Most Addictive Games

[PBI]

I've got to put a vote in for the original 3 X:COM games.

They share the same fundamental mechanic that makes the TW games so great, the mix of tactical level and strategic level. These are the only other games I can think of that get the balance just right.

Plus, I got Apocalypse for a pound. Probably the best hours played/price payed ratio of any game I own.

[Ciaran]

I have to agree with placenik, Tetris is the most addictive game I´ve ever come across. Yes, there are games I´ve spent hours and hours playing for months, but after a couple of months I put them aside for a while. Not so with Tetris, that´s good for the relaxing few hours of playing anywhere, any time.

[Motep]

Not in any order:

Rome Total War
Medieval Total War
Conflict: Desert Storm 2
Dynasty warriors 5: Xtreme legends
Solitaire
Chess
...much more...

[Kekvit Irae]

Dungeons & Dragons.

As for the PC, Neverwinter Nights and Neverwinter Nights 2 (plus expansion and fan-made patches).

[Martok]

Dungeons & Dragons.

I've not played in over 3 years now. Ever since I moved to Minneapolis, I've been unable to find a group to play with.

[Adrian II]

Games don't cause addiction, people do. Yeah yeah, laugh it off, but it's true.

Now bear with me.

I suppose that the reason why we all play games is that we all have a tendency toward addiction in the first place. I further suppose that the type of game we are addicted to reflects our personality. Thirdly, I suppose that the operative part of our personality is a profound desire to control our surroundings, something that is more easily achieved in fantasy worlds than in the real one.

Finally, I suppose that I'm talking out of my rear aperture and that someone else may have a far better explanation. In which case, let's hear it.

[Sarathos]

Games don't cause addiction, people do. Yeah yeah, laugh it off, but it's true.

Now bear with me.

I suppose that the reason why we all play games is that we all have a tendency toward addiction in the first place. I further suppose that the type of game we are addicted to reflects our personality. Thirdly, I suppose that the operative part of our personality is a profound desire to control our surroundings, something that is more easily achieved in fantasy worlds than in the real one.

Finally, I suppose that I'm talking out of my rear aperture and that someone else may have a far better explanation. In which case, let's hear it.

Your explanation is rather profound and has good evidence. But I don't think people cause addiction.

Humans don't have a tendancy towards addcition, they are just easily affected by it. The human mind is always on the search for stimulating material and once it does find something that fits its ideals, it really doesn't want to let go. The games that we are addicted to do reflect our personality, but more our ideals and fantasies. People are addcited to certain games because that game requries them to employ favoured skills such as logic or numerical skills. People who like maths are have a higher chance of liking puzzle games because it requries them to use their favoured skills thus growing the ability of that skill. Also people like games because they reflect fantasies of that person, FPS's and RPG's are classic examples. Many people love these genres because their can virtual live their fantasies and live the life of their dreams. Lastly, linking back to Adrian II's point about control of surrounds whilst adding me own point about virtual reailty. What person wouldn't love a game that allows them the chance to live their fantasies without modern day consequences? People play games to escape modern life, and what better where than to run around a whole city, driving a car (no matter your age) and shooter civillans without the fear of police. Now I'm not saying everyone would enjoy it, what I'm saying the that play the game because its not something they can norally do.