A Love of Repetition
I love grinding. It is one of my favorite game mechanics. I have heard people besmirch games as “grindy” for my entire life–as if that were some death sentence, as if that were a bad thing. I find grinding to be an important portion of long-term games. It is normally associated with boredom and stretching out content. However, I think the grinds can be not only satisfying but also a powerful tool to create interesting experiences.
An Old but Constant Companion
My favorite example is a game that I have played for years now. I have played it since I was in the first grade and it is called RuneScape. I normally play Old School RuneScape because of nostalgia, and the grinds in the game are more satisfying for me. How can games make a grind satisfying? In the case of Old School RuneScape, we have a pretty good model for long-term goals in games. There are not a lot of small upgrades in Old School RuneScape. The items that you gain are usually very impactful. They also come together to drastically increase XP gain or the number of enemies you can kill in a play session. So even a single weapon upgrade can be a huge deal for your character’s future progression. The game also gives little hits of progression in the form of XP grinding. You kill an enemy and get a little XP, it is a little dopamine hit. I know that can be considered shallow, but dopamine is a pretty key part of any game. Most activities that humans take part in for fun release dopamine and endorphins in some way–grindy games just structure it.
Dangers: Too Much of a Good Thing
This structure can be abusive. Dark patterns are a term used to describe game mechanics that incentivize players to play more than they might want. I have referenced them in other articles but for those unaware this is what I mean by that term. Dark Patterns typically take the form of excessive grinding that can be sped up via paying money. Excessive waiting or time gating, such as daily and weekly resets. This would also include the dreaded, Daily Energy Bar.
Systems like this limit the number of actions and gameplay a player can take during a predetermined time. Dark patterns can be used to encourage players to spend money or play more than they may want. This is something that should be considered, as developers can be tempted to include them in their games. The financial incentive can be very tempting. So a little research may be needed to ensure you don’t get involved in a pay-to-win-grind-fest that will ruin your experience.
Old School RuneScape, for instance, doesn’t allow you to directly pay for progression. So there isn’t a way to spend money just instantly level up or acquire gear. It is not possible to buy experience in the game and you cannot skip gameplay. This may seem bad for those who want to just get to the endgame. However, the grind in RuneScape, for example, is the gameplay. So content is not meant to be skipped–it is part of the game and part of your long-term goals. This is what makes grinding so satisfying: small grinds that lead to longer grinds, and small goals earned that lead to long-term goals.
Habit Forming Design
I would argue this is what makes games such as MMOs so habit-forming. It’s not an addiction or compulsion–it becomes like a hobby. similar to something like woodworking or model making. You have digital parts that you are slowly working on and putting together. The satisfaction and pure dopamine when you have spent days, weeks, or even months working towards one goal and it is finally complete is intoxicating. I also want to point out that any hobby can be a problem in the same way. The difference between video games and something else that takes a similar amount of time is access. Someone could have an unhealthy relationship with their woodworking hobby, but they will eventually run out of wood. With the rise of free-to-play video games, games with tons of content, and Steam sales, it is pretty much impossible to run out of games and content to play.
I Swear This Article Is Not Just A Ruse To Recruit More Runescape Players
Grinds shouldn’t be off putting or scary. Just relax and enjoy yourself. Not everything needs to be high octance action to be enjoyable. You can take it as meditation time. You could watch some fun videos or a show while you play a game. I always love it because it keeps my hands busy–it helps with the ADHD brain. Grindy games can be incredibly satisfying, and you might just find a hobby you love in grinding and watching videos. Which will then lead you down a rabbit hole of obscure videos about early humanity and anthropology. Which will then lead to a lifelong interest in early hominins and an unrealized desire to write pre-historic fiction.
That could just be me, though.
Check out our last Article from Emma!:
3 Slump-Busters That are Proven to Get You Out of that Book Slump
