3 ways to make a game great

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#1
There 3 main ways for how games can actually be compelling.

This is what makes a few games worthwhile unlike the massive number of frankly bad games that are a total waste of time.

Even games that do succeed in more than one of these usually excel at one main point below that make in the best cases truly make it something really special.
 

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#2
0. Actual good and challenging gameplay
You progress in the game by developing skills and overcoming challenges.
Here it's important that you can quickly try again after failing rather than having to be go through 20 minutes of boredom just for one more attempt.

Examples: neverball, assaltcube, Code Vein, kaizo mario world 3 with savestates.

Too easy: Flight of Nova
 

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#3
1. Great story/audio/graphics/immersion
You immerses the player in an amazing world that tells a great story.
I personally enjoyed "firewatch" and "observer: system redux" thanks to the compelling and immersive story-telling.

Here it's really important that the game actually works correctly rather than you suddenly falling through a floor or dying in the elevator for no discernible reason.
 

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#4
2. Providing meaningful social interactions
Here it's important that a lot of people can interact so the game becomes lively, you do not want to be limited to say 100 people per server.

Personally i prefer just chatting over say discord or meeting people in the real world.
Also: here you want people to be able to play the game for free so you can have a lot of active players. You do not want paywalls discouraging your friends from trying out the game.
 

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#5
Games that mainly satisfy 1 but also provide good gameplay
Metroid prime trilogy (in terms of fps combat it really isn't super great, mainly an exploration game).

A Plague Tale: Innocence (the stealth/puzzle gameplay become repetetive after a while).

Lifeless planet did not have particularly good graphics (it was downright bad at times) but the game still managed to immerse you into that world, arguably the game was more about the gameplay (mostly 3d platforming) which was a nice refresh.
 

Creamer

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#6
  1. sexy girl characters(young white blonds)
  2. good graphics
  3. grind and reward gamification
there is also a trend of "guiltless games", which are games the player doesn't feel bad about playing for hours. for example :

1. games that teach something like a language (kanji no owari is a good example)
2. fitness games : for example hatsune miku fitness boxing, dance dance revolution.
 
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#7
The core gameplay mechanics need to be fun, intuitive, and rewarding. This means designing controls that feel natural, creating challenges that are balanced yet engaging, and ensuring there is a sense of progression. Whether it's through innovative puzzles, strategic combat, or immersive exploration, the gameplay should captivate players and keep them coming back for more.
 
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