A former Bethesda designer says one of Todd Howard’s guiding rules during the studio’s formative years was that “humor has no place in games.”
Mark Nelson, a writer and quest designer on The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and its expansions, recalled the directive in a recent interview for Tom Evans’ Filmdeg Miniatures YouTube channel. Nelson is credited with creating some of Morrowind’s most memorable moments, including the falling wizard Tarhiel and the satirical in-game text The Lusty Argonian Maid.
Watch the full interview, along with other interviews from Morrowind’s team here:
How Humor Slipped In
“Because no one was paying attention we could just put anything into the game,” Nelson said. “Todd’s rule was always, ‘Humor has no place in games.’ That’s Todd’s rule. So of course that became, ‘Humor has no place in games if Todd doesn’t catch it.’ And that’s where things like The Lusty Argonian Maid came in.”
The joke book went on to become one of the franchise’s longest-running gags, resurfacing in later Elder Scrolls titles as a piece of bawdy theatre.
Todd Howard & Bethesda’s Sense of Humour
Kurt Kuhlmann, another longtime designer, noted that Howard “gravitates not toward the weird stuff,” opting for straight-laced fantasy instead of comedic situations like you might find in Borderlands or the like.
Despite this, or perhaps because of this, the studio’s sprawling open worlds have remained fertile ground for accidental humor and fan-embraced jank — qualities that have become as much a hallmark of the games as their ambition.
No Comment From Bethesda
Neither Bethesda nor Howard has publicly commented on Nelson’s remarks.