Video games are built to be fun and absorbing. Whether you’re into open worlds, linear adventures, or competitive PvP, the aim is simple: switch off for a while and enjoy yourself. Modern games give you plenty of ways to do that—tight combat, great stories, smart systems—and then they layer on extras to keep you playing, like side quests, collectibles, and achievements. That’s where many players slide from healthy engagement into completionist pressure. When “finishing everything” becomes the goal, the game can quietly shift from hobby to homework.
So why do so many players chase 100% completion? What do we actually gain from it, what do we lose, and how do you keep the fun without feeling compelled to clear every map icon? Let’s break it down.
What Does 100% Completion Mean in Games?
“100% completion” varies by title, but it usually means ticking every task the game considers complete-able. Some games surface this as a visible checklist; others hide requirements behind systems you uncover as you play. Typical requirements include:
- Finishing all main missions (sometimes with gold/ace rankings).
- Completing optional side missions and activities (races, bases, boss arenas).
- Revealing every location or point of interest on the map.
- Finding every collectible and completing in-game catalogs/compendiums.
- Earning all trophies/achievements on your platform or in-game challenge list.
On paper that sounds manageable; in practice, a single missing collectible, an elusive S-rank, or a chapter-locked objective can strand your progress at 99%. That’s where frustration—and obsession—often starts.
In games like Tchia, you can put hours into completing every side activity and finding every collectible. It can ultimately take longer than completing the main story!
Why Collectibles Make Gamers Obsessed
Collectibles are everywhere, especially in open-world games. They’re simple, repeatable, and oddly satisfying—each pickup gives you a tiny hit of progress. Popular examples include museum items in Animal Crossing, cards and compendiums in Red Dead Redemption 2, photo logs in Life Is Strange, or Korok-style world secrets in exploration games.
The appeal is clear: clear rules, visible progress, and a gratifying sense of order. The pitfalls are just as clear. Large worlds can scatter dozens (or hundreds) of items, with a few locked to specific chapters or missable scenes. When one missing trinket blocks a 100% run, you can end up replaying long stretches or scouring guides instead of playing naturally.
Animal Crossing offers collectibles such as bugs, fish, sea creatures, fossils, and artwork.
How Achievements Encourage 100% Completion
Trophies and achievements turn play into a meta-checklist. Easy ones celebrate milestones; hard ones demand mastery, endurance, or hyper-specific behaviors. Because platforms total your achievement history, completion can feel public—pushing you to “finish the set.” That social layer can be motivating, but it also turns leisure into a scoreboard. When two or three awkward challenges remain—no-damage runs, grindy counters, or luck-based drops—it’s easy to lose sight of why you started.
Games can use a console or platform’s achievement system, or have their own.
Are Side Quests Distracting or Essential?
Side quests expand worlds, deepen lore, and hand out gear you’d otherwise miss. They’re also the biggest reason a 10-hour story becomes a 40-hour playthrough. The issue isn’t their existence—it’s pacing. When new side quests spawn after every story beat, or when certain quests expire after a chapter, you can feel forced to clear the board before moving on. That “FOMO” pulls attention away from the main narrative and can turn freeform exploration into obligation.
Games like Red Dead Redemption 2 offer a lot of optional side quests that can easily turn your attention away from the main story.
Why Missing Collectibles Can Ruin 100% Runs
Missable content is the silent killer of completionist play. Some collectibles only appear during a mission instance; some areas close permanently; some quests vanish if you progress the story. If you miss the window and the game lacks chapter replay, you may need a whole new playthrough. Even with chapter select, replaying a long mission for one item can feel like busywork that erodes your enjoyment.
Taking photos in Life Is Strange is tied to not just chapters, but specific scenes. Miss an opportunity and you have to go back and replay that scene.
How Mission Rankings Pressure Completionists
Ranking systems (bronze/silver/gold) reward precision—time targets, accuracy thresholds, optional objectives. They’re great for mastery, but discovering the full criteria only after a first clear can be deflating. Chasing gold often means replaying lengthy missions with specific, sometimes opaque, constraints. If you love optimization, it’s bliss; if you just wanted the story, it can feel like homework.
Games like GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 rank missions after completing them.
Should You Use Guides to 100% a Game?
Guides are fantastic tools for stuck moments and missable items. The downside: playing strictly by a guide can replace discovery with following instructions. You get perfect outcomes, but at the cost of spontaneity and surprise. A healthier balance is using guides selectively—after a blind pass, for cleanup, or when you’re genuinely stuck—so you keep agency over how you play.
In L.A. Noire, getting a perfect score involves answering every question right, finding every clue, and avoiding damage in car chases.
How to Enjoy Games Without 100% Completion
You don’t need a perfect save file to get full value from a game. If you’ve ever felt burned out midway through a collectible spree or mission-rank chase, try reframing your approach.
Before You Start
- Skim the achievements list to spot true missables and mission-exclusive items. Knowing the few things you can’t revisit prevents regret later.
- Decide your intent: story first, completion later. Planning two phases (enjoy → clean up) keeps your first run relaxed.
While You Play
- Mix main missions with light side content to avoid fatigue. If the story hooks you, follow it—side quests will still be there (unless labeled time-limited).
- Chunk big grinds into short sessions (e.g., one region or one collection at a time) so progress stays satisfying, not numbing.
- Prioritize the activities you actually enjoy (photos, hunts, races). Optional doesn’t have to mean mandatory.
When Motivation Dips
- Park frustrating tasks and return later with fresh eyes. If a challenge stops being fun, it’s okay to skip it.
- For a 100% push, target only what counts toward the game’s official completion and platform trophies—skip “nice-to-have” extras that don’t move the needle.
- Use guides as a cleanup tool, not a script. Keep the joy of discovery for your first pass; optimize on the second.
Trying to 100% complete a game can be fun, but prepare for a lot of grinding.
Should You Always Aim for 100% Completion?
Chasing 100% can be a fun personal challenge—when it enhances the experience. It becomes a problem when the checklist dictates your play and drains your enthusiasm. The best measure isn’t a percentage; it’s whether you’re excited to boot the game again tomorrow. If the answer is yes, you’re playing it right—no matter what the save file says.
