What are some of the best slow-burn video games?

[StaceyPowers]

What are some games you’ve played which were slow to get started, or deceptively simple or straightforward initially, but which turned out to be something really incredible or surprising by the end?

[Executor Akamia]

Just about every 4X game you can think of is slow to get started. Sid Meier's Civilization, Stellaris, Space Empires... These games are long and slow to start, to the point that I'm pretty convinced the entire genre is this by definition.

The problem with games like these is that you need a lot of time on your hands to be able to commit to them, at least if you want to play multiplayer, especially with more than one other person, which IMO is the most interesting side of these types of games. Of course, in single-player, you can play at your own pace and be just fine throughout, which is also quite fun.

[DylanC]

Darkest Dungeon takes a while to get into, but when it clicks, it’s hard to top its roguelike dungeon-crawling action. The fact that it’s hard as brass balls probably puts a lot of people off as well. 

Also, Armello is similar, in that it’s hard to get into, but again, very addictive when you grasp the rules.

Edited June 16, 2019 by DylanC

[The Blackangel]

For me, the biggest 2 that I can think of are Zelda: Majoras Mask and [I[Zelda: Links Awakening[/I]. They both begin incredibly boring with no real direction laid out, and are just slow as hell. But once you spend an hour or 2 playing around and get a feel for the game and make a little bit of progress, they become really fun and actually quite addictive. The first disc of FF8 is slow as hell, but I can't say it turns me off from the game the way the other 2 do.

[skyfire]

Mostly strategy games for me. Like say age of empires and age of mythology they were slow but very incredible in terms of story. I also enjoyed rise of nation, which is pure strategy, no story game. I think lot of android mobile games that require daily churn are also good at that. 

[killamch89]

Dark souls originally starts out very slowly but once it gets started, you find yourself fighting a dragon on an island one minute and the next, fighting a giant in the middle of a desert. The transitioning is so smooth that somehow it doesn't feel out of place at all.

[skyfire]

Also RPG games can be slow if you make them to be. I know many games which finish quick but there are some that let you explore a lot. And that's what makes RPG games a good slow burn game too. 

[killamch89]

Alien Isolation also started off pretty slowly for like the first 30 minutes but then the action picks right up after that and it is one hell of a ride.

[skyfire]

I think for alien isolation that was a need for the game. It kind of set the mood and the atmosphere in such case. I think on that note it was well worth the wait.