If You’re All About Grindy Games, Here Are Some Top Recommendations

Those who are all about the grind will often find themselves returning to the same game time and time again, but in case your patience has run thin even with those select titles, you’ve probably come here searching for new hunting grounds. For starters, let’s clear the air here. There are titles that take about 12 hours to finish, while others may scrape up to somewhere around 30 hours if you’re a completionist. 

But this particular piece focuses on games where spending 1000 hours feels like nothing, and even then some. The gameplay focuses on increasing your player’s level and stats through consistent XP or equipment farming, whether you do that in one way or another.

6 Of The Most Grindy Games You Can Play In 2024

Now that we’re on the same page, let’s get right into the forthcoming titles with no further ado, though I would ask you to comment down below if you feel like a contribution could be made to the list. 

1. Borderlands 3 

Selling more than 3 million copies over the course of its release, Borderlands 3 is arguably considered the best Borderlands game in the series, although I personally find the second main iteration to be the most superior one.

The reason I’d recommend the third game is because of its endgame loop, the amount of side content you have available at your disposal, and the flat-out incredible gameplay that keeps things ever-entertaining. eXputer rated Borderlands 3.5/5.0 in its review, praising its “stellar gameplay, co-op, and tons of loot.” It really is right up there when you talk about games with a lot of “grind” to their name. 

2. Path Of Exile 

If there’s one sentence that sums up Path of Exile perfect for somebody, it’s the following.

More than 4000 hours and I barely know anything about that game,” says u/UnCivilizedEngineer.

This is a hardcore action RPG with an incredible amount of content to its name. To put it into practical terms really, the first 1000 hours in Path of Exile are nothing outside of the tutorial, and it’s only from there on out that you begin to acquire an understanding of the RPG’s systems and such. And when you combine the fast-paced action of the title with its remarkable art direction, you get a perfect blend that’s really getting hardwired into your brain.

3. Kenshi

I’ll admit that Kenshi is not a game for everyone, but if you do manage to stick around and figure out how the world works in this game, trust me, you’ll have a hard time shutting your PC off. It’s an open-world survival-focused RPG where you make your own story as you go along, but make no mistake, the atmosphere in Kenshi is absolutely brutal, so you have to put in real effort to be able to build something up with your character.

And that’s why the satisfaction of success is so much greater in Kenshi as compared to other RPGs, even if the dated visuals come across as a turn-off. 

4. Diablo 2: Resurrected

Often considered the “granddaddy” of modern-day RPGs, there’s a clear reason why Blizzard bothered to remaster the original Diablo 2 from 2000 and turn it into Diablo 2: Resurrected in 2021. It’s a surefire classic that somehow manages to turn up the visuals of the old Diablo 2 in HD without losing that classic touch to it, and don’t get me started about the grind in this one. 

Diablo 2: Resurrected is an amazing upgrade that you should seriously check out if you love nothing but grindy games. It’s an easy recommendation from me here at eXputer, having poured in years into the title myself. 

5. Warframe 

Digital Extremes first released Warframe in 2013 as a free-to-play title, dedicating itself to the title in the coming years and making it exceptionally enjoyable in 2024. Folks will tell you that the game locks many of its features behind a paywall, but that’s just not true. It’s a fantastic action RPG where you can pull off anything you want with the right amount of time invested.

Moreover, the developer has built up quite a name for itself thanks to its implementation of honest practices over the years. Warframe is a complete package, and one of the most grindy games you can play right now. I suggest getting right to it.   

6. Deep Rock Galactic 

A co-op experience at its core, Deep Rock Galactic feels as if real passion went into it as the game was being made. It takes up less than 10 GB of space — so that’s another plus — with the world filled with detail, the combat fantastic, and the results of team-up amazingly fruitful.

The best part is that the shooter lets you work toward previous Battle Passes and go all of that content for free, so again, you don’t have to worry about stretching your wallet to get the most out of the game.