There is a new genre that I have just been recently introduced to. There is just something amazing about merge games. It seems be a popular sub-genre that can go as crazy as evolving creatures, improving tanks or just simply combining fruits. It feels good to take something cool and making it epic.

There are many games that fall under this genre. The concept is pretty simple. You continuously purchase new basic objects until you run out of space. These objects keep on generating money for you. And then you can purchase more expensive variations once you unlock them.

You just have to merge 2 of the same objects to unlock new objects. These improved variations give more return value it is still cheaper to purchase the basic versions and simply merging them. The price of these different ranking objects increases as you purchase them but there are games where you cannot buy items but you have to continue spawning the basic items until you have merged enough to advance further.

These games feel like idle games but well-made ones like Merge Star or Merge Planes feel exciting without being complicated. The main reason why they are so addicting is because there is always something happening in the game. And most examples reward you even when you’re not playing through the offline earnings.

Another good reason why we keep on playing these games is due to the fact that we are always moving forward. A major theme in these games would be progression. It is the thrill of evolution and improvement that drives us to just keep on playing.
I can also think of a reason why we get addicted to these games. They just simply make us feel safe and secure. I do not see any instances where you feel punished while playing these games as there is just no way that you can lose.

These games also keep you busy as there are usually a lot of achievements to aim for. The things that you have to do are as simple as just playing the game. These are just things that you would do while playing anyways so all you need to do is just to enjoy playing the game while getting the rewards for those achievements.

And the last reason that I can think of is the fact that we feel smarter while playing these games without exerting effort. The game might involve a bit strategy as you can move objects to different positions so that you can easily spot items that you can merge. But it’s not really hard to spot them since each object is usually easily distinguishable.

The merge genre may not be a common game archetype but there have been a lot of games featuring the merge concept. These games are easy to get into because of its simplicity. You also get a sense of excitement and wonder when you produce a new object. Your curiosity drives you keep going to see what you can make next.