Skill based games aren’t incremental. If you get your toolkit at the start and gameplay consists of learning how to use it effectively then there’s no incrementing at all.
Examples would be platformers like Mario and old-school shooters before skill trees and gear unlocks became popular like the Halo trilogy. You’re just as strong with access to the same tools at the beginning of the game as you are at the end.
A lot of modern “action” games have polluted this by incorporating unlocks and skill trees and other popular lite RPG elements, but incremental progression isn’t “the basis of games”, as you put. It’s made an appearance in a lot of games because it’s easy to implement and it’s a consistent and cheap dopamine hit to keep players playing, so it’s very attractive to AAA studios looking for player retention.
Also not the point of this sub, as others have mentioned. This is for numbers go up games.
Skill based games aren’t incremental. If you get your toolkit at the start and gameplay consists of learning how to use it effectively then there’s no incrementing at all.
Examples would be platformers like Mario and old-school shooters before skill trees and gear unlocks became popular like the Halo trilogy. You’re just as strong with access to the same tools at the beginning of the game as you are at the end.
A lot of modern “action” games have polluted this by incorporating unlocks and skill trees and other popular lite RPG elements, but incremental progression isn’t “the basis of games”, as you put. It’s made an appearance in a lot of games because it’s easy to implement and it’s a consistent and cheap dopamine hit to keep players playing, so it’s very attractive to AAA studios looking for player retention.
Also not the point of this sub, as others have mentioned. This is for numbers go up games.