bad features:

  1. cooking: collecting recipes, collecting materials.
  2. treasure boxes, rare items, and the whole search activity.
  3. the need for combo memorization(mainly a VS game problem).
  4. character customization: appearance manual customization.
  5. cut scenes and commercials.
  6. level ups.


instead games should utilize: gaming

  1. shops that concentrate all essential items(boost/heal)
  2. replace the level up grind with knowledge/currency/reaction speed accumulation.
  3. buyable renewable rewards: events/knowledge snippets.
  4. score logs.


the entire game should be designed as an endgame. less is more.

games that do too much feel like jobs, games that do too little are boring demos.