Top 10 Video Games That Teach the Power of Delayed Gratification
In a world driven by instant gratification—where texts, tweets, and entertainment are all at our fingertips—it can be challenging to cultivate patience and discipline. Delayed gratification, the ability to resist an immediate reward for a bigger payoff later, is a skill that not only leads to better decision-making but also improves emotional resilience and long-term success.
While video games may seem like the last place to practice patience, some titles masterfully embed the psychology of delayed gratification into their gameplay. These games teach us that sometimes the best rewards require time, effort, and perseverance. Below are the top 10 video games that make delayed gratification a key component of their appeal.
Disclaimer: Purchases through links on our site, may earn ourself affiliate commission.
1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Patience in Progress
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Why it works: "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" is an adorable, slow-paced life simulation where players develop a deserted island into a thriving village. The catch? Everything takes time. Whether it’s growing trees, crafting items, or waiting for a rare character to visit, the game moves in real-time. Players have to be patient as their creations gradually take shape over days, weeks, or even months.
Psychological benefit: The real-time nature of the game forces players to slow down and savor progress. It reinforces that steady, incremental effort leads to lasting rewards—much like how real-life goals are often built over time, brick by brick.
2. Stardew Valley
Sowing Seeds for Tomorrow
Platform: Multiple (PC, Switch, PS4, etc.)
Why it works: "Stardew Valley" is a farming simulation game that emphasizes long-term planning and resource management. Players grow crops, raise animals, and slowly transform their farm into a prosperous estate. However, the best crops and farm upgrades take time—seasons pass, plants grow, and relationships with townspeople deepen over multiple in-game years.
Psychological benefit: The game’s core mechanic of planting seeds and waiting for them to grow mirrors real-life projects that require nurturing and time to flourish. It promotes a mindset of investment, where effort and patience today lead to bigger rewards tomorrow.
3. Civilization VI
Mastering Long-Term Strategy
Platform: Multiple (PC, consoles)
Why it works: "Civilization VI" is a turn-based strategy game where players guide a civilization through thousands of years of development. From humble beginnings, you expand your empire through exploration, diplomacy, and war. But success doesn’t come from rash decisions; each turn requires careful planning and consideration of long-term consequences.
Psychological benefit: The game teaches players to think beyond the immediate. Every decision you make—whether it’s choosing a scientific breakthrough or starting a new war—can have a ripple effect down the line. Delayed gratification in "Civilization VI" comes from exercising patience, understanding that real power emerges over time as you carefully steer your civilization toward victory.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Slow and Steady Wins the Journey
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Why it works: This open-world action-adventure game encourages exploration, patience, and thoughtful decision-making. Players aren’t rushed to complete the main storyline; instead, they are invited to explore the vast world at their own pace. Puzzles and quests are often complex, and gathering powerful weapons or resources takes significant time and exploration.
Psychological benefit: "Breath of the Wild" rewards players for their curiosity and willingness to explore over time. It instills a sense of accomplishment that comes not from instant rewards but from gradually mastering the game’s challenges, piece by piece.
5. Dark Souls
Embracing Failure as a Path to Mastery
Platform: Multiple (PC, PS4, Xbox)
Why it works: "Dark Souls" is infamous for its difficulty, where players must endure repeated failures to advance. It’s a game that requires patience, resilience, and the ability to learn from mistakes. Rushing in without preparation leads to inevitable defeat, while those who take their time to understand enemy patterns and develop strategies are rewarded with progress.
Psychological benefit: The delayed gratification in "Dark Souls" comes from hard-earned victories. Each boss fight becomes a lesson in perseverance, showing that failure isn’t the end but a step toward eventual success. This echoes life’s challenges, where overcoming setbacks often leads to the deepest sense of achievement.
6. Factorio
Building for the Future
Platform: PC, Switch
Why it works: In "Factorio," players build and optimize production chains on an alien planet. The game starts simple, but as factories grow more complex, it becomes a strategic puzzle of efficiency and foresight. Players must plan their systems carefully, with long-term growth in mind, to automate their industries.
Psychological benefit: "Factorio" trains players to delay the satisfaction of a quick solution in favour of optimizing long-term systems. It’s about embracing a slow, methodical process that, in the end, leads to a beautifully functioning machine—much like the work it takes to build and maintain complex real-world systems.
7. Minecraft (Survival Mode)
Patience in Crafting Worlds
Platform: Multiple
Why it works: "Minecraft" in Survival Mode places players in a blocky, open world where they must gather resources, craft tools, and build structures. Unlike Creative Mode, where everything is available, Survival Mode demands patience as players slowly accumulate materials and construct their visions over time.
Psychological benefit: The game teaches delayed gratification through the gradual process of resource gathering and creation. Major projects, like constructing elaborate structures or automating farms, require dedication and long-term thinking, much like real-life efforts to build or achieve something significant.
8. Kerbal Space Program
The Long Haul of Exploration
Platform: PC, consoles
Why it works: "Kerbal Space Program" is a physics-based space exploration game where players design rockets and attempt to explore the solar system. However, space travel is complex, and many missions result in failure before you successfully launch a spacecraft. Learning the mechanics and planning long-term missions is critical to the game’s appeal.
Psychological benefit: The delayed gratification comes in the form of trial and error. After investing time in learning how rockets function and calculating orbital mechanics, players experience immense satisfaction when they finally succeed in landing on a distant planet. It’s a lesson in persistence and intellectual investment.
9. SimCity (or "Cities: Skylines")
Patience in Urban Planning
Platform: PC, consoles
Why it works: "SimCity" and its spiritual successor, "Cities: Skylines," place players in control of designing and managing a city. From zoning to managing traffic and utilities, players must think ahead and plan for the future needs of their population. Immediate gratification—like building a new structure—often leads to long-term issues if not planned properly.
Psychological benefit: Managing a city demands a delicate balance between short-term desires and long-term planning. "SimCity" teaches that patience and foresight lead to a thriving city, while hasty decisions can result in chaos—mirroring the real-world consequences of poor planning.
10. Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Growing Stronger Over Time
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Why it works: In "Fire Emblem: Three Houses," players act as both a military strategist and a teacher, training students to become powerful warriors. The game requires long-term investment in character development and relationship-building to succeed in battles and achieve story goals.
Psychological benefit: The game’s turn-based strategy emphasizes the power of deliberate actions and careful planning. As characters grow over time, their progress is a testament to the rewards of patience and steady development, much like real-world mentorship and skill-building.
The Psychology of Delayed Gratification in Gaming
These games, while fun and engaging, also serve as powerful tools for teaching the value of delayed gratification. By requiring players to wait, plan, and invest effort over time, they cultivate a mindset that extends beyond the virtual world. In real life, the ability to delay gratification has been linked to greater academic achievement, healthier relationships, and improved financial stability.
In a culture that often pushes us toward instant rewards, these video games remind us that sometimes the greatest achievements come not from the immediate thrill but from the long, slow journey toward mastery.
