Best 2025 Video Games for grind level

#1 Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
4.7

Grind level was praised in one review for reducing grinding almost entirely.

Pros: protagonist appeal, art direction

Cons: camera behavior, tutorial quality

#2 Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
4.5

Grind level is rated positively by one reviewer who felt the game can be enjoyed at the player’s own pace without grinding.

Pros: animation quality, facial animations

Cons: quest design, AI behavior

#3 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
4.4

The game was praised for reducing grind through shared Picto learning and focused inventory systems, though one review still noted some padding.

Pros: monetization fairness, microtransaction impact

Cons: platforming precision, menu usability

#4 Borderlands 4
4.3

Grind level is mixed-to-positive for players who enjoy farming, but low drop chances and repeated boss farming can become a chore.

Pros: sandbox freedom, art direction

Cons: polish, save system reliability

#5 Donkey Kong Bananza
4.0

Grind level was framed positively by one reviewer who kept unlocking and collecting instead of wanting to finish.

Pros: gameplay mechanics, world interactivity

Cons: economy and resource balance, enemy variety

#6 Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
3.8

Grinding was mixed: old-school leveling remained present, but speed-up, optional encounters, and concrete goals made it easier to tolerate or enjoy.

Pros: emotional impact, polish

Cons: bug frequency, crash stability

#7 Arc Raiders
3.5

The grind was considered manageable by some and slow by others, especially around leveling and repeated recycling or upgrading.

Pros: frame rate stability, platform-specific feature support

Cons: voice acting, writing quality

#8 Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
3.5

The game was not seen as a pure grind, but reviewers still emphasized the effort and repetition needed to gain traction.

Pros: soundtrack quality, fun factor

Cons: checkpoint system, family friendliness

#9 Monster Hunter Wilds
3.5

Grind level was mixed: crown and loot improvements reduced chores for some, while others still saw the loop as grind-heavy.

Pros: art direction, cross-play support

Cons: dialogue quality, monetization fairness

#10 Digimon Story Time Stranger
3.4

Grind level was mixed: automation and field attacks reduce friction, but leveling, complex systems, and late Digivolution still require grinding.

Pros: atmosphere, world-building

Cons: HUD clarity, fast travel convenience

#11 Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
3.4

Grinding remained a concern for some reviewers, but others felt difficulty modes and balancing made the grind less draining than older versions.

Pros: visual effects quality, environmental detail

Cons: AI behavior, level design

#12 Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
3.2

The grind is usually accepted as part of the appeal, but repeated chores, Life leveling, and crafting demands can tire some reviewers.

Pros: load times, crash stability

Cons: originality, voice acting

#13 Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
3.2

Grind level is mixed: one reviewer sees Episodes of South Town as grindy, while another praises it for cutting down grind.

Pros: emotional impact, animation quality

Cons: enemy variety, server reliability

#14 Hades II
3.2

Grinding is a mixed point: some resource gathering pulls players into new paths, while late resource needs can become tedious.

Pros: skill tree depth, dialogue quality

Cons: emotional impact, economy and resource balance

#15 The Outer Worlds 2
3.1

Grind level was mixed: IGN found the RPG grind compelling, while RPGFan said repetitive tasks and level-cap timing hurt motivation.

Pros: world-building, mission design

Cons: mission variety, enemy variety

#16 Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
3.0

Grind level was mixed to negative, mainly due to repetitive side missions or fatigue over long sessions.

Pros: animation quality, multiplayer design

Cons: save system reliability, companion AI

#17 The First Berserker: Khazan
3.0

Grind level is mildly criticized because skill-point acquisition can be time-consuming.

Pros: core gameplay loop, controls responsiveness

Cons: mission design, learning curve

#18 Civilization VII
3.0

Grind level improved where micromanagement and builders were removed, but religion, repairs, and some late systems were criticized as chores or busywork.

Pros: animation quality, controls responsiveness

Cons: matchmaking quality, user interface design

#19 Ghost of Yōtei
2.8

Grind sentiment is mixed-to-negative where repeated side activities, collectibles, or checklist tasks create fatigue over time.

Pros: movement feel, environmental detail

Cons: puzzle design, age appropriateness

#20 Atomfall
2.8

Grind level had limited mixed evidence, with default difficulty feeling grindy to some players before customization helped.

Pros: art direction, frame rate stability

Cons: boss design, camera behavior

#21 Assassin's Creed Shadows
2.7

Grind level is mixed to negative, especially where side activities, resource demands, or knowledge grinding slow progress.

Pros: environmental detail, cross-save support

Cons: writing quality, enemy variety

#22 Kirby Air Riders
2.5

One reviewer found Road Trip rewards spread across too much work for too little payoff.

Pros: flying mechanics, exploration quality

Cons: AI behavior, boss design

#23 Avowed
2.4

Grind level was a common complaint tied to gear upgrades, resource hunting, and spongy combat loops.

Pros: tutorial quality, level design

Cons: stealth mechanics, endgame content

#24 Absolum
2.4

Grind level was one of the most common complaints, though a few reviewers felt it avoided becoming a total grindfest.

Pros: mission design, world interactivity

Cons: quest design, endgame content

#25 Hollow Knight: Silksong
2.2

Grind level is criticized where resource depletion and boss attempts can push players toward needless grinding.

Pros: core gameplay loop, world interactivity

Cons: loot system, accessibility options

#26 Elden Ring Nightreign
2.2

Grind level was a concern when repeated runs or random relic acquisition made progress feel tedious.

Pros: emotional impact, visual effects quality

Cons: crash stability, cross-play support

#27 Pokémon Legends: Z-A
2.1

Grind level was a recurring concern, with some reviewers finding battles, maps, or wild-Pokémon work repetitive despite occasional strategic payoff.

Pros: crash stability, gameplay mechanics

Cons: AI behavior, monetization fairness

#28 Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
2.1

The green-crystal requirement was one of the most repeated pain points, often described as filler, tedious, or poorly paced.

Pros: world-building, frame rate stability

Cons: companion AI, upgrade system

#29 The Alters
2.0

Grind level drew negative evidence, with reviewers criticizing repetitive busywork and mindless material loops.

Pros: controls responsiveness, onboarding experience

Cons: crash stability, grind level

#30 Battlefield 6
1.8

grind level was criticized as tedious.

Pros: haptic feedback integration, performance optimization

Cons: pacing, microtransaction impact