Games Where You Cannot Win – Investment Policy

Winning in video games usually means reaching a definite conclusion: defeating the last boss, seeing the credits, and feeling satisfied. However, some games go against this norm. They might not provide a clear ending at all, offer endings that make you question if you really won, or feature gameplay that endlessly loops without a true conclusion.

These games – whether they use repeating cycles, somber stories, or deliberately difficult gameplay – don’t offer players triumph, but instead a feeling of unease. They don’t just test how well you play; they make you question what it even means to complete a game.

7 Days To Die

Survival With No End In Sight

7 Days to Die doesn’t have a clear ending goal. Players constantly need to build up their defenses, create better weapons, and get ready for the relentless zombie attacks, which keep getting harder no matter how much they advance in the game. Every new cycle brings increased challenges, making it increasingly difficult to survive.

The game is designed so that even a skilled player can’t truly win. Complete victory is impossible; the constant sense of pressure is what makes the experience so compelling. There isn’t a way to win the game; the only goal is to delay the inevitable. Ultimately, the enemy will overwhelm all settlements, and defeat becomes a certainty, not a result of player choice, but a matter of time. It’s about how long you can survive, not achieving ultimate success.

Pathologic 2

A Disease That Can Never Truly Be Stopped

Pathologic 2 focuses on the idea that your efforts might be in vain. The game takes place in a town devastated by a deadly plague, and you, as the player, have just twelve days within the game to try and find a solution. However, there’s no way to truly *win*; even if you survive, it will come at a terrible cost, filled with heartbreaking losses that don’t feel like choices, but things you *have* to do.

The endings change based on the choices you make, but they all reveal a grim reality: the town is beyond saving. Even if you manage to survive, it feels like a loss, with neighborhoods destroyed and people you care about dying. The game is designed to make you accept defeat, and it guarantees that, no matter what happens, true victory is impossible. Ultimately, winning is never within reach. It’s a hopeless situation.

The Sims 4

Simulating Life In Every Way Possible

Unlike many other games, The Sims 4 doesn’t really have an ending. Because it’s a life simulation, there’s no big final goal or way to truly “win.” Your Sims will live their lives, age, and eventually pass away, but you can always make new Sims and begin a new generation.

The game’s lack of an ending creates a paradox: players can reach milestones like financial stability or career achievements, but there’s no final goal. This results in a free-form experience with endless stories, but a sense of completion is never possible, regardless of how much time passes or how many Sims live and die.

Far Cry 5

Bleak Endings With No Victory In Sight

Far Cry 5 presents several different ways the story can end, but none of them truly feel satisfying. If you try to fight the cult leader, Joseph Seed, it results in a nuclear catastrophe. Choosing to abandon the conflict leaves your character mentally scarred by the cult’s beliefs. And even if you unlock the hidden ending by doing nothing at all, the game just ends without you accomplishing anything.

In terms of its story, Far Cry 5 doesn’t allow you to truly escape. You’re stuck in Hope County, whether by force, being tricked, or giving in, and all possible endings take away any sense of hope. Instead of winning, you’re always left with failure.

Fear & Hunger

No Positive Way Forward

In Fear & Hunger, the game has several different endings, and none of them offer a happy outcome. While it’s possible for the main character to escape, they’ll find the world outside is just as harsh. Alternatively, the character could become a god, but this comes at the cost of their humanity and leads to continuing the cycle of suffering for others.

The game doesn’t allow you to simply finish; dying happens often, surviving feels empty, and reaching the end is more like a punishment you can’t undo. No matter what happens, winning is just another way of losing, never bringing any satisfaction, and ultimately always leading to death.

Outer Wilds

Loop After Loop

Outer Wilds features a 22-minute cycle where time constantly loops back to the beginning with the sun exploding. Regardless of how much information the player uncovers, this reset is unavoidable, creating a sense of both challenge and acceptance in every playthrough and interaction.

Although achieving the true ending does resolve the story by breaking the time loop, the way it’s structured makes any sense of triumph short-lived. Even if you successfully stop the loop, your character still has to die one final time, meaning that while the universe might be saved, you ultimately make the ultimate sacrifice.

Don’t Starve

Either An Escape Or A Continued Cycle

The Adventure Mode in Don’t Starve ends with a showdown against Maxwell, the mysterious leader of the Constant. The player is then presented with a difficult decision: either take Maxwell’s position or leave him imprisoned. If you choose to become Maxwell, you’ll gain power but be stuck repeating the cycle forever, trading your freedom for control.

Rejecting the offer keeps Maxwell imprisoned, allowing the player to escape, but it’s not a real win. The endless loop of the Constant goes on, and the game concludes with uncertainty. The player *can* continue playing, but they’ll know Maxwell is still trapped. In either scenario, the player doesn’t achieve a true victory. Whether they are stuck or free, there’s no clear objective to pursue.

No Man’s Sky

Restarting The Journey Once More

Arriving at the galactic core in No Man’s Sky might feel like reaching the end, but it actually restarts the experience. You’re essentially reborn into a fresh galaxy, losing most of your possessions and starting your adventure all over again.

This repeating cycle mirrors how the universe feels like a simulation. There’s no final outcome, no major discovery, just endless cycles happening throughout countless galaxies. The experience goes on forever, and achieving a goal isn’t the point-it’s about continuous exploration that only stops when it’s all turned off.

2025-10-01 05:36