Realm Grinder

感受不到乐趣，明明我看得懂英文也喜欢玩放置......

Like Cookie Clicker, but thrice as addictive.

Realm Grinder is one of those idle games that starts off looking extremely simple and then keeps opening up until there is a ridiculous amount going on. I start by building a small kingdom, buying buildings and making more money, but eventually I am choosing factions, unlocking upgrades, managing spells, collecting faction coins and resetting my progress for permanent bonuses. I like that the game does not stay stuck in the basic click and wait loop. The longer I play, the more systems become available, and each one gives me another reason to rethink how I want to build my kingdom. The faction system is probably my favourite part. I can align myself with different groups such as Fairies, Elves, Angels, Goblins, Undead and Demons, and they all encourage different ways of playing. Some are better for active play and clicking, while others are built around passive production or long periods of offline progress. Later on there are Neutral, Prestige and Mercenary factions that add even more combinations. I really like this because choosing a faction actually changes what I am trying to achieve instead of simply giving me a small bonus and then disappearing into the background. The progression is also much deeper than I expected from an idle game. I have hundreds of upgrades to work through, spells to manage, trophies to collect and different currencies that become important as I progress. Excavations eventually give me another way to obtain faction coins and rare items, while challenges add specific goals that make me experiment with different factions. Later, the Research system gives me specialised facilities and limited research choices, so I am not just buying everything automatically. I actually have to think about which bonuses are going to help the current run. The reset system is where Realm Grinder really starts to separate itself from a basic incremental game for me. I can abdicate and start another run with permanent progress behind me, and eventually I unlock Reincarnation, which resets much more but gives me Reincarnation Power and new long term advantages. I like this because starting over never feels completely pointless. I am basically sacrificing the progress I have made so that the next run can be stronger, and as I get further into the game the resets become part of the actual strategy rather than something I only do when I have run out of things to buy. The biggest problem for me is the amount of information I eventually have to deal with. Early on I can understand what is happening without much effort, but later the game becomes full of requirements, faction combinations, research choices, challenge conditions and extremely large numbers. There are points where I feel like I am spending more time working out what I should do next than actually playing. I also think the huge amount of progression can make the game feel slow if I am actively sitting there waiting for the next major unlock. The idle systems help with that, but it still requires patience. I also think Realm Grinder works best when I am willing to experiment rather than trying to rush straight towards the most efficient setup. There are so many different factions and bonuses that I can build around different goals, and some factions are clearly more useful depending on how I want to spend my time. I like being able to leave the game running and come back later, but I also enjoy having a reason to check in and make a few decisions. The fact that progress continues while I am offline makes it much easier for me to fit into my normal gaming routine. Overall, Realm Grinder is a very strong idle RPG that gives me far more depth than the basic clicking and building loop suggests. The faction system, resets, research, challenges, spells and huge amount of upgrades give me plenty to work towards, and I like that different stages of the game encourage me to change how I approach progression. The learning curve and enormous amount of information can be intimidating, and the grinding can become slow at times, but I think those are reasonable problems for a game with this much content. It is not the simplest idle game to get into, but for me that complexity is exactly what keeps it interesting once I get past the early stages. Rating: 7.6/10