Incremental Games

Well it maybe is technically correct to call many games with level-up progression incremental, but it is not what the term means.

In essence it means cookie clicker-likes or games more akin to that experience. They're "incremental" because in all of them the main end goal is to make some number bigger in an incremental (comically repeated action, ie "clicking cookie" or "producing paper clips" etc) way.

Besides: the level-up progression is just a mechanic that enables you to scale your power. The main objective (or mechanic) in other games is usually story, combat or puzzles. The main objective of incremental games is make the number bigger - everything else comes after that.

Skill based games aren't incremental. If you get your toolkit at the start and gameplay consists of learning how to use it effectively then there's no incrementing at all.

Examples would be platformers like Mario and old-school shooters before skill trees and gear unlocks became popular like the Halo trilogy. You're just as strong with access to the same tools at the beginning of the game as you are at the end.

A lot of modern "action" games have polluted this by incorporating unlocks and skill trees and other popular lite RPG elements, but incremental progression isn't "the basis of games", as you put. It's made an appearance in a lot of games because it's easy to implement and it's a consistent and cheap dopamine hit to keep players playing, so it's very attractive to AAA studios looking for player retention.

Also not the point of this sub, as others have mentioned. This is for numbers go up games.

I think every game can be viewed from a incremental lens, but you would have to somehow focus that aspect for it to be relevant in conversation about incrementals.. and even then people may not play it if the other part isn't interesting, ie there is a wide range of interests that can decide to like incrementals while avoiding other aspects of games but still connect with others over the incremental aspect. in essence someone who loves incremental games may not include just one but many interrelated layers of powerups and abilities... it is indeed a pretty popular genera though, i think there is a thread of questionably excluding 'partially' incremental games, which is probably just the result of increased effort needed to involve a game in the historic word 'incremental' that wasn't already made with it in mind. though yes that history is pale in the shadow of just like people in desperate wanting to be recommended games with numbers going up etc, so you can see how a genera was indefatigably defined by upset if a game is not 'easy', etc. and it's not necessarily relevant now... yea hope that helps

I've always considered this an interesting discussion, sop I've written out a very thorough answer here: https://www.thepaperpilot.org/garden/guide-to-incrementals/defining-the-genre/

True roguelikes are not. Oldschool sidesscrollers as well. Any game that starts you from zero.

But less pedantically, it's a genre name, not just a description. Also known as the "numbers get bigger" genre.

It’s weird seeing such disparaging opinions, especially when the community sidebar even defines it.

Incremental games can be any “genre”, or feature any mechanic, the bottom line is, there should be some “reset” feature that makes your next run easier.

I don’t think it can be simpler than that.

A lot of people seem to describing “clickers” that’s a very common mechanic for incrementals.