Worldbuilding>Characters>Plot

[Vic]

But that's largely in service to the gameplay, plot and characters.

largely yes but not exclusively, there are games like mentioned itt that might not have a plot or even characters(?) that are still a great experience. from soft games are very thin on plot and characters and very rich in their world building for example

but yeah, gameplay=king

 

[Skinwalker]

from soft games are very thin on plot and characters and very rich in their world building for example

Funny, I wrote a whole paragraph about fromsoft soulsgames in my previous post, and then deleted it because it was tl;dr. Here it is:

Soulsgames are the perfect example of "worldbuilding" built around gameplay. Why does every soulsgame just happen to take place in a post-apocalyptic hellhole where almost all sentient beings have devolved into mindless zombies/werewolves/whatever? Because these are action games that focus almost entirely on combat interactions, and having a post-apocalyptic world absolves the devs from spending resources and devtime on functioning settlements filled with non-hostile NPCs that have their own routines, like your classic WRPG, or something like DURAGONUZU DOKUMA.

 

[Nifft Batuff]

Soulsgames are the perfect example of "worldbuilding" built around gameplay.

Pacman is another example, better too.

 

[Geckabor]

What the fuck is worldbuilding?

the setting of the game

But that's largely in service to the gameplay, plot and characters.

That's what's so great about it.