characters and local politics, even villains tend to have understandable motives that rarely effect other parts of the map. The cynicism is entirely absent in spite of the low stakes, the protagonists are flawed but heroic people with good hearts and several antagonists aren't as black as they first appear, though genuinely evil characters do exist. That said, the later-end of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel'' series of games does bring in an element of the world being very much in danger.

* ''Webcomic/TheSilverEye'': The only magic that remains are a few cursed objects from the time of the Nedarians. Melete is the only Nedarian alive and the only one who can generate curses. Descendants of Nedarians (like the Hollingsworths and the Shephards), have a tiny bit of magic that allow their [[KaleidoscopeEyes eyes to change colors]] and their hands to catch on fire, but that's just about it.

* ''TheWolfAtWestonCourt'' is set in a kingdom similar to Regency England, which has a largely human population -- though if the fact that they signed a treaty which apparently allows the Fairy military to enter their lands in persuit of (admitedly badass) criminals and boss their police around and not respect the rights of the kingdom's subjects while doing so is anything to go by, the world as a whole may not be human dominated. Plot scope is trickier to pin down, and there's much yet to be revealed. Tone is (largely) comedic, methods tend towards violence (especially with Nova), and our heroes are sarcastic, moody, and not above breaking the law. Oh, and the only actual magic we've seen so far (unless fairies fly with magic) is a cursed bracelet which at the time of this writing is killing one of the protagonist.

* ''Literature/DeeperUpTheTower'' is a serialized fantasy zine telling the story of Florian, a mysterious knight who enters the Tower on a as-yet-unknown mission and encounters a whole host of varying levels of fantastical at play. What makes it low fantasy is the ample presence of GrayAndGrayMorality. Every monster, every hero, every being Florian encounters runs the gamut and the world of the Tower, albeit colorful and fantastical, has a distinctly gray moral presence.
* The ''Literature/{{Legatum}}'' series falls heavily under here. Magic is definitely present, but hardly ever used, it takes place during TheDungAges in the 1500s, the stories are heavily character driven, morality is shady at best, [[BlackAndGrayMorality and downright abhorrent at worst]] (especially in ''Literature/TheGreenWanderer''), and there rarely seems to be any sort of universal threat lurking about (except in ''Literature/SmirvlaksStone''). The only detail about the series that ''isn't'' considered low fantasy is that there is no human dominance, largely since the series has LoadsAndLoadsOfRaces.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' takes place in a world where humanity is sequestered into heavily fortified and often bickering nation states and constantly battling for survival against ferocious shadow creatures that are drawn to negative emotion and attack humans indiscriminately. Even though the story starts with a light-hearted tone, it soon gives way to grittier GreyAndGrayMorality. It is heavily implied [[spoiler:[[AwfulTruth and eventually confirmed by Jinn]]]] that the world of Remnant was at one point a HighFantasy setting, and a great calamity in the distant past brought it down to this.
* ''Literature/TheSolsticeWar'' has elements of this. While primarily a war story where the only fireballs are from cannon shells, it takes place in a world where people can reminisce about hunting "drakes" and "rock bears," there's churches dedicated to restoring dead magic (with some indication that it was once alive), and a character with some outright magic (though it could also be psychic powers). But the overwhelming majority of the story is rifle armed soldiers fighting in a conventional mid-20th century style war.

* ''Film/ThePrincess'': The story is set in a fairly realistic medieval-like realm, with no magic or fantasy creatures to be seen and very human-grounded conflict. A lot of bloody violence and gritty action takes place.

* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' during the [[HowWeGotHere Golden Age Arc]] has many shades of this, with the setting focusing less on the [[spoiler: CosmicHorrorStory]] backdrop of the universe and moreso Guts surviving years after years on his own before joining the Band of the Hawk to continue fighting a war that's been going on for [[ForeverWar more than a hundred years]]. Almost no supernatural qualities are present, and the setting remains firmly entrenched in a world of political intrigue and wars fought between nobles and knights. [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] with a ''[[UpToEleven vengeance]]'' once The Eclipse happens and [[TheLancer Griffith]] pulls a truly-horrific FaceHeelTurn and condemns his friends to TheLegionsOfHell for another chance at living. Afterwards, the setting permanently shifts to DarkFantasy with some CosmicHorrorStory undertones, and any chances of it ever shifting back to Low Fantasy is thrown into the fire after [[BigBad Griffith's]] fight with Emperor Ganishka, where Griffith fuses the physical and astral planes together to [[TheMagicComesBack bring the magic back to the world.]] [[HellOnEarth The results aren't pretty.]]]]

* The work of {{Creator/Peter Fenton}} largely falls into low fantasy: ''{{Theatre/Knights of the Square Table}}'', ''{{Theatre/The Thousand Year Rose}}'', and ''{{Theatre/See Amid the Winter Snow}}'' each take place in fantastical settings but the conflicts explored are largely contained to the principal characters. ''{{Theatre/Abandon All Hope}}'' takes the low fantasy concept {{Up to Eleven}} following only four characters facing their interpersonal issues in a supernatural torture chamber that looks otherwise like a college dorm room. Even the demon in charge of them rarely uses her powers.