By: Zi Yuan Wong 

January 2025 

From the title, you can guess that I am a huge fan of video games. Growing up, I was exposed to different types of video games ranging from relaxing farming simulators to exciting first-person shooters. My years of playing different game genres gives me a perspective on why people enjoy different types of games, but after participating in some internet discussions, not one person agrees on what specific criteria makes these games ‘good’. So, to the multitude of gamers today, what exactly makes a game ‘good’ in their eyes? 

Story 

For gamers that also enjoy reading fiction, a game may be considered good due to its engaging narrative detailing the protagonist’s journey, even when the gameplay may be simplistic. Like a good story in a novel, an engaging plot keeps the audience glued to the screen and makes them desire to know what happens next. Story-heavy game series, like ‘Final Fantasy’ and ‘Metal Gear Solid,’ are praised for their incredible worldbuilding and story with multiple twists and turns, which explains their continued popularity in the modern day, long after their most acclaimed releases. 

Gameplay 

For gamers not interested in storytelling, they derive their fun from mastering the game’s mechanics. Some good examples include fighting games like ‘Street Fighter’ and first-person shooters like ‘Counter Strike.’ Unlike story-heavy role-playing games (RPGs), these games are generally not known for having stellar storytelling, but people still enjoy them for the ability to play against opponents on a level playing field and potentially beat them with skill. The top players are the ones who know the gameplay like the back of their hand and who possess the desire to improve and then beat others which raises the competitive spirits for many gamers. This culminated in multiple gaming tournaments across the world like EVO and The International where the best players prove their mastery of the games by being crowned champions. 

Difficulty 

For the so-called ‘hardcore’ gamers, games that appeal to the general audience no longer feel enjoyable because they are too easy, and they crave a more challenging game that tests their knowledge about the game mechanics. Fortunately for them, there is now a specific genre of games that contain challenges so hard, the only way to overcome them involves dying in the same area repeatedly. Games like ‘Dark Souls’ and ‘Elden Ring’, which belong to the ‘Souls-like’ genre of games, involve the player learning from their mistakes and overcoming the boss. For these gamers, overcoming the games’ hard challenges gives them a sense of pride and accomplishment akin to acing a test. 

What makes a game ‘good’? 

Different players have different interpretations of what makes a game great, but one common theme is they had fun and enjoy their time playing these games, whether they are considered easy or difficult. Some players play games to relieve the stresses of their lives while others feel the rush of challenging themselves with high difficulty games. And for fighting game players, the joy comes from defeating their opponents through skill, along with being involved in a community that enjoys playing these games. Overall, I think that to many a person, no matter the reason, a game that lets players have fun and enjoy themselves is considered a good game.