15 Video Game Firsts We Take For Granted
2. Experience Points And Levelling Up
Levelling up is one of the most commonly associated tropes with gaming in general. Even a non-gamer would probably understand that levelling up refers to getting stronger.
But where on earth does it actually come from?
Well, for this one, it's never actually been attributed to one game specifically. You'd probably think it was a really old RPG that actually first introduced it and, in a way, you're kinda right.
It was the first-ever RPG that spawned experience and levelling up systems. It's not a video game though; you can thank Dungeons and Dragons for being the first thing to ever invent these mechanics.
It was entirely natural to then import them to D&D's digital equivalents, before they proliferated into all kinds of genre.
It's hard to imagine an RPG releasing now without some kind of levelling up system in place. Indeed, you could even argue that's what makes them so fun in the first place!