That's basically what like 90% of mobile games are if you don't pay.
this post was submitted on 07 Jan 2026
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Aka idle games
Not quite the same, but I fondly remember PBEM (Play By E-mail) games. When you found one, you emailed the admin with a request to join and a character profile. If accepted, they'd add your character bio to the website. Once part of the game, you can "attack" other characters, which basically meant emailing the game admin and requesting a battle. Then, the writers (who were often volunteer players) would jot up a short story, detailing your battle with the other player.
Sounds pretty corny by today's standards but I had a lot of fun. Plus they were often themed on DBZ and Gundam and shit.
I was part of a PBEM D&D game in college. I'm pretty sure it took us a while semester to accomplish absolutely nothing! But I had fun.
Reminds me of the text-based role-playing heavy MUDs, where the players did their "pose" (a short paragraph describing what their character does) and you wait for 5 minutes while the other player(s) describe their move in return, often also adding a bit environment description. Some of the better player's logfiles were basically prose you could almost publish. (Example: SpheresMUX)
Also, you got to like the name they came up with: it's a MUSH (multi-user shared hullicination).
I wouldn't. I despise artificial time limits in a game just because.. there's no point other then to put in paywalls for extort money from the players
I understand the urge, but those games were not pay to play. Making each action quite important, like if you die in battle you might have to walk for two weeks to catch up with your group, or if a teleporter helped you out you could get there in 3...
There are (or were) completely free, no ads, no dlc purchase games that were exactly this. The mechanic was slow and methodical in Urban Dead. And it was glorious. It added to the atmosphere and importance of your actions.
I've never liked this mechanic/style game.
If the game is good, I'll probably wanna play more than a few rounds every 24+ hours and limiting how much I can play it would not incentivise me to play it every day; it would make me look for a similar game that lets me play it however long I want.
That's what started the modern era of microtransactions - limited energy systems that don't replenish quickly, and games without always-accessible gameplay.
Except that's a dark pattern, taking away the "fun" and letting you have it if you pay. Those games were slow, no way around it. Quite the opposite IMO.
You'd also spend too much time on forums, planning the next excursion and so on.
Does Urban Dead count? I loved Urban Dead for a few years.
I also played something called the Most Wanted Game, which was a mafia/mob themed game where you could form gang coalitions with others and raid adversaries. I think this concept kind of changed into Mafia Wars on Facebook or Clash of Clans as technology progressed and the social proliferation of the Internet continued. (I could be wrong on that, I never played and Facebook games besides Words with Friends, and have never played Clash of Clans - I just assumed they were both different kinds of successors).
Urban Dead was what came to mind for me too! That was going to be my rebuttal to the comments saying "The only reason to limit stuff is paywall." Kids these days can't imagine life in the Internet's "make some shit just because it's cool — if it gets too popular we'll sell t-shirts" era.
I tried playing some MyHordes a while ago, the community-owned successor to Motion Twin's old Die2Nite (english name) collaborative zombie survival browser game. A bunch of players try to survive as many days as possible through a zombie apocalypse, searching the wasteland for supplies, and building up their defenses, while taking care of their needs.
I loved the game back when I would play it constantly, and I still love it today, but I just don't have the time anymore. The AP system might seem like it makes the game quick, but the collaborative aspect means you have to talk to your fellow survivors, strategize, coordinate, communicate... for which I'm just not free enough.
I don't think I can see myself enjoy a singleplayer or competitve game like this. With the AP mechanic I mean. I've tried a few other games back in the day which used it, but it's always felt like too much of a limitation. An obstacle to actually having fun with the game. Die2Nite was the only exception, because it kept you busy otherwise throughout the day and turned the AP into an actual dynamic resource mechanic you had to strategize with, not just a limiter.
The only game like this I really play is Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket. I refuse to pay real money, so I get two packs a day. It's good for a 15 minute burst of... not quite dopamine, and then you're off.
Similarly, Pokémon Quest is a game that falls exactly into this category with a charge system that depletes after every short level and reacharges once per hour, to a max of 5 in the beginning. I played it when new and then just recently went back and played it quite heavily, again. That is until I accidently undid something that took me a week of RNG to get, so I quit.
Generally, I hate the mobile game charge system, though. At that point, I'd rather just pay for a full version. And paying for charges is not the same thing.
Yeah the dark pattern (ability to pay for "fun" / no "fun" if you don't pay) is so bullshit. Usually they build the whole game around it too, like in your example.
BBS door games? Yeah, I still play VGA Planets occasionally.
Legend of the Red Dragon!
I most likely wouldn't cause I just don't like interacting with strangers.
I did play a slow game today.
Not a CRPG, but I've played Blood on the Clocktower in text online format on discord. One day/night cycle usually lasts about 2-3 real days in that format, depending on how complex the game is. It was pretty good, but some of the roles had to be slightly changed from the original, since that was designed for in person play.
I think I wouldn't enjoy a CRPG that did this. But I kinda enjoy how it's done with games like wordle because it encourages me to not overdo it
Reminds me of the book Wolf in White Van where the narrator develops a play by mail rpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_in_White_Van
Yes it is that John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats
Sometimes, I want to retry Stellar Crisis, at least for it's historical value But feel like the era of small pb(e)m and similar is over.
Still consider trying the de profundis rpg, but it's more a weird object on my gameshelves than an actual game
I used to play Kingdom of Loathing a lot - I think it fits into this category.
Ha ha wasn't it that one like text only, often in poems, and meat was the money?
Yeah! With lots of puns and silly jokes.
It does not sound like something I'd get into. But if I know the Internet then there is an (unfulfilled or I've just not heard of) niche market for that too.