My favorite game is Minecraft, which is undoubtedly one of the most free-to-play games in the world. With the addition of some mods it’s even better. I really like to add some mods to play, such as Create, Botania, and so on.
The game doesn’t have a wonderful story like an RPG game, nor does it have beautiful animations like an action game. The joy of playing Minecraft comes from the game itself, and it’s the fundamental basis of happiness you can get from playing the game. You can feel like you are “really” in a “virtual” world. The freedom of the game is completely immersive.
MC easily puts me in a highly focused, oblivious and enjoyable state. I may play from early morning until late at night some days with my game-mates. Personally, I think it’s because MC has clear targets with instant feedback and no loss of freedom. Clearly defined objectives give the player a general direction to follow, while timely feedback makes the player feel as if they are actually “living” in the game. Before the final challenge (kill the Ender Dragon), apart from some necessary actions (e.g. search for the Stronghold, obtain ender eyes, etc.), other things encountered during the gameplay can easily attract the player’s attention (e.g. found villages, wandering traders suddenly appeared, etc.). Various interactions, such as killing creatures, placing/destroying blocks, pressing buttons, all have a clear visual and auditory feedback. Unlike other games, almost everything in MC is interactive (you can dig or place almost any blocks). These primal pleasures make this game quite attractive and popular. It creates a unique world with just some of the simplest gameplay. How remarkable that is!