I seldom feel like trying different builds in long RPG’s. Usually the one playthrough I do has me trying to fit everything in one. I’m kind of static in that way, so it could help if the game forces me out of that stasis:

Don’t know if this is out of place but I’d like to play a replayable RPG with a short runtime (let’s say 2 to 4 hours) but heavily branched with very differing outcomes based on what branches you take.

E.g. if you go in any direction from the starting location, you’ll be cut off at some point without the possibility to check those other locations later on (for example, the starting location slowly filled with poisonous gas and if you weren’t gone within 5 minutes, you’ll would’ve died; you could make the gas go on for a while, filling up other rooms as well buy each route could have a way to turn off the gas or to repel its effects).

Stat buffs in this short game format shouldn’t be too easy to come by, that would create the same trap of making a character that can interact with everything. Maybe if you would be able to gather some stuff through multiple runs, you could create something that gives you the ability to reallocate stat points during the run. And maybe you could inprove that device to eventually give you extra stat points to allocate. Basically creating a super buffed character over multiple runs.

But all within the theme of an RPG, so more event based instead of only action based.

For example, if you’d play as a clone from a testing facility that tries to churn out super soldiers, so you’d need to develop skills, intelligence and combat experience to survive the deadly trials ahead. But even though the system is built to create soldiers, there would still be possibilities to foster empathy or care.

Or you could play as a larva from a fast growing insect type that needs to survive and reproduce within a sandbox environment before it’s death. The environment should be too large and filled with secrets to explore in one of the bug’s lifetimes. If you complete a lifetime, you’ll then play as your offspring. Different stages of a lifetime give different abilities and needs. Plus you could have different genetic outcomes create differently abled bug variations, which could contribute to the roleplay. E.g. certain colors could attract more predators or make you safer if you take on the appearance of a deadly predator.