Brainrot Oyunları Nedir: Düşük Kaliteli Oyunların İnsanlar Üzerindeki Etkisi

Hi folks! This is the room of vertical screens and endless scrolling – take a deep breath in and out. As they say in the 2020s, "Touch some grass" – you might just feel like doing that after reading this article.

Often, Brain Rot games are considered low-quality trash, but sometimes you just need something mindless to unwind, you know? The classic games known for you might include the brain rot effect too, so everything is not as easy as it seems at first glance.

Okaaaay let’s go!

What Is Brain Rot?

Brain rot, sometimes called “brain rot”, is a modern slang term that describes the mental and emotional effects of spending too much time online, especially consuming low-value or trivial internet content. It’s also used to describe a deep obsession with a particular topic, such as a favorite TV show, movie, or fandom. People experiencing brain rot often find themselves endlessly scrolling through social media or obsessively diving into one subject until it takes over their thoughts, so in 2024, this phrase was chosen as the Phrase of the Year.

The term "brain rot" first appeared in online communities around 2007, especially among fandom circles where people joked about their fixation on fictional characters or stories "rotting their brains." Over time, it gained popularity on platforms like Tumblr, Twitter, and TikTok, becoming a humorous way to acknowledge being overly immersed in digital media. The phrase is often accompanied by memes or videos, such as the famous “1,000-Yard Stare” meme, which pokes fun at the detached and numb feeling of being consumed by online content.

While the term is used lightheartedly by Gen Z and Generation Alpha to discuss hobbies or internet habits, it also reflects a deeper concern. Some psychologists and parents worry that excessive exposure to online media could harm cognitive health, especially in young people. Despite this, many embrace the term as a playful way to critique and laugh at their own online behavior.

How does Brainrot Games look?

If you search "Brain Rot Games" on Google, one of the top suggestions is Roblox. It immediately reminded me of a recent interview with Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, where he mentioned that giants like GTA exist in the market, and that’s great. I found it interesting how he categorized them so simply: here’s Fortnite – it’s a franchise; and here’s Roblox – it’s a business. Let’s carry that perspective with us as we dive deeper into this topic.

In Brain Rot games, all the triggers and hooks are blatantly obvious, the storyline is either reduced to a basic outline or doesn’t exist at all – this is the first sign of brain rot.

In simpler terms, these are flashy, parody-like, low-quality games that often resemble mods. They exploit human body forms, phobias, fetishes, and pop culture phenomena to captivate an audience. They’re often marketed as simulators or adventure games but turn out to be clickers or primitive arcade games.

Of course, AAA games also seduce and play on certain themes – think of the Vice City beach or the extravagant heroine in the Intergalactic trailer. However, behind their allure lies a commitment to quality, featuring complex mechanics, engaging stories with compelling characters, and unique experiences.

My TOP Brain Rot Games

So, what are Brain Rot games? They’re the ones that feel “thrown together” with the aftertaste of a cheap, sugary candy.

Before we dive into the bright examples of trash, let's take a look at the Brain Rot games that captivated us and our colleagues back in the day. I will give you completely different examples of games related to Brain Rot, some of which created this effect through reinforcement and reward systems within the game, while others were created as a result of the influence of this effect.

Stumble Guys: Primitive Gameplay and Donate system

Here’s my own brain rot game, m-m-m, o-o-o, a-a-a...I got hooked on it for four days, and then it was like it never existed for me. A bright, childish, and dynamic game that took the gameplay of Fall Guys, the pass system with donations and the UX from Brawl Stars – specifically the fonts and buttons; a spin with skins that you can also spend your donations on, and successfully became the mobile game of the year.

Stumble Guys is a chaotic and fun multiplayer battle royale where you race, stumble, fall, and dodge obstacles to outlast up to 32 players! In this knockout-style game, you’ll face off in various rounds, including races, survival eliminations, and team-based challenges. Survive the madness, cross the finish line first, and earn rewards as you progress through each round in this hilarious and unpredictable game! (description based on Store Page in Steam).

credit: fallguys.com

I took a look at the original Fall Guys, which everyone calls the source of this copy, and it has all the features that made me enjoy Stumble Guys. I use Stumble Guys as an example because it's a game business that borrowed a lot of features and became more popular than the games it borrowed them from, at least for a short period. Fall Guys looks more unique and of higher quality, yet it doesn’t achieve the same commercial success as Stumble Guys. Commercial success for brain rot games is the exception, not the rule because 80% of all this trash doesn’t sell well.

The game is somewhat primitive, and so on, but at least it feels like there was some effort put into quality, even if it’s in the style of a business shark. So, the brain rot effect is present over longer periods of time. By the way, the brain rot effect will be present in any game over sufficiently long periods.

Diablo IV: Endless Grind Cycle

Diablo IV is an action RPG released on June 6, 2023, for various platforms including Windows, PlayStation, and Xbox. Set 50 years after Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, the game follows the return of Lilith, the daughter of the demon Mephisto, who aims to conquer Hell. Players take on the role of a hero guided by the fallen angel Inarius to stop her plans. The gameplay retains core elements from previous Diablo titles, allowing players to fight enemies using weapons and magic while gaining rewards and experience to level up. Unlike earlier games, Diablo IV offers an open world with 6 accessible regions, each with unique landscapes and enemies. Players can travel on foot or by mount, which can be customized with trophies. The game features five character classes, each with customizable appearance and abilities, and a skill tree for character development. PvP battles take place in designated areas, where players compete to capture magical shards. Diablo IV also follows a seasonal content model, offering both free and paid battle passes with exclusive rewards.

In Diablo IV, the endless grind system perfectly embodies the brain rot effect, drawing players into a cycle of repetitive tasks that feel oddly satisfying yet mind-numbing. The constant need to defeat enemies, level up characters, and gather loot—especially with the lure of random rewards and the pursuit of perfect gear—keeps players hooked. While each victory and upgrade seems meaningful at first, the process quickly becomes a blur of small victories that offer little more than momentary relief from the grind. This loop, fueled by reinforcement systems and the thrill of incremental progress, taps into the brain’s craving for instant gratification, making it hard to break free even when the game’s repetitive nature starts to wear thin.

Genshin Impact: Loot Addiction

Genshin Impact is an open-world action RPG developed by miHoYo and published by Hoyoverse. The game follows a free-to-play model with a gacha system for character collection and development. Players control a party of four characters, each with unique weapons and elemental powers, on a quest to find the protagonist's lost twin. As players explore the world, solve puzzles, fight enemies, and gather resources, they increase their Adventure Rank, unlocking more story content and challenges. The game also features a multiplayer mode where players can team up for cooperative play. Characters, weapons, and items vary in rarity, with higher-star items offering better abilities and stats. The world is divided into regions, each with its own Archon statue that reveals the map and offers various enhancements, such as increasing stamina or healing characters.

Players are constantly chasing rare characters, weapons, and resources through gacha pulls and battles, with each new pull or loot drop offering a fleeting sense of accomplishment. The grind never truly ends, as players must continuously farm materials, level up characters, and increase Adventure Rank to unlock more content. This cycle of small, incremental rewards feeds into the brain’s craving for instant gratification, while the repetitive nature of tasks and the constant lure of better loot keeps players hooked, even when the game starts to feel like a never-ending checklist.

Below is a typical brain rot samples of today, enjoy.

My IShowSpeed

MY IShowSpeed is a quirky simulation game inspired by the popular YouTuber IShowSpeed, who boasts over 20 million subscribers. Players embark on an entertaining journey, starting from scratch to build their virtual alter ego's career, pumping up muscles, becoming a pro soccer player, and amassing wealth.

Set in Speedy's house in Ohio, the game offers “endless fun” with features like YouTuber and Streamer simulators, 10 mini-games, customizable rooms, furniture, and characters. Level up, upgrade your gear, and enjoy the hilariously random nods to Speedy's unique personality – complete with an Ohio sign and grass, of course!

I took the game descriptions directly from Steam as a clear example of how they try to sell themselves. I didn’t bother launching them… Maybe this undermines your trust in my review, but I decided to prioritize my well-being.

*NEW* SCUFFED EPIC BHOP SIMULATOR 2023 (POG CHAMP)

The jumping mechanics from the classic Counter-Strike, known as Counter-Strike 1.6, are covered in spam, with cursed stock music and post-MLG effects. Below is the game description in Steam.

Get ready for the NEW EPIC SCUFFED BHOP SIMULATOR 2023 (POG CHAMP), a free parkour simulator packed with the spiciest memes, the most scuffed physics, and jaw-dropping graphics and music! Jump into action with three insane maps at launch, and look forward to more free and DLC maps being added every week for the first 12 weeks! Perfect for speedrunners, with unique mechanics designed for an epic parkour experience, this game offers a hilarious, fast-paced thrill ride.

In single-player mode, you'll have access to multiple maps to test your skills, and multiplayer mode allows you to team up with friends on every map. Whether you’re competing in surf mode with a custom movement system or battling zombies in thrilling blood rounds, there’s no shortage of excitement. And with plans for even more maps, modes, and multiplayer features, the fun never stops.

ROBLOX Modes

Roblox is an online game platform and game creation system that allows users to create and play games made by others or themselves. Developed by David Baszucki and Erik Cassel in 2004 and released in 2006, Roblox hosts a variety of user-generated games coded in Lua. The platform has grown significantly since its early years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 164 million monthly active users as of 2020. While Roblox is free to play, it includes in-game purchases through its virtual currency, Robux, and allows users to create games using Roblox Studio, a powerful game engine.

If the previous examples were different vectors of brain rot development, then here we have the sandbox of brain rot.

Nothing more needs to be said about Roblox and its role in brain rot games, because everything described earlier can be created here. If you want to create your game but lack knowledge in programming or game design, Roblox allows you to create maps and develop your own brain rot mode. There are already plenty of them here, of all kinds and colors, and they all resemble something.

The ability to create maps and modes, leading to a large number of them, recently appeared in Fortnite as well, which is why the BR phenomenon has partially spread to Fortnite. This is also supported by the fact that the game was already bright and had hundreds of incentives in the form of rewards and levels.

Brain Rot Games: Impact on People’s Minds

Brain rot games, often referred to as simple or addictive digital games, can have both entertaining and concerning effects on players’ minds. These games are designed to capture attention quickly with easy-to-understand mechanics and instant rewards, making them highly engaging. On one hand, they provide a fun escape from reality and help players relax. On the other, spending excessive time on these games can lead to feelings of detachment, decreased focus, and overreliance on constant stimulation.

Open the following video, random moment and observe the author's behavior for 2 minutes, no more…

While most people enjoy these games in moderation, they can sometimes reinforce habits like procrastination or compulsive behavior, especially in younger players. Experts suggest that balance is key – enjoying games while also setting limits to prevent them from overshadowing more meaningful activities.

Brain rot games might not always be "bad," but understanding their impact on mental well-being is important for a healthier digital lifestyle, blah-blah-blah…

Will We Survive in BRAINROT World?

credit: Myamberr

"Brain rot" games can be seen as a cultural and technological phenomenon, similar to anti-style and primitivism in art. With their bright, "one-time" appeal, these games often provide quick entertainment, such as laughing with friends or watching a YouTuber test them out. However, seeking self-expression, honing skills, or spending money on these games is not a good idea.

Brain Rot Games matches perfectly with these digitalized representations of empty, artificial spaces, known as liminal spaces. Both topics fit well within the current trend of modern entertainment. While they may not offer much depth or quality, it's worth exploring them to understand the broader picture of contemporary culture and leisure.