RNG: The randomness in your games

RNG refers to the Random Number Generator, essentially where the games roll a set of die and see what you happen to you in an instance. RNG in games isn’t something new, with even older games like the original Dragon Quest having RNG to determine the drops you get from winning the fights and the fights themselves with instances such as damage and sometimes what do you fight.  Its everywhere today being the core of much frustration when it goes your way and anger when It goes against you but also in the same vein sometimes that leads to magic moments when the numbers go in your favour.

Some games today have core gameplay mechanics locked behind some sort of RNG most notably the Roguelike where many elements of the game are randomly generated each time you start a new game ensuring a newish experience every time you play. 

I’m personally don’t mind some RNG in my games and it keeps the encounters fresh and exciting and the chance to get rare drops can sometimes lead to exploration of areas that you otherwise are incentivised to go. However sometimes the games prioritise too much on RNG in my opinion, such as when progress is locked behind essentially mandatory drops that are very difficult to get however this case is quite rare as most game developers understand the frustration behind these fringe cases and have added features such as pseudorandom where the chances increase every time you do not receive the case you need and roll for it and safety nets where you are guaranteed the case you need if you do not receive it for a certain amount of rolls .

Binding of Isaac a game where RNG is a core feature 

None the less the topic of RNG can be a pretty broad topic to consider when finding a game, you enjoy, maybe you love it can want to experience more of it like a roguelike or maybe you want less like in a competitive fighter game, or maybe you want something in between like an RPG. It is always important to consider the RNG element in the games you are considering as they can often reinforce or deconstruct a game quite quickly.