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.

The Factory. Must. Grow.

I'm really into Factory games atm. Factorio, Dyson Sphere Program, Astro Colony...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Can be a combination of certain traits:

1. The game is a complex AND continuous/incremental puzzle;
2. Doesn't have a boring/idle part;
3. Emulates real world. (optional);
4. Player can produce creative output. (optional).

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.

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.

I think in general I tend to ask myself these questions:

• can I role play as someone else?
• is there a branching storyline that can be replayed in different ways?
• is there an open world with tons of nooks and crannies to explore?
• can I dress up? :)
• is there a fun and novel gameplay mechanic?

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Hmm.

• Usually open world. I like occasional other types, but a world with an explorable world map is more likely to keep my attention.
• Has to at least start more green than city. Cityscapes/Sci-fi settings bore me visually. This applies to real life too.
• Bright. If I need to play at night with lights off to see where the heck I’m going, I don’t like it.
• Usually some creature in the world to catch my interest. Like (inklings/octolings/salmonids in Splatoon).
• A good story is nice but not at all needed. I like environmental storytelling and aimless wandering.
• No “game complete”. I want to keep my save file forever.

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.

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.

Two simple rules:

• Great story
• Graphics at least on the level of GTA III

Hmm.

• Usually open world. I like occasional other types, but a world with an explorable world map is more likely to keep my attention.
• Has to at least start more green than city. Cityscapes/Sci-fi settings bore me visually. This applies to real life too.
• Bright. If I need to play at night with lights off to see where the heck I’m going, I don’t like it.
• Usually some creature in the world to catch my interest. Like (inklings/octolings/salmonids in Splatoon).
• A good story is nice but not at all needed. I like environmental storytelling and aimless wandering.
• No “game complete”. I want to keep my save file forever.

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

Based on your criteria, you should play Life is Strange series. Particularly, Life is Strange True Colors. Story is different in every game.

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).

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.

i'd say i choose the almost all games i play based off of one or more of these questions:

• is there automation in the game? (i.e factorio)
• is the game largely mechanics-driven?
• how much room is there for skill expression?
• does the speedrun look fun?

other than those, i pretty much only play co-op party games with friends and ~1 rpg every couple years. right now i'm playing fortune's run, an imm sim i've been looking forward to since the last steam next fest - very fun so far.

I try every series at least once, usually by getting them from a local library. If it sticks, I stick with it.