10 Games That Are Basically A SECOND JOB

10 Games That Are Basically a Second Job

Welcome to MojoPlays, and I hope you’ve got a lot of time on your hands, because these games demand it in order to get the most out of them. These are 10 Games That Are Basically a Second Job. Whether you are required to invest time to get bang for your buck, or whether the game itself demands your constant attention, these games will get in the way of you achieving in other areas of your life.

#10: “Stardew Valley” (2016)

Any farming simulator game is going to require a lot from you as a player, because - and I don’t know if you know this - but growing crops takes a long time. Stardew Valley demands significant real-world time due to its open-ended gameplay, where players manage the farm, build relationships, and explore at their own pace. Each in-game day lasts around 14 real-world minutes, and with so many tasks, planting crops, tending animals, mining, fishing, and completing quests, time management becomes essential. Each day requires a circle of tasks that eat up so much of the day, leaving a small window to do actual progression, especially once that game reaches a certain point. Seasonal events and crop cycles encourage planning across multiple in-game days, further extending playtime. Additionally, the game’s relaxed atmosphere and lack of definitive goals entice players to invest hours into perfecting their farm or exploring all the game’s secrets. If you’ve played this game, you probably didn’t do it casually.

#9: “Destiny 2” (2017)

Ever-evolving content, and a good amount of FOMO, will leave Destiny 2 players cancelling real-life events in order to stay on top of this game. The game includes activities like story missions, raids, dungeons, PvP matches, and weekly challenges, each requiring careful coordination, skill, and time investment. Just the process of getting a group together, and tackling a raid, can rack up more hours than most people have free in a day. The pursuit of powerful gear involves grinding through activities for random loot drops and completing time-gated objectives. Seasonal content and events add a sense of urgency, as rewards are often limited. It’s this awful balance of knowing that if you aren’t playing, you are falling behind, that makes seriously playing Destiny 2 an absolute ball-ache, instead of an enjoyable experience.

#8: “Runescape” (2001)

This one doesn’t really need explaining, MMORPG’s are in that category of game that demand a LOT of the player’s attention in order to have any significant achievement. RuneScape, its grind-heavy mechanics, and its expansive gameplay, are no exception. Progression involves leveling up skills, which often requires repetitive tasks like mining, fishing, or woodcutting, which each BY THE WAY require hours and hours to master. Quests, while rich in story, frequently demand prerequisite skills and extensive travel, further extending playtime. MMORPGs like Runescape are often attached to video game addiction, as the grinding nature and dopamine inducing gameplay means players will prioritise them over small things that don’t really matter... Like health, work, and family.

#7: “New World” (2021)

I’m so lucky that when I started playing New World, the game was so overrun with players that it was impossible to get into, because if I got lost in another MMO, I’d have probably been in a mental hospital writing the word “hotkeys” on the wall with my own s**t. New World draws players into a vast, immersive MMO experience, but its design inherently requires significant time investment. Travel across the game world is time-consuming, with large distances to cover and limited fast-travel options. PvP battles, especially large-scale wars for territory, demand both preparation and coordination, often involving hours of effort, and that (much like Destiny) is just the actual battle, we aren’t even talking about the preparation leading up to it. It’s hard not to repeat myself, but MMORPGs should come with an 8 hours play limit for single sessions.

#6: “Project Zomboid” (2013)

Meticulously managing resources, including food, water, and medical supplies, while navigating a massive, zombie-infested open world wouldn’t seem like the kind of activity that requires a lot of time investment… I’m joking. In Project Zomboid, Crafting and fortifying a safe base is a slow, detailed process requiring scavenged materials and careful planning, which can be difficult when a server continues to run even when you aren’t online. Crops take time to grow, injuries heal slowly, and every decision feels high-stakes. And when you have to stop in periodically to make sure everything you’ve built isn’t being burnt down while you’re offline, you’re being forced to play a game, not choosing.

#5: “Eve Online” (2003)

If you combine complex game mechanics, with the ever expanding depths of space, you have yourself a real problem for your personal life. Progression, from learning skills to building wealth, is intentionally slow, and that’s not speculation, it is truly INTENTIONALLY slow. Skills train in real-time, often requiring days or weeks for higher levels. Accumulating resources, manufacturing items, and managing trade within its dynamic economy require sustained effort. And guess what? PvP and large-scale fleet battles demand preparation. Shocking, right? Corporations and alliances often require commitments to group operations and politics. This game often feels like no other, but what it does have in common with every other game on this list is a sore ass and back, from time spent at your PC.

#4: “Animal Crossing” Series (2001-2020)

This time investment applies to each and every entry in the Animal Crossing series, getting worse and worse as the games get better, and bigger. Daily activities and real-time progression are an absolute killer in this series, and if you truly want to get the most out of this game, I’d be putting aside time each day of the week to make sure you are staying on top of your in-game activities. Players are encouraged to check in to gather resources, tend to their village, and interact with neighbors. Events and activities are tied to the real-world calendar, rewarding consistent engagement. Tasks like fishing, bug catching, and fossil hunting take time to complete and are often required for long-term goals like upgrading the museum or completing collections. And we haven’t even touched on the time invested for cosmetic elements. This game often feels like it belongs in the same category as Stardew Valley, cute and light on the outside, dense and full on the inside… Like a scone. I bet my friend I’d compare a game to a scone in a Mojo vid, ignore me.

#3: “Ark: Survival Evolved” (2015)

Ark: Survival Evolved demands extensive real-world time. The reason for most players is the building bases. For me, it was simply just staying alive. Taming dinosaurs, a core aspect of the game, can take hours depending on the creature and requires constant monitoring, and as a core aspect, it’s the difference between a good time, and a really really average time. So if you want to enjoy yourself, you’ve kinda got no choice. Building bases and crafting advanced items involve gathering large quantities of resources, which are often scarce or located in dangerous areas. Maintaining food, water, and health adds another layer of ongoing attention. And we aren’t even touching on the PVP, because our final entry is gonna touch on it a lot, and I don’t want to waste my good content.

#2: “World of Warcraft” (2004)

In 2005, a 26-year-old Chinese man collapsed and died after a 48-hour gaming session in an Internet café. He had been playing World of Warcraft nonstop, it was later revealed that he died from a heart attack, likely caused by the extreme fatigue and dehydration from such prolonged gameplay... This is the kinda game we’re talking about. World of Warcraft demands significant real-world time due to its MASSIVE world and layered progression systems. Leveling characters, especially to max level, involves completing quests, grinding mobs, and exploring. Exploring that truly never really ends. Endgame content, like dungeons and raids, is a whole other ballgame, requiring preparation and in-game time, much like our other entries. Professions, reputation, achievements, daily quests, social aspects, guild events, the list of gameplay elements that require investment go on, and on, and on. Just don’t die over it.

#1: “Rust” (2018)

Let’s start our final entry by reading a Reddit post verbatim. "I've had Rust since about December of 2017 and I am now at just over 1,400 hours. I have about 170 hours in the past two weeks, and I'm considering deleting the game because I've missed so many chances to hang out with my friends and go places. I understand it is my fault because I'm the one who is addicted, but it's also with constantly having to be on almost every day to ensure upkeep, and to make sure you weren't raided." Now, this person is clearly ill, but they bring up an interesting point… Raiders. Rust began a popular collection of memes about how annoying it is to play this game as an adult, because if you aren’t in the game protecting your goods, you have a high chance of being raided. Rust. Requires. Investment. Between gathering resources and maintaining bases, daily upkeep is essential, as neglecting it can lead to destruction. PvP should be goddamn illegal… Not really, I’m just furious about my crappy little base getting destroyed.