10 Brilliant Games With Boring Concepts

When a developer sets out to create a video game, chances are that, on day one, several people are sat around a table, and the first thing they ask is, ‘How do we make this fun?’

Or if you play games made by more nefarious creators, the question may be, ‘How do we make the most money?’ But more often than not, there is a good bit of overlap there.

However, there are a select few games that decide that traditional ‘fun’ is overrated, and the monotony of grinding, doing household chores, or endlessly walking from point A to point B is the way to keep players on the hook.

It seems like developmental suicide, but unbelievably, it can work rather well. To prove that point, we have put together some games that are objectively boring but also inexplicably addictive.

10 Powerwash Simulator

This One Scrubs Up Real Good

We begin with the game that will likely spring to mind for many gamers when considering brilliant but boring games. Powerwash Simulator is a game where you navigate various bespoke maps and, you guessed it, powerwash grime and dirt from pathways, gutters, and all those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies.

At its core, the game is a little like a digital adult coloring book of sorts, as you slowly but surely take a filthy forest retreat, a dirty motorbike, or Shrek’s Swamp and scrub it up real nice.

It’s effectively an FPS shooter with absolutely no stress or stakes. So, if this sounds like a fun second-screen game to keep you occupied, attach the correct fitting, dial the water pressure up to maximum, and get cleaning.

9 Hardspace Shipbreaker

The Final Frontier

If the humdrum life of running a power-washing business was a little too dull for you, then taking the same repetitive chore format and placing you in the vacuum of space might be more up your street.

Hardspace Shipbreaker sees you play as an intergalactic engineer who happens to owe the Lynx Corporation a lot of cash, which means you’ll need to work off your debt by breaking down various ships for parts.

This starts slowly as you learn the ropes, by mastering the nauseating zero-gravity mechanics, and learn how to avoid dismembering yourself with your tools.

But before long, this becomes a fabulous turn-your-brain-off experience that’s perfect for anyone who wants to prove that even outside of earth’s atmosphere, you could still be a productive worker.

8 Cookie Clicker

Baking In Bulk

In truth, with the influx of idle games that have gone to the fore in recent years, I was a little spoiled for choice here. But I thought it was only right that Cookie Clicker, the granddaddy of them all, would stand as the genre’s representative.

Cookie Clicker is a game about automation, crunching numbers, and being efficient in making sure your numbers are always going up.

However, at its core, it’s a game where you click on a Cookie endlessly, which, as you might have gathered, is hardly the most riveting mechanic in the world. Yet, for some reason, it’s a strangely addictive, cathartic, and rewarding experience that only improves as you discover new ways to up production.

So, if you crave that sweet serotonin that comes with being rewarded for completing every little action in a game, then this is the game for you.

7 The Crush House

This Game Is Your Type On Paper

While many of the games on this list are boring due to the grind, repetitive gameplay, or simply by design, The Crush House uses boredom and monotony differently to drive the player insane and, in turn, push them towards the real game, bubbling under the surface.

The Crush House is essentially a Love Island simulator where you’ll need to capture moments in the house that appeal to viewers and the sponsors of the show.

However, if you stick to the script, you’ll spend hours on end recording boring, brain-dead dialogues and capturing B-roll of plants.

However, if you actively dig around behind the scenes, you’ll find intriguing content that makes for fascinating TV. It might not offer the same drama as, say, Casa Amor, but it’s pretty close and well worth giving a try.

6 Unpacking

Your Life In Boxes

As someone that has moved home several times, I can say firsthand that moving house is a boring, tedious and stressful affair.

Yet somehow, through offering vibrant art design, relaxing and therapeutic gameplay, and a subtly told and progressive love story, Unpacking manages to make this arduous task one that you’ll happily do over and over again.

Whether you’re working out where to put your toaster and discovering that the bath is apparently an inappropriate response, or arranging your abundance of cuddly toys in a satisfying arrangement, there’s a lot of chilled-out fun to be had when playing Unpacking.

Plus, it’s a short but sweet experience. So, if you want a game for a good time, but not a long time, this is the one for you.

5 House Flipper

Buy ‘Em Low, Sell ‘Em High

If you don’t feel like moving home, what about buying and selling them for a quick buck instead?

The life of a real estate mogul can seem pretty dull, as it’s all about wheeling and dealing, and renovating dilapidated homes. But things become infinitely more interesting when you’re the one with the hammer smashing through walls.

Whether you have an appetite for destruction and demolition, or you’ve got a penchant for interior design, House Flipper has a method that will suit you when it comes to flipping homes for sweet, sweet cash.

Plus, there are some iconic homes to recreate in your own image, like the Friends Apartment, the Home Alone house, and more. Plus, you might learn a little DIY tip in the process, which never hurts to know.

4 Dorfromantik

Smell That Country Air!

Tabletop games tend to be pretty cerebral affairs where strategy is key to success. But Dorfromantik proves that this doesn’t always have to be the case, as a stress-free, low-stakes tile-builder can be just as engaging.

This title sees you build a beautiful countryside scene where your only goal is to align different aspects of the landscape so that they group together and, in turn, score more points.

The game has just enough of an arcade feel where you’ll feel motivated to try again to beat your last score, but even if you just want to zone out and focus purely on aesthetics, the game provides a relaxing free-play mode where you can do just that.

So, if you want to get away from it all to breathe in that country air, then you need to give Dorfromantik a try.

3 Coffee Talk

Cream And Sugar?

If you asked me to make a list of good concepts for engaging video games, a visual novel based in a coffee shop would have been pretty far down on that list.

However, despite first impressions, Coffee Talk is a game that offers a cozy, relaxing and surprisingly interesting gameplay format, along with a set of connecting storylines that help endear you to the colorful characters within this fantasy Seattle setting.

The writing is solid, but it’s also the fun that comes from creating unique drinks for your regulars, experimenting with new ingredients, and making outlandish latte art designs that tips the scales here. This makes Coffee Talk a wholesome experience I would recommend to just about anyone.

2 A Little To The Left

Everything in its Proper Place

In most circumstances, the idea of being confined by a litany of rules and anal-retentive constructs actively kills any potential fun. Which is why it’s so surprising that the OCD-fuelled experience that is A Little to the Left is so fantastic.

This title involves working through a series of chill puzzles, in which you must sort basic household items and organize them in a satisfying and meticulous way.

However, this need for perfection is constantly jeopardized by the cute little kitty running around the house, causing chaos in its wake.

It’s a game that teaches perfectionists that it’s okay to let things go occasionally. Along the way, it offers some truly fantastic puzzles, making it a brilliantly boring game to check out.

1 Death Stranding

The Life Of A Post-Apocalyptic Mailman

Then, in our top spot, we have a game that takes the walking simulator formula and dials it up to eleven with quintessential Kojima weirdness.

Death Stranding is a strangely compelling title where you, Sam Bridges, will act as the bridge that connects America again. It’s not exactly subtle, but it’s an interesting concept that makes you into a post-apocalyptic mailman, and unlike the traditional mailman, you don’t have a snazzy little van to get around.

You’ll need to stack boxes upon boxes on your back and navigate treacherous terrain. Each step is a potential disaster, there are alien creatures hiding in plain sight, and you’ll also need to find the time to take a whizz too.

It’s definitely a Marmite game, and you’ll either love it or loathe it, but I would urge you to give it a chance, because it may just be a surprise hit that stays with you long after the credits roll.