Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.
- 105
- 3
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
Game subthread.
Review of Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader in the child comment here. (if putting it like this, let the mods remind me of not doing this)
What are some games that focus on exploration and vibes but with zero gamification elements? Something I’ve noticed is that games will try to nudge you into exploring an area by giving you an “exploration point”, or some other sort of positive reinforcer. But whenever this happens, it actually reduces your interest in exploring for its own sake, because the extrinsic reward interferes with the intrinsic reward processing. So when you get that point or that notification telling you that this is a new area, you now want to explore a new area already instead of actually taking in and experiencing the area you ostensibly have just discovered.
Is there any game that doesn’t do this? That encourages the intrinsic exploration element simply by not encouraging anything at all? (An old game which did this, that I recall playing briefly as a child, is The Endless Forest)
Honestly, Minecraft. Even after all these years, it's still my go-to whenever I get that freeform exploration itch. No objectives, no waypoints, no maps, just me and my terrible architectural skills. With just enough of a survival gameplay loop to keep the sandbox from getting stale.
If you've never gotten around to it, or haven't played in a decade, I'd really recommend it. That first few hours after starting up a new Minecraft world is something special I've never quite replicated in another game.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link