Your Personal "I'd Play That" requirement list

So, I'm going through a bit of a tough time with a game that I've been sort of off-and-on with (StarMade, in case you're wondering.) A recent series of suggestions I made, and the comments I got back on them, made me start thinking, "what exactly do I consider a fun game?"

I came up with the following list of broad features that keep me interested in a game:

1. Fun - The game needs to be a good experience.
   1. Lots of viable possibilities, including ridiculous ones.
   2. No possible path through the game is necessarily "better" than any other; everything has a drawback of some kind.
   3. Beatable, but tough to do so. I want to earn that victory screen!
   4. The game asks of me a mix of personal skill gained by playing the game, but also has its mechanics mitigates things I'm not good at to a degree.
   5. Each playthrough is slightly different, so I have a reason to come back.
   6. The game should be something I want to talk to friends/random people on the internet about. Similarly, the game should be the core of the conversation; the game should be actively resisting attempts to conquer it at any given time.
2. Time Requirements - No one has unlimited time.
   1. Doesn't require a large time investment per-sitting; I already have a day-job.
   2. Can be put down without punishment (looking right at you, MOBA genre.)
   3. Requires a couple of weeks of play sessions to get "good" at the game; requires years to have mastery of the title.

These are just my list. While these things can be debated and talked about ad nauseum, what does your own personal "I'd Play That" list look like?

 

In order for me to find "fun" in the game it has to have asset destruction. I can enjoy different types of games/genres, RTS, RPG, sci-fi or fantasy etc. but what holds me to a game is the ability to build and defend my property and destroy other peoples properties. (Shadowbane & EvE)

With asset destruction out of the way, I like to see a variety of characters in any game I play. Characters not just from an aesthetics standpoint, but actual characters/races that have differences that matter in the game. Complexity in the builds is also important, I don't mind being the same as a handful of people, but I don't want to be the same as half a game server.

Last, I really enjoy games that don't allow me to do everything. At the start of the game everything is a possibility but as I make choices those possibilities get smaller and smaller. I believe that this makes me value my decisions even more than just being able to change on a whim. It seems to me that games try and allow players to do everything and I do not buy into that philosophy; I believe that limitations actually bring more enjoyment. I found Morrowind more fun to play than I did Skyrim, and one of the biggest reasons was how "achievable" things were in Skyrim. I never felt like I really accomplished anything because it was all too easy.

My answers are very slanted towards mmorpgs, I rarely play mobile games, and never play social media games.

 

I think the best answer to this is that the question is wrong .
Personally your list would ruin a game for me, without going into detail on the whys and the therefors; I will say I think that there are games we would both enjoy and so that makes the fundamentals of a fun list wrong.
I think the key of what makes a game worth playing can be broken into the following categories:

• The game has a repeating cycle that is enjoyable, or is competitive and you get better at over time.
• The game has aspects of mystery and we want to progress for satisfaction and pleasure.
• The game immerses us in a style or feeling we like

You get extra points if game is multiplayer and allows us to enjoy an experience with others

 

The stuff that usually keeps me playing is typically engaging. It's the stuff that has me juggling my priorities all the time, and can keep me thinking about what to do even when I'm not playing. A lot of it comes down to having short and long term goals that are constantly in flux.

It does depend on my mood though. Sometimes I'll just want something to veg out on with a story or pure action. It just depends on what the game provides and whether I'm in the mood for it. I suppose it's the couch and controller vs. desk and keyboard divide.

 

It depends! I enjoy LOTS of games, from Hearthstone, to League of Legends, to Heroes Charge, to Cookie Clicker, to Adventure Capitalist. I have games for when I wake up, and games to play with my wife or my son. Though these games could not be more different, here's the things I always demand:

• Flow (clear goals, feedback, balanced difficulty, no distractions)
• Simplicity (Core, Intuitive, Limited Choice, Player's perspective)
• Interest Curve
• Clean, cohesive art (plus Juice)

That's the skinny.

Gigi

 

conjecture!

 

Different things will keep me interested in different games. I like MOBA's, so I played LoL, now HOTS (Try it out Asvarduil)
Sometimes I want to play an FPS, so I'll play Titanfall. Or an RPG, and I'll play anything from Fallout 2 to Skyrim.
Basically I am looking for a different fix from each game or genre, and they all provide something the others don't. And my tastes have changed as I've gotten older.

In general, I like character progression, open-world, lots of customization and options. Replayability is a bonus, and making an impact on the gameworld / consequences of your actions is a great way to keep me engaged.

Story and graphics aren't that important to me. I appreciate a good story and great graphics, but I'll still play Microprose's Darklands.

Time investment is important. It should never feel like a chore to play a game. I spent too much time playing MMOs before I realized it was literally like having a second job. One of the big drawbacks of MOBAs is the commitment required per session. That's why I still love single player games, being able to quit at a moments notice is nice.

 

So many reasons yet probably boils down to a few concrete things. Of course, those few things may be different from game to game.

I think it may be easiest for me to go to Kongregate game portal and play some random online games. Then I will link them here with my brief reviews. I won't do many but by checking them out you should be able to see what I mean.
Oh! And I will find games that are similar for the "bad" and "good".

Kind of puzzly platformy:

Continuity : Unique concept. Very well executed. Simple. Yet deep.

That Way : Seems like a somewhat unique concept. For what it is seems well executed. Simple. Not all that engaging. Not terrible though.

And now for some zombies:

Mesh Cover Zombie : Simple. Feedback is lacking. Kind of strange to shoot out rockets that end up as spider webs (meshes) that somehow disintegrate zombies. Collecting coins for some unknown reason. Basically nothing to it.

Ryona Zombits : Very interesting. Fairly large game world. Very well executed. Deep. Simple mechanics yet a lot to do (visit the castle and even play some casino games all by using your sword action). Coins have a purpose. This is actually one of the more interesting zombie games I have played.

 

I'm a big fan of exploration and discovery.

I'm not a big fan of being pidgeon holed for stupid reasons ("You can't be strong, you're already smart!"), so I guess the flip of that would be open ended character growth.

Lastly, about 30 hours of game play. Any more is just padding. Any less is too thin.

 

I love games that allow you to solve problems the way you want to. The Deus Ex series is brilliant at the "player choice" concept. Many of the modern open world games have that vibe, like the Far Cry, GTA, Elder Scrolls, and Fallout series and the Splinter Cell also has a bit of that. I dig when a game lets me approach a situation in many different ways and when I can choose whether to be clever, sneaky, or just go in guns a-blazin' depending on my mood.

 

Your answer is wrong in this case, because I'm asking your preference. I'm not championing a particular set of wants or needs. Also: mu.

 

My list in no particular disorganized order.

1. The game has to have great art, cool characters and animations.
2. Extensive single player campaign.
3. Player progression.
4. RPG's are awesome.
5. Sometimes there are those rare gems that you say - that is going to suck and you end up playing it for 40 hours. Odin Sphere is an example. Awesome art too!
6. If I succumb to playing a FPS game it has to be an awesome world - great visuals, semi-open world, and RPG elements. Fallout, Borderlands, Skyrim, Bioshock.
7. A great and extensive bestiary - that I can 'collect' monsters encountered and defeated.
8. Multiple ways to accomplish the mission.
9. Linear games are fun too - if they have the right theme and have solid controls and pretty visuals. Old school Castlevania games are still awesome.
10. I've recently played a handful of (rogue-like?) games FTL, Pixel Dungeon, couple others I can't name, and I've found great enjoyment in the utter insane difficulty, along with the customizability, and themes - all together make for a fun game.
11. It may be some type of masochist but I really like FAIR difficult games also. Like Joust and Robotron, and Shadow Link in Zelda 2.
12. Used to love RTS, but haven't played one in a couple years. I'm not a big online fan.

Online multiplayer has never ever been appealing for me, so most online shooters, MMO's and the like don't do anything for me.
Local multiplayer is rare and fun to play with the kids.