If you grew up playing games in the 80s and 90s, you learned early that nothing was handed to you. Beating a level could take hours, sometimes days. There were no hints popping up, no rewards for just showing up, no reminders to come back tomorrow. You figured it out or you didn’t. And when you finally won, it stuck with you.
That kind of play shaped how a lot of gen x and millennials approach things today. Old games demanded patience, pattern recognition, and real problem solving. You had to think critically, adapt, and keep trying. Progress came from learning the system, not gaming it.
A lot of modern games work the opposite way. They are built around fast feedback and constant rewards. Daily logins, battle passes, notifications, and streaks keep things moving, even when the challenge is light. For Gen Z and A, this style of play feels normal. The reward comes quickly, and the game is always nudging you forward.
Neither approach is right or wrong, but they create different mindsets. One values depth and mastery. The other values speed and momentum. When you look at how people approach work, creativity, and problem solving, it is easy to see the influence of the games they grew up with.
The space between focus and flow, between taking your time and moving fast. Traditional games remind us that slowing down, thinking things through, and earning the win still matter. And sometimes, that is the most fun part.
More about the insporation for this post here.
