Success in any video game comes down to two major factors. One is the level of skill the player possesses and the way he applies it in practice. The other is sheer luck, as many outcomes are determined by a random number generator and can’t really be changed too much by the player. The exact contributions of each factor vary from one game to the next and even from one in-game situation to another, so it’s very hard to generalise without losing sight of the truth.

Since there are so many different video game genres, we have to look at each category and examine how much the player is in control of the outcomes. For practical reasons, we will lump several game categories together and discuss them as a homogenous class, even though this is an oversimplification that might not be fully reflective of the nuanced differences between them.

High-Skill Games – Strategies, RPGs, Battle Royale Games

Some video game genres are characterised by complex rules, lot of customisation, and a very steep learning curve. Such games typically have lots of features that allow the players to develop their characters and accomplish ambitious goals, but this requires a lot of hard work and mental effort. While they are collecting resources and trying to complete in-game tasks, the players are learning how to manipulate the assets they have and to shape their journey to their liking.

Strategies and role-playing games fit this description perfectly. Games of this kind still include many random events, but their impact on the player’s fortunes is fairly limited. If anything, luck is a factor that is accounted for so players try to come up with moves that work even in the worst case scenario. Managing risk is actually a core part of the gamer’s skillset along with strategic planning and resource acquisition. Naturally, this type of a game is best suited for dedicated players who don’t mind investing some time to master the finer points.

Medium Skill Games – Shooters, Sport Sims, Adventures, Arcades

For some people, gaming is more about real time interaction with multimedia content than about nerdy calculations of damage or analysis of skill trees. Such players gravitate towards games that mix skill and luck in a different way. It still takes some practice to be good at first-person shooters or sports simulations, but here we are talking more about manual skills with a controller than any grand concepts that you can use to outwit the opponents.

Games from this group can be very frustrating as you can sometimes do everything right and still not get the desired outcome. Every action has a probability of success, and the best the player can do is make his move and hope for the best. Games with a PvP mode are even less predictable, since the opponents’ moves are subject to probabilities as well. Much of the contest comes down to reacting to current circumstances and using situational adaptability to come out victorious.

Luck-Driven Games – Casino-style Games, Gacha Games, Roguelikes

Finally, there are games where luck is the primary driver of success. There isn’t much skill in picking lucky numbers for Powerball or playing slots on a casino site active in South Africa. Many traditional video games are increasingly adding casino-style features as a way of engaging users and distributing valuable items and in-game currency. Another use for luck driven elements is to randomise fights and bosses you have to face in action games.

New genres are emerging lately, often building on popularity of individual titles, and in many cases they rely on luck to a considerable extent. Good examples are gatcha games where players get random characters and gear to use for each session, or roguelike games where each run comes with different bonuses and weapons. Such games are very attractive to casual players who want the thrill of a high-stakes fight without having to grind out a host of daily missions to level up their heroes.

How to Make the Most of Your Luck through Smart Choices?

Every gamer knows that luck is a part of the deal. However, the best players never blame bad luck for their losses and instead look for ways to maximise their returns under the realistic circumstances. The first step to mastering any game is understanding the odds and adjusting your play accordingly. There is no point in chasing a valuable reward if your realistic chances to get it are negligible, or in stubbornly attacking a boss that is simply too strong to defeat without serious upgrades.

Smart players focus their energies on tasks that have the best risk-reward ratio, effectively using luck to advance while keeping the damage from bad draws at a minimum. It’s very important to be well versed with the rules as well as game mechanics, because optimisation of your play style depends on execution as much as on calculating the odds correctly. Well-planned routines that are repeated consistently always pay off in the long run, since luck tends to even out on a large enough sample and the player is left with predictable returns.