Gaming is more popular than ever. With the rise of mobile devices like smartphones and laptops, new innovations in technology and better game experiences, people of all ages are getting into gaming.
But one of the biggest reasons gaming has become so ubiquitous is the feeling of satisfaction that players get from game play. Many video games include rewards, trophies and exciting challenges to keep players coming back for more.
Here are the top 5 most rewarding games for you to try.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
One of the most popular video game franchises in the world, publishers Activision released the first Call of Duty to critical acclaim. While originally focusing on the events of World War II, new editions of the game are set throughout time, including the modern era, futuristic worlds, outer space and during the Cold War.
The series continues to find success with every release. The most recent addition to the series, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, made $500 million during its three-day launch weekend in 2018, with 17 million copies of the game sold in the first eight days of availability. And there’s good reason why; the popularity of this first person shooter game has absolutely everything to do with how rewarding it is to play.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 comes with four story modes including Specialist HQ, Multiplayer, Blackout (Battle Royale) and Zombies. There are a total of 53 trophies to be achieved across the game modes. The multiplayer nature of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 means you’ll be able to have bragging rights over friends — and other players — around the world as you unlock them. As an online first-person shooter the game is, by its very nature, extremely competitive — and your individual score goes to show just how much you’ve achieved while playing it.
World of Warcraft
When you think of the most popular video games, World of Warcraft has to be one of the top. Released in 2004, the online multiplayer role playing game is based in a fantasy world. Players of the game roam different terrains and landscapes, tasked with fighting enemies and monsters and completing a variety of quests.
While numbers have slightly declined over the years, at its peak the game had 12 million active players. One of the biggest attractions to the game — and what makes it so rewarding for its players — is the social element to World of Warcraft. Successfully performing a raid with other players for example, makes the game so alluring. And the rise in live voice chat from headsets adds to overall excitement.
The game’s scoring system is another type of reward for players. The ladder system in the game uses scores to calculate players ratings which change based on defeats and victories. Getting your score up can be an extremely satisfying process. It shows the millions of other players in this fantasy world exactly how good you are at the game.
Then of course, there’s the achievements. While not every player is particularly interested in unlocking all the game’s achievements, others are extremely committed. One player famously completed all of World of Warcraft’s 3,314 achievements over a six year period taking him to the game’s upper echelon of heavily committed players.
Online Slots
Some people might say that slot machines are the original video games. First invented by Charles Fey in 1895, the video slot was created during the 1970s — and set the stage for the popularity of the online slots that accompanied the internet boom of the 1990s. These days, online slots are played every day by millions of people around the world.
When it comes to online slots, like other casino games there’s the thrill of getting monetary rewards. The fun of the spin could see you winning real money, and with so many offers for no deposit slots bonuses that could be at no risk to your wallet — especially if you’re a new player. There is of course, the reward that comes from the risk. Playing online slots is exciting because you are never sure if you’re going to win or lose. The achievement comes from what ends up in your bank account, and what you’ll do with the money once it’s there!
Mario Kart
There’s been a growing audience around Mario Kart over the years. First released in 1992 on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the racing game has had commercial success ever since — and sold 100 million copies worldwide to date. There have been 9 variations of the game released for consoles over the years, the last of which was in 2017 with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch.
But what makes this relatively simple game so popular? So why do fans keep coming back for more? Besides the nostalgia aspect, Mario Kart is at its heart a racing game. And because you can get better at it — either by learning the courses, getting to know the games secret eggs (including shortcuts) and mastering the controls — there’s a reason to keep playing. As well as a big reward when you’re the first one across the finish line, whether you’re playing against friends or avatars.
Tetris
Tetris is one of those classic, simple video games that never really gets old. This tile-matching puzzle was released in 1984 and was the first game to be exported from the Soviet Union to the United States. First sold for home computers and arcades, the game rose in popularity alongside Nintendo’s handheld game console, Game Boy. By January 2010 the game had sold over 170 million copies and achieved the status of second best selling paid-downloaded game of all time.
But what makes this incredibly basic game so appealing after all these years? Researchers think it’s the visual effect that comes from clearing a block of lines. And while you can gain higher and higher scores, there’s something about fitting the right shapes together that is just so satisfying.
