Could you play a single video game forever? There might not be any infinite books or endless films, but there are games to which people dedicate thousands, even tens of thousands, of hours. One Polish fan of the sports strategy sim Football Manager holds a Guinness World Record for spending 10,887 hours on a single campaign — that’s 453 days.He’s not alone. Today gamers are spending more time than ever playing old games. A study from analysts Newzoo showed that the top 10 most-played games of 2023 were released, on average, seven years ago. Where gamers were once obsessed with new consoles with more advanced graphics, today technological progress is less pronounced and older games are updated continually, so many players see little reason to change games. We are entering the world of forever games. But what does this mean for the future of the medium?

There are a few traits shared by these titles. They tend to lack linear narratives, which are of less interest once you’ve seen the ending. Rather they offer systems that change each time you play: roguelike games such as The Binding of Isaac and Spelunky; deck-builders such as Slay the Spire and Hearthstone; strategy games such as Civilization and Total War.

Then there is a deeper level of intricate systemic games such as Dwarf Fortress and RimWorld, which have legions of fans online who play little else. Often forever games have active online communities, many of whom make mods to tweak the game’s graphics or gameplay. The other games that bring players back over long periods simply offer fun places to hang out; life simulations such as Animal Crossing or The Sims, or open-world games such as Grand Theft Auto or Skyrim, where there is always something new to explore.