What is IT that makes this game IT for you?

[BioFringe]

Sorry if this has been done and I admit that I haven't searched. This is a completely random, last-minute thought as I was closing down the forums after having spent some time on the Oxygen boards. Long story short...I was intrigued by Don't Start so I bought it. I like supporting Indies that look like they deserve it. I played for a bit but it never grabbed me. I kinda wanted it to but I was ok either way. Fast forward to Oxygen Not Included went on sale and I thought what the heck. In the least I still believed that Klei deserved the support. Oxygen has blown me away! Which is what I imagine many feel about Don't Starve.

So to me...The IT that makes this game IT for me is that it brought me to Oxygen Not Included.

What about you? I'm kinda hoping that I might learn more about this game by hearing what others love so much about it.

[imsomony]

My partner was playing a lot of crafting and exploration/world-reform games back in 2013, and picked up DS one day during sale. I figured it would be similar to the others he played so I didn't get it, and just watched him for a while. This was back when DS was in its final phases of development, and we were still getting updates with new content, like winter, the caves, adventure mode, etc.

I was intrigued watching him play, it didn't have the same feel as Minecraft or Terarria or games like that, something was different about it. More light-hearted and quirky... I didn't understand at the time, but I now attribute that to the art style, portmanteaus of creature names, and funny character quotes. Also, some things are just really silly or cute, like how our bodies move when punching butterflies, or having pig friends at night and making sure they're not scared by lighting a fire.

The music is awesome too! I love swing/big-band style, and find myself tapping my feet and bobbing my head to it. And I really like the care put into the sound effects and how they invoke certain emotions. Even now, 5 years later, the loading screen with its high-pitched scratches still makes me apprehensive.  

Anyway, after a couple weeks just watching, my partner ended up buying DS for me so we could learn side-by-side and figure out mechanics together. It was really fun to try something new and have no idea of the outcome, like following dirt piles to completion or activating a touch stone, or finding new creatures and having no idea what to do with them, like lureplants or the first time either of us got Deerclops. Neither of us used the Wiki, and I didn't even have an account on the forums here, just browsed at the time to get ideas for creative base-building (one of my favorite parts).

With all of that, what also makes it in my top 3 games is that it always forces me to better myself. I've died to darkness and/or starving more times than I care to admit, run away from Deerclops with my "bug out" bag and forgotten winter clothing, and been cornered by killer bees without any protection. I have my preferred method and style of advancement, but that doesn't stop me from getting too bold or confident and killing myself for a silly reason. And each time I'm forced to analyze my mistakes and learn from them. There's no rage-quitting unless I want to rage-quit my own mind, LOL.