Gaming the System

Understanding Why Games Feel Fun When Life Feels Like Work

Why is it that many of us will happily spend countless hours grinding in video games while finding similar effort in real life tedious and exhausting?

I've played countless hours of the game Civilization (I haven't purchased VII yet but I've been watching the launch drama from the sidelines). In Civilization, you have to meticulously manage resources, and plan multiple turns ahead to grow your empire. Because I wanted to do well, I spent a lot of time deep diving on the game mechanics, watching videos, and frankly, studying on how to get better.

Of course, there was the game itself. I spent many a late night telling myself, “I’ll just do one more turn.”

Games like this require serious mental effort and focus, and yet we call them entertainment.

It's been many years since I played World of Warcraft, but I know a successful raid requires:

• Coordinating 10-…