The Impact Factor

Happy With A Habit: Finding Fuel From Lifestyle Games

Perspectives

This past Friday was slow, painfully slow. Like a mule that’s dug its heels deep into the dirt, it was a Friday almost sentient and malicious, knowing full well that the weekend was only a few hours away. I ran an experiment that went predictably awry and had mundane conversations about weekend plans. Throughout the rest of the week, reading news about video games helps to fill in duller spats. Fridays are a serious offender, however, as little to nothing of value gets published. This Friday IGN ran a story about how to make a Pokemon GO accessory work. Polygon ran yet another piece about how the PC version of a new game (BioShock Remastered) is shoddy. But I did have something to be excited about. I had something to fuel the rest of my day. In fact, it’s something that is a constant source of energy from which I can draw, a font that never dries up—lifestyle games.

Because you see, Clash Royale was about to get a big update. Friday meant the announcement of a ton of quality of life changes. New chests were being added to the game that would give players better chances at Epic and Legendary cards. Special offers were being added to the shop to give big payouts for a small cost. Tournaments were about to be restructured entirely, giving players the chance to play whenever they want. Four new cards are slated for addition to the game, including the cool looking Mega Minion. While waiting for an experiment to finish I sat transfixed to Clash Royale’s subreddit, eager to learn as much as I could about this Monday 9/19 update. I was energized.

Clash Royale's update got me all kinds of excited.
Like they always do.

No, Clash Royale isn’t a new game. Far from it. I’ve been playing this smartphone title since it first launched in March. I have even taken the time to share my thoughts about the game in review form here on the blog. This competitive deck-based real time strategy tower defense game has joined a small suite of titles that accompany me through day-to-day life. Clash Royale, Hearthstone, and Overwatch are the three games that, despite new releases and new announcements, exist at the forefront of my gaming time. The three are also lifestyle games.

Lifestyle games are living products. Official release is only the beginning of their existence as a consumer good. Lifestyle games offer a constant but evolving play experience that’s designed to keep people like me playing for months, if not years. They receive regular updates that shake up the ways in which players engage. That can manifest in a couple different ways, but generally through the addition of new modes and new playable content (like cards in Hearthstone or heroes in Overwatch). Lifestyle games come in all shapes and sizes. Most MOBAs, like League of Legends or DOTA2, are lifestyle games. Digital card games like TES: Legends fit the description, too. Most smartphone games have at least some shades of lifestyle elements, like Puzzle and Dragons or Kingdom Hearts Unchained X. Regardless of the genre they come in, lifestyle games are tailor made to keep you invested.

If it talks like or walks like a lifestyle game, it probably is.

For me, lifestyle games must also provide enjoyment in relatively small bursts. Unlike an open-world RPG or a AAA narrative title, lifestyle games can be (satisfyingly) played in half an hour or less. In the case of Clash Royale or Hearthstone, sometimes even fewer than 10 minutes. The lifestyle games that have gripped me have done so through exemplary design and an addictive gameplay loop. They reward, and spotlight, progress as you invest more of your time into them. It has been fantastic seeing my Hearthstone card collection grow and my Clash Royale levels rise. Skill ranks in all three of my lifestyle games show me that my play hasn’t gone unnoticed and that I’ve made it high up the ladder. My lifestyle games give me something to do when I get a few moments to spare while simultaneously being compelling enough on their own to warrant long, dedicated play sessions.

Hearthstone and Overwatch and Clash Royale are far more than a time killer – they are fuel. The real reason I’ve become so enamored with lifestyle games isn’t the availability or the dynamism of play, it is the narrative of how they are changing over time. It is the stories behind additions or the retooling of the play experience. It is so satisfying to be deep into the strategies and issues facing these lifestyle games and watch how the developers steer the ship in the right direction. I love to be involved in conversations not just about gameplay, but about game design. My play experience in a lifestyle game in small part contributes to the future of the game for everyone. Abusing an overpowered character in Overwatch with others in the community can drive changes to their abilities. Discovering a deck that counters popular strategies in Clash Royale is me engaging with a much larger discussion. In a way it is like watching a game grow up, which is something I’ve never experienced before.

 

Simply playing Hearthstone or other lifestyle games involves me
 in the conversation about their development. That's super cool.

Lifestyle games also help to fill in the quiet times of an industry I love to follow. Whether it is the end of a week, the middle of summer, or the weeks between major trade shows, news about video games can dip quite a bit. It’s a cycle, and one that undulates pretty dramatically. My lifestyle games are constantly changing, which provides a near endless font of excitement to draw from. Just last month Hearthstone released the One Night In Karazhan expansion that brought with it a bevy of fun boss fights and over 40 new cards that have changed the way I play in all game modes (& will continue to in the weeks to come). Clash Royale just got a massive update yesterday and I still have four new cards to look forward to over the next six weeks. Overwatch just began its second competitive season that has me clamoring for Diamond rank. Before that, it was a blast playing the time-limited Rocket League­-esque Lucioball in the Summer Games, and my excitement is still high as Blizzard has been cryptically teasing the game’s next character, Sombra, for weeks now. Playing, but even just following, these lifestyle games provides a constant drip feed of new and exciting that makes every week in gaming feel like an adventure.

Qiuén es Somba?

Whether it is playing, following or talking about them, I’m happy with my lifestyle game habit. Hearthstone, Clash Royale and Overwatch have all given me more than their fair share and there is no sign of them stopping anytime soon. Some habits are worth having. Goodbye doldrums.