7. Civilization
The whole oeuvre of strategy-based games have qualities that breed addiction in their fans. Civilization is the granddaddy of this genre, but this slide will also encapsulate other examples, such as the Total War series. The fact that there are diverse methods for completing the game in victory with a vast array of different civilizations means that there is virtually an endless flow of possibilities and outcomes. The variables such as the size of map or the speed of the turn time results in gamers being allowed to play a few really long games that engross and obsess, or many short games for those that desire as many victories as possible. This heightens the broad reach of the game, as the more artistic personality could push towards cultural domination, whereas your average Call of Duty player will look to destroy the opposition through their military superiority. There is also an educational background to the Civilization series, but don't let that put you off. This makes the game appealing to parents, who may see the game as more of an enlightening experience than the gory violence of Manhunt for instance. That is until they see their child's eyes follow the screen in front of them for days without blinking once. The gameplay is very appealing, with varied classes that are gradually unlocked over the course of the experience, with years in the game time translating to hours of your actual life spent building a virtual Colossus of Rhodes. Over time, whilst the basic system has altered little, the graphics and the personalities of civilization leaders have become more impressive and attractive to gamers. That is before one even considers the addiction brought about by Sid Meier's CivNet, which has allowed the original game to experience the mass multiplayer experience now available on more recent incarnations of the series. Now the elder generation of 20 years ago can become infuriated but addicted by securing victory against a group of acne-induced teenagers rather than actually working and financially supporting the crumbling civilizations of the world today.