Replayability in games without replay value

[Kato]

I've been thinking about games I tend to replay more or less often.
Of course many games are designed to be played over and over. Either because it's a Rogue game and you're not expected to beat it the first time around, or the game is made in a way that there is so much randomness no two runs will be similar. Or there is so much customization, different characters, classes, skills, branching story paths... You will also essentially be playing a different game.

But what about the games where that's not the case? What are games that have no intrinsic replayability but you still come back to?

Most of the games I replay have high replay value, i.e. I hardly ever go back to playing a game again where I know exactly what to expect and any change would be superficial or maybe some self-imposed challenge or such.
But I know other people have different tastes, so what are games you often replay with little or no replay value. Or do those not exist?

[Corlindale]

This is an interesting question that I have thought a lot about myself.

For me personally, the best example would be the first Portal game. It's a completely linear puzzle game - which ought to be one of the least replayable genres - yet I've played through it at least five times.

Part of it is that I enjoy the humour, but I think the main reason is that I find the core mechanic of creating and stepping through portals deeply satisfying. It just feels really cool to do, and as a player you genuinely feel like you are manipulating space on a fundamental level. In many ways, playing Portal makes me feel more like a wizard than most fantasy RPGs. Also, the game is short and sweet, so it never feels like a hassle to replay.

[Toric]

Sanitarium.

Same as Portal. It's a linear puzzle game, a point-and-click. Yet the story is so good and the art is so creepy I've played it at least three times.

[Lord Raziere]

I've replayed Paper Mario more than once. Thousand Year Door and Super Paper Mario as well. by all means they shouldn't be replayable, they don't exactly have the deepest story ever or good characterization beyond shallow stuff most of the time. so....they're replayed because they're fun and I like them? like I can't really do so anymore since all the consoles with the ability to do that are dead by now, but I used to, and I wouldn't mind watching a lets player go through it as well which in my eyes is very similar to replaying it if you already played the game because you've seen it all before, though let plays do have the added bonus of giving you a different viewpoint of the game than the one you have.

I've also replayed chrono trigger more than once, because its chrono trigger its worth it just to experience it all over again, because of how well put together it is on many levels.

same with The World Ends With You, when I had it, I replayed it because I could and it was good despite none of the content really changing, but there is some differences in choice you can make for different reactions there, but its minor.

I'd actually like to play Asura's Wrath again, even though I only played it once. its more movie than game at times, but I'd love experience it regardless.

but then again I'm a crazy person who wants to watch every pokemon episode in order, so who knows.

[Zevox]

Most action games or JRPGs. For instance, Devil May Cry 5 just came out a month ago, and I'm on my third time through that - partially because I wanted to play it on the higher difficulties that unlock after you beat it the first time, sure, but also partially just because it's too damn fun not to play multiple times. Had the same experience with the Bayonetta games, Metal Gear Rising, and Devil May Cry 3 (and to a lesser extent 4). I'm sure I'll replay the most recent God of War sometime too, and maybe even its predecessors, though maybe not since I haven't felt the desire to since playing them the first time.

For JRPGs, the Persona franchise is the main one these days - Persona 3 and 4 being my favorite games ever, I've re-played each of them several times over the decade+ since I first played them. Haven't replayed 5 yet, but it's something I intend to do, possibly soon. Back when I had more free time though I'd replay JRPGs I liked enough immediately after beating them - I can't even guess how many times I replayed Tales of Symphonia way back when that was recent, and I know I did Vesperia a couple of times, Dragon Quest 1-3 and 8, Fire Emblem (7/Blazing Sword and Path of Radiance especially), Golden Sun... probably more that just aren't coming to mind right now.

Oh, Banjo-Kazooie and Zelda: Ocarina of Time, back when I was a kid. I could get through those in a weekend at one point.

Let's see, there's also the Ace Attorney games, I know I've played at least the first few of those at least twice. Oh, and Advance Wars probably counts, played the main campaign of each of those several times (except Days of Ruin, I think).

Yeah, honestly, it's not an abnormal thing with me at all. A game doesn't need anything that would normally be termed "replay value" for me to want to replay it, it just needs to be good enough that I want to go back to it someday.

[Kaptin Keen]

There's a certain satisfaction in doing stuff you do well, right? I'm slow AF now, but when I was a kid, that wasn't so. I played a game called Defender II, and another called Commando (very loosely inspired by the Schwartzenegger movie of the same name), and I completed them, then completed them again, then completed them multiple times on the same life. At the end, I could play either game indefinitely if I had so desired.

There are also highly replayable games that I cannot replay - I want to play the story again, but repetitive gameplay ends up boring me, and I stop.

[warty goblin]

Generally I find games too repetitive to finish once, let alone multiple times. This is actually worst with games designed for infinite replayability, with things like procedurally generated worlds and stuff, because they just end up deeply samey, and devoid of smartly designed areas. I'm far more prone to replay Sacred's handmade world than I am to get more than like ten minutes into Torchlight 2.

[GloatingSwine]

For JRPGs, the Persona franchise is the main one these days - Persona 3 and 4 being my favorite games ever, I've re-played each of them several times over the decade+ since I first played them. Haven't replayed 5 yet, but it's something I intend to do, possibly soon.

We'll be hearing more about P5R in three weeks, so you'll know when to clear in your schedule.

[Zevox]

We'll be hearing more about P5R in three weeks, so you'll know when to clear in your schedule.
Perhaps, depending on what they're adding to it and what it costs. (And maybe what system it's on, though I guess that probably won't be an issue since Sony quietly abandoned handhelds after the Vita. Still sad I missed P4G because it was only on that.) But I've been thinking I should do it before Persona Q 2 comes out, so that the game's story and characters are fresh in my mind for when I play that, so that would mean doing so much sooner than P5R will be coming.

[GloatingSwine]

Perhaps, depending on what they're adding to it and what it costs. (And maybe what system it's on, though I guess that probably won't be an issue since Sony quietly abandoned handhelds after the Vita. Still sad I missed P4G because it was only on that.) But I've been thinking I should do it before Persona Q 2 comes out, so that the game's story and characters are fresh in my mind for when I play that, so that would mean doing so much sooner than P5R will be coming.

I'm guessing at least one new party member and palace. Maybe an extra bit of Mementos.

Also it's pretty much announced-but-not-really that it'll be getting a Switch release. (Best Buy listed Persona 5 for Switch today, along with Metroid Prime Trilogy and Zelda:LttP which might actually be Cadence of Hyrule)

[Lord Raziere]

Generally I find games too repetitive to finish once, let alone multiple times. This is actually worst with games designed for infinite replayability, with things like procedurally generated worlds and stuff, because they just end up deeply samey, and devoid of smartly designed areas. I'm far more prone to replay Sacred's handmade world than I am to get more than like ten minutes into Torchlight 2.

...yeah, I've tried No Man's Sky once and it was just....meh. pokemon mystery dungeon is my experience with roguelikes and honestly I find little reason to go back and play them because even if the dungeons are always different the gameplay itself is simplistic and not really interesting.

the games I'd say I like that have replayability are things like Skyrim, Dark Souls, Old bioware RPGs, Kingdoms of Amalur, pokemon, things where you have enough customization options to do a different playstyle or select different options when you go through the same content, because then you've changed enough to have to learn the style your currently playing and thus re-experience it all over again in a way thats fresh.

[warty goblin]

the games I'd say I like that have replayability are things like Skyrim, Dark Souls, Old bioware RPGs, Kingdoms of Amalur, pokemon, things where you have enough customization options to do a different playstyle or select different options when you go through the same content, because then you've changed enough to have to learn the style your currently playing and thus re-experience it all over again in a way thats fresh.

I honestly don't really even care about builds. The games I replay a lot often don't even have builds - traditional FPS games for instance - or when they do, I usually pick the same one when replaying. Mostly I think the game needs a very solid loop, and variety in environments, enemies, encounter design and so on to keep it fresh.

I find modern games tend to be really much worse at this, because they focus heavily on choosing your build and playstyle, rather than varied enemies and encounters. Destiny 2 has at least as good of a central loop as Halo, but it makes a substantially worse game out of it because it substitutes builds and powers for encounter design and weapon specialization. Since every encounter needs to be beatable by any type of weapons, you don't have a sniper level or a shotgun level or a halfass decent tank sequence. I've never found RPGs as replayable as a good FPS, because it has the same problem; encounters are low variance because they have to be beatable by any old character.

(This also renders Skyrim essentially unplayable, because the central combat loop is terrible.)

Honestly the semi-recent game I've probably played the most times, barring RTS skirmishes etc, is Saint's Row 3. Which is exactly the same every time, but never fails to fill me with joy; the combination of writing, objective design, and general mayhem is just magic.