If you reduce any game to its core loop, all of them are pretty simplistic. That's just what happens if you simplify things ad absurdum.

• Counter strike is just running around and shooting people
• BoTW is just walking around, killing monsters and replacing broken weapons
• Need for speed is just driving
• Factorio is just automating everything

And all these things are nothing but tasks.

That said, while this is pretty lame critique, that doesn't mean that every game is good and it also doesn't mean that every game is good for every player.

We are just seeking positive feedback.

When you clean that trash pile in the game, it's as satisfying as cleaning the kitchen at home. but the trashpile in the game stays gone.

The kitchen is a shithole again 3 days after someone gets sick and it becomes another insurmountable task

What kinda asshole disses Stardew Valley? That game's awesome.

I tried out Infinity Nikki, finding it visually appealling, mostly out of curiosity what they'd pick for their core gameplay; what would "pique my mind's interest". They did kind of give a suite of open world tasks, but there was nothing there that gave the moment-to-moment excitement the same way combat does.

I honestly hate in some ways that our primary activity is just virtually killing things, but it comes out of basic evolution of what ends up being fun and engaging in game design.

Factorio.

You just do tasks to do more tasks.

Fix a bottleneck here, fix one there. Bam 10 hours gone.

Ok lets progress. Let's make sth. new, ok what do I need for that thing.

This, this and that and this and that. Let me quickly setup a production line for that.

Bam 20 hours gone.

All I am doing is being a slave of the factory

If Barbie's Horse Adventure had violence, I'd probably try it.

Stardew Valley lets me feel like that I have a satisfying job, when real corporations would abuse and discard me at their convenience. It is quite the power fantasy, being a productive member of humanity without having to sacrifice myself.

Why even make this about gender at all?

It's kind of insulting to men who like games like stardew valley and animal crossing. What, are we not man enough because we don't fill our free time with simulated blood and gore?

If SDV was made as a “walking simulators” with decision making, would people still like it?

…I would.

Maybe I’m just getting old, but as another an example, I got into Knights of the Old Republic (the Star Wars MMO). But all that stiff grinding just wasn’t worth the rare view, music, or interesting character arc.

And as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found that more and more gameplay feels “pointless” like that. My brain can engross itself in Satisfactory setups, but after like a day I stop when I realize I’m grinding all alone. I get into Age of Wonders or Stellaris until around mid game, when AI civs get too dumb to be convincing.

So yeah. I think there’s a grain of truth there. I adore SDV, but some aspects do feel like “chores” just to see the passion and writing they gate.

Missed opportunity to mention that Doom Guy loves playing Animal Crossing, and Isabelle loves playing Doom and they're best friends.

No, I have literally never heard men criticize Animal Crossing or Star Dew Valley for any reason, really. But I guess they do in your head while you shower.