How Modern Games Lost the Sense of Discovery

For the past twenty years, game developers have pursued a noble goal: They wanted to remove frustration.

So they replaced confusing objectives with quest markers. Minimaps were added to assist with navigation. Hidden objects got highlighted. In sum, designers steadily eliminated obstacles that might prevent players from reaching the next objective.

The intention was understandable. But the results were mixed blessings at best.

Many modern games are indeed smoother than their predecessors. Their controls feel more intuitive. The user interfaces convey information more clearly. And players do spend less time wandering aimlessly or getting trapped by obscure mechanics.

And yet, a valuable aspect of gaming fell by the wayside:

Discovery.

Think back to classic games from the 1980s, 1990s, and early aughts. How often did you get lost? How many times did you get stuck? How many controllers did you break by throwing them against the wall?

Read the full post on Substack.