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The first thing I check for is if a game is Terraria. If it isn't, I play Terraria instead.
All kidding aside, I tend to enjoy games that involve exploration, character development, and pleasent visuals. Good sound design is also a must, and I prefer games to be at least somewhat action oriented.
None of these things are hard and fast rules for me, of course. I like a lot of different games.
I just realized sound design is probably also an important thing for me. A lot of the games I like also have great soundtracks.
The Factory. Must. Grow.
I'm really into Factory games atm. Factorio, Dyson Sphere Program, Astro Colony...
Same
As I’ve gotten older and had more sporadic time windows to play games (kids, work, life), I’ve gravitated more and more to rogue-like/lites and soulsborne style games. Having games that have a core gameplay loop that is 20 minutes to an hour is perfect for me, and I can kind of pick up and put down whenever I want without losing my place in a grand overwhelming open world that is miles wide, but inches deep (Starfield, I’m looking at you…).
With the rogue-like/lites, I can do a run and just go to bed and say “I’ll get further next time”, while with soulsborne games I can clear out an area and do a boss, then come back to do the next area/boss another time. If the lore seems interesting, vatividya will probably have a video on it some point to catch me up on whatever I missed.
-> fallout3
I like shooters and other combat sims that have matchmaking and allow me to enter a flow state.
I’ve got a twitch channel with exactly one fan. No idea who it is. They seem to like Mechwarrior 5 (ie they show up quick whenever I play) so I’ve been playing a lot of that.
It’s so fun because it’s actually kind of a slow-paced game. But it does have a flow. Something so satisfying about locking onto enemy after enemy and dispatching them according to the rhythm of my recharging weapons.
Also it’s a pleasant surprise that Mechwarrior (this is the first MW game Ive played) is the board game Battletech, which I used to play in the 90s. I never realized these were the same game with all the same rules.
I can stand in forest to make shots miss me, I can use my lasers to cut down trees, I have LRMs and autocannons, I can stand it water to dissipate heat faster.
It’s my fortune to have an eidetic memory, so I remember Battletech as clear as day despite not playing it since the 90s. It’s kind of fun to load up my personality from when I was 9 and show him the video games of the future, where I’m playing that same board game but in real time.
Ah. I can see a gamer very happy about their game. Good for you!
I love Trackmania because you drive tracks of 20-60 seconds, one constantly improves in details, it's quick to learn but still has a high skill ceiling. I encountered it in a YouTube video, discovered some streams and downloaded the game. Not really based on criteria because I'm not a fan of F1 for example.
I only really play VR games anymore, so that narrows things down considerably. Is it a shooter? If so, does it play just like every other shooter? Does it have bullshit that breaks immersion? Does it have co-op? Does it offer standard VR mechanics/preferences?
Those are the key things I look at. Sadly, very few companies understand how to make a good VR game.
It’s not even that hard honestly. Like I would pay good money for new levels of games I already have. It’s got to be cheaper to simply use the same everything except for map, than to build a new game. I’d spend so much money, ongoing, for new battlefield maps for example.
I don’t care about new game mechanics at all. I just want new places. New buildings. New variations on the same theme.
If one video game were one instrument, I just want more piano music. I could spend a lifetime enjoying more and more piano music and it would never get old as long as the actual sequence of notes changes.
Generally it's down to genre and mechanics. I obviously have my preferences so I'll always keep a lookout on those that interest me. As well as avoid those I don't.
I generally don't have a preference for art style (I appreciate a wide variety of them), though I confess, I am getting a little tired of pixel-art games.
I feel the same towards the pixel-art games, but I understand that they are one of the easiest ways for devs to put their cool ideas into a game very quickly.
My end goal is to build something that functions and runs without me. I like sandbox type games with lots of automation and puzzles to solve.
It's Factorio.
That is all.
Automations are one of the mechanics I like. The satisfaction after making something work is awesome.
It’s hard to pin down because I like different types of games.
I like:
Puzzle games that are 100% logical, difficulty increases, there is no timer running and ideally there is a way to improve my solution (Zachtronics games hit this perfectly but also games like Human Resource Machine, Hexcells)
Automation Games like Factorio
Simple and fair arcade on iOS, with high scores I can compare with my brother or, if I’m really good at it, the global leaderboard. Examples are Ollies Arcade, Jetpack Joyride, Tiny Wings, …
Sneaking games like Alien Isolation, Metal Gear Solid, Sniper Elite,…
„Realistic“ jobs that I can tune out to like Shipbreaker, Mudrunner, transport missions in Elite Dangerous.
Rhythm games on PSVR2 (though I hate that I have to buy the music)
Good old point and click adventures
City builders
But I will try and may like many other games that don’t fall into those categories and, for some reason or another, get me excited.
How a game looks rarely matters to me but I won’t consider games that look unfinished or cheaply made (exceptions exist like Prison Architect)
In general I don’t like games that are too hard, too long or too artsy. I don’t enjoy online multiplayer anymore and I will certainly not play anything that wants me paying more and more money to progress.
Can be a combination of certain traits:
Games that I like: SimCity4 (2003), Europa Universalis 4 (2010s), Touhou series (1997-now), Taisei (2012-now), Minetest and many Tycoon games that used to be popular in 2000s.
Programming and math satisfies all 4 traits :) When I started programming 10 years ago, I became less interested in games.
Usually nostalgia wins big time over me.
I was just playing Dragon Ball Z Legends for PS1 in my Miyoo Mini lol, a game that I have finished endless times.
Other than that I usually play games I got for free (patient gamer) one by one and often none at all.
I like racing games and shooters.
For shooters, if it is like Titanfall 2, I like it. But not Battle Royal. I hate Apex.
For racing, I still need to find a game that compares to the old Gran Turismo’s.
And apart from that, I like well made games (that are not in alpha when released). Eg currently heavily invested in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Usually gameplay mechanics that I like. For example I suck at puzzles and feel like they awkwardly break up a game a lot of the time so I avoid Resident Evil style games that feature them. Same thing for any game that uses a card based gameplay system. I get them a lot in Humble Bundles.
I stray away from fantasy games because I feel like learning the background can sometimes be a challenge.
For me it's mostly first person single player games with decent soundtracks. If it's got a bit of grittiness and companions you grow close to I like that.
Speaking of which if any of these games sound like they were recently (past 6ish months) in Humble Bundles comment the game below and I'll probably be willing to give you the code.
Not that hard for me, but it's a process I've developed over the years. I like RPGs, open worlds, exploration, space themes, things related to historical stuff I like. I like a little strategy in gameplay, some puzzl solving. I also like innovation (new ways of playing a game), and good storytelling driven games such as Detroit Become Human. I dislike multiplayer, so I always go for single player. Not a big fan of FPS, but if it's not the sole dimension of the game, I'll tolerate it.
My game selection process is quite easy though : I watch game trailers, I remember those that feel good to me. Then I look/wait for gameplay trailers, which is quite important. The more I'm excited about it, the more likely I'll buy the game.
I will exceptionally preorder a game. Otherwise, I'll look for the "Before you buy" type of reviews. If I'm still convinced, I'll buy it the day it comes out. Otherwise I'll give it some time.
My favorite game are Mass Effect series, Assassin's Creed Series, lots more also. Right now, I'm having a blast with Starfield.
I think in general I tend to ask myself these questions:
Usually I’m invested if it ticks several boxes. I love long, story heavy rpg’s like BG3. But also visual novels like Roadwarden, open world like Shadow of Doubt, or more experimental like Book of Travels.
Have you played the Shadowrun games? They also have some custom campaigns in the steam workshop.
Oh yes, definitely!
Though I haven’t thought of trying the custom campaigns. Thank you for reminding me! :)
Some of them are really good. Same quality as an actual game.
My mood.
Do I need to shoot some stuff or do I want to chill and grow crops or something? Technical specs aren’t really that important as long as it doesn’t make me sick. That being said, I do enjoy seeing realistic and beautiful detail in games.
I dislike difficulty that borders on punishment and games that think they’re scary (yawn).
I like games about descending further and further into the earth. That's why my favorite Elder Scrolls is Morrowind and my favorite Fallout is 3. That's why World Adventures is the best expansion for any Sims base game, that is why I love roguelikes, that is why I've been playing Dwarf Fortress and Minecraft for a decade and a half and will probably never stop.
You might like the original Torchlight as a laid-back Diablo style game. The entire game takes place in a town with a mine and that mine is the dungeon you go down all game long
Oh I played it at release and still go back every couple years for a replay.
Hollow knight is a good one for that
This usually doesn't factor in to my desisions that often, but I like games with that old-school, grainy, low-poly look, especially for horror games.
Lost in Vivo is one example that comes to mind.
It has to be $10 or less in my local currency (~USD$6).
That makes the list much shorter, so from there I'm usually happy with my purchase. If I end up spending 5 hours on the game then I've won out better than going to see a movie.
I used to be a freebie gamer. At some point I realized the quality of free games are dwindling, and so I tried to finally purchase games.
Because I'm very aware that my financial status isn't that great, I usually spend way more time with these paid games.
Hmm.
Not hard rules of course, I have exceptions.
Like Metroid sounds perfect for me in some ways, but because it’s so dim and sci-fi, I can’t stay interested. Unlike Zelda, which usually starts with brightly lit forests that keep me in.
Splatoon has amazingly dark lore that’s only visible past it’s bright happy exterior that I LOVE. Stardew Valley/Minecraft/Animal Crossing are in my alley.
I like eye candy 😏🍺
I also like defeating a Big Eldrich Bad, and a touch of exploration and discovery. Controls can be complex but they have to be intuitive and not rely on real-time battle, or just be manageable.
My favorite games ever are the Final Fantasy series, esp. VII. Also liked Legacy of Kain, Castlevania I and II, and the earliest Tomb Raider games.
Loved Lord of the Rings Online, Aion, exploring in WoW but my bandwidth won't support MMOs anymore.
At moment : price and steamdeck compatibility.
Mainly rogue-lites, fps and plateformers as of late.
Figuring out northstar to get some titanfall2 going :)
Having a blast on tmnt and midnight fight express.
Is it open source and in my Linux distro’s repo?
Hmm.
Not hard rules of course, I have exceptions.
Like Metroid sounds perfect for me in some ways, but because it’s so dim and sci-fi, I can’t stay interested. Splatoon has amazingly dark lore that’s only visible past it’s bright happy exterior that I LOVE. Stardew Valley/Minecraft/Animal Crossing are in my alley.
I am someone who likes to solve problems, so strategy / management games tend to be my preferred. For instance I recently did a run of Factorio with no belts.
I also like trying new things even if failure is an option, in fact failure should be expected if you’re trying hard enough. So KSP is another one of my favorites.
I tend to play a lot of problem solving games over just pure skill/luck, i also prefer ones with great sound/music
A game with decent story and decent art, not too complex control
Hey OP based on your description, I think you'd love Kena, Bridge of Spirits. It's very colorful and cutesy with Pixar style graphics and dark souls style combat and difficulty (it's seriously tough as nails in some parts).
I try every series at least once, usually by getting them from a local library. If it sticks, I stick with it.
Typically games that let me be the killin'-est magic man or woman I can be. Making tornadoes, ice spikes, and raining meteors in Dragons Dogma is amazing. Calling down space lazers or being gerbil Emporer Palpatine in Biomutant was fun. Painting the screen blue with lightning in Diablo 4 was a good time, and painting the screen red with lazers in Diablo 3 is fun. Skyrim, I have played to death being as magical as I could be. Dragon Age: Inquisition kind of bummed me out with how strong Knight Enchanter was compared to the others, woo a ghost sword I guess.