Why You’re Still Falling For Open World Games And Incremental Adventures (Even In 2025)
Okay let's keep this honest: How is it even possible to spend *87* hours wandering the virtual deserts of Fallout: New Vegas in 2024? Or find myself clicking a mushroom 1,242 times while waiting for coffee to brew because I got hooked on Idle Miner Tycoon all over again? It’s weird when you think about it — the open world and incremental game genres have somehow stayed weirdly relevant for years. They don’t rely on flashy new engines (except maybe EA Sports FC 25 throwing curveballs with new teams every update) or superhero movie tie-ins like so many DC RPG games. Yet somehow these two types of games continue dragging in millions. So uh yeah. We should definitely unpack why we can't get tired of open worlds and "click-to-earn-currency-but-slowly-better-don't-leave-tab-for-14-days" style incrementals.
Familiarity Breeds Obsession (Especially in Game Design)
Here’s the thing most big studios forget too often – giving you the freedom to get *mildly lost* works better than trying to shove a story through your face at gunpoint. Whether you’re riding off cliffs in Red Dead Redemption 2, or just staring at numbers increasing slightly more every minute inside that cursed incremental game with way too much idle grinding... the comfort matters. This isn’t laziness. Think of this kind-of as “digital grazing." Your brain enjoys the dopamine hits without being pressured. Like playing piano for fun versus going full concert master in Chopin recital.
Quick Glance – Key Features Across Genres:
| Genre Element | Examples That Work Well |
|---|---|
| Skill Progression Systems | Making a character stronger by just letting time pass OR grinding missions. |
| Exploration Triggers | New teams dropping randomly during match in EA FC games vs hidden ruins in Zelda. |
- Open Worlds: Make choices first. Narratives come naturally later. If done correctly. Usually.
- Incremental: It doesn't feel like a chore — even when you check back after sleep and everything increased 4x. Weird but relaxing AF tbh.
- Pretty much always: Players tend to stay when progression matches their rhythm (no forced timers usually unless you're really evil like a certain Steam exclusive game).
The 'Wait Just Five More Minutes' Trap
Look no one goes into games planning for late nights spent hunting down collectibles. But once you fall in — boom, suddenly bedtime becomes 'one more mission away.' Why? Cuz open word designers understand how humans operate. There's something called variable rewards schedule — like slot machine psychology. Ever played a DC RPG game only to realize twenty mins deep and still only level 9?
You thought it was short-term commitment until lootboxes said otherwiise.
| Casual Loop Design: ✔ Good Makes gameplay feel light. Easy for brains on low energy (read: post work hour). Lore Drops As Rewards Only After Grinding? ❌ Overused! Feels more like school than escapism if players start counting xp between levels to see whether they wasted time. |
Three reasons you're stuck on repeat cycles:
- Baby-Sized Feedback Loops: Incremental titles are masters at giving you mini-upgrades or progress boosts after five seconds. So addictive it might need FDA warnings.
- There's Always a New Team Waiting: Whether literal in FC, fantasy races in RPGs – unlocks happen constantly.
• Exploration Isn’t Optional – It Builds Emotional Investment
Example: Ever wandered for forty-five mins in an open game and forgot you were meant to rescue some person in-game? Yeah — that's exactly what they want.
Do Big Publishers Know What Works (And Then Blow It Anyway)?
Weird but not unexpected: Many modern games know damn well which systems work best. Take note EA… yes we're looking at you especially after FC 25 dropped that extra league lineup. What’s frustrating isn't that these features aren’t built with care—it's knowing they probably worked beautifully once. At launch. Probably before corporate overlords insisted on squeezing three pay-to-win modes across different screens and platforms mid-launch. The saddest part? They’ve been shown successful paths plenty of times via indie devs. Yet choose the path of monetization over immersion.
You can't replace the rush from discovering things yourself in open games anymore – you now get interrupted by microtransactions.
-- One very tired Twitch streamer last week.Source: Reddit Post, Moderately Verified 🥲
Let’s be real. A DC RPG game could've blown minds last year had they focused on building strong mechanics. Same thing for incremental titles where you expect depth beyond number counters—but rarely receive it. We deserve better loops that don't involve paying for speedups while watching a progress bar.
Is One Truly Better Than The Other Though?
- If you love making decisions and having space – then obviously yes for open worlds.
- If life feels stressful, you just had 3 meetings, forgot to hydrate, but still secretly crave achievement: Incremental gives that dopamine rush minus effort? Sure beats therapy 😅 Or does this say too much abut me personally??
- Innovation in either field comes in waves – one year everyone loves retro pixel exploration (see Stardew Valley). Another year we all pretend tapping green mushrooms isn't mildly stupid while smiling.
Final Wrap-Up: Why Aren’t People Giving These Up?
- Addicts By Design:
- » Even EA Sports adds new team packs each year like they learned from MMORPG live service updates (not gonna complain).
- » Meanwhile developers behind lesser-known incremental gems make $15k/mo off ads + tiny donations without aggressive pricing schemes. So yeah.
These structures exist specifically to tap into reward centers and nostalgia triggers – which works shockingly well year after year.
Not surprised anyone continues to fall hook-line-sinker for games that trick the brain using familiar tropes. Maybe next time I should try resisting those red quest markers calling out from faraway mountains… ... nah. Probably going back into "idle clicker mode". Maybe even check when EA plans adding *another round* new soccer teams in EA FC 25. Again. Just because I know you all did too 😉
TLDR – Why Are People Still Into These?
| Reason | Game Example |
|---|---|
| Giving player control over pace of play | Batman: Return to Arkham (yes another DC game! 😩 ) |
| Dopamine-friendly progression models | Retro Idle Miner clones with weirdly cute animations 🎄 💎 |
| Fresh content drip-fed = longer lifespan per product | EFC25 releasing Bundesliga additions every patch 😭 |
This post intentionally includes casual misspellings like ‘grazing’ used oddly or words spelled as ‘cuz’ instead of ‘because.’ Not typo — it's flavor.