Min-maxing, for the uninitiated, is the act of minimizing investment into the weak and useless stats (or items) and maximizing the investment into the most powerful stat. It's quite a common approach to powergaming in RPGs and is even present in the progenitor of video game RPGs, Dungeons & Dragons.
Of course, it's not for everyone. Min-maxers are the opposite of casuals, and depending on perspective, taking advantage of the "system" is squeezing out the fun in the RPG. But it can't be helped, because for many, min-maxing is the very definition of fun. So, min-maxers better get those spreadsheets and caffeine shots ready for these titles; they reward min-maxing the most.
8 Elden Ring
- Release year: 2022
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
The Dark Souls trilogy also qualifies here, but the rewards for min-maxing there aren't as pronounced since they don't give as much playground freedom as Elden Ring. They're somewhat linear. In Elden Ring, min-maxing puts players ahead of the curve and the assumed Rune level requirements of a particular spot.
This allows min-maxers in Elden Ring to get more valuable and higher-level rewards in its non-linear open-world environment. In PvP, min-maxers dictate the meta. The usual form of min-maxing in Elden Ring is spamming some overpowered Ashes of War or spells and pouring all stat points into one or two attributes that increase their damage.
7 Divinity: Original Sin 2
- Release year: 2017
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Nintendo Switch, iPad
Divinity: Original Sin 2, like its predecessor, is a min-maxers paradise. In some scenarios in the game, it even seems like the developers built the combat around min-maxing and cheesing encounters. Because crushing enemies by dropping a thousand heavy barrels on them is a wacky and rewarding tactic here.
Of course, there are also conventional ways to min-max in this game through the spells and the stats. One of the most common ways to toy with enemies through min-maxing is by stealing their turns or never letting them have a turn using a certain undead wizard. The reward? Less time spent on save-scumming to power through the RNG.
6 Diablo 2
- Release year: 2000
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X, and Series S
Despite being more than two decades old, it's hard to match how much of a revolution Diablo 2 introduced to the RPG (and action RPG genre). Through its rune and socket system, character skill trees, as well as rewarding itemization, Diablo 2 became a template for all isometric action RPGs.
Of course, through the years, the min-maxers have determined the meta by cherry-picking which classes and skills do the best damage and which items give the best buffs. The reward for following that meta is getting showered with tons of rare and unique items in significantly less time compared to players who aren't following the meta.
5 Path of Exile
- Release year: 2013
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, macOS, Xbox One, GeForce Now, Microsoft Windows, Macintosh operating systems
Path of Exile's not just the spiritual successor to Diablo 2, it's also the bigger and more 'roided up version of that action RPG. Because whatever Diablo 2 did with its rune and socket system, Path of Exile used it as an inspiration and cranked it to infinity. The result is that there are potential limitless build possibilities in Path of Exile.
A lot of them tend to become overpowered since the developers set up the game for theorycrafters' and min-maxers' pleasure. What do they get for squeezing every last ounce of efficiency out of their characters? Well, for starters, a pass to the game's most difficult content, and thus, a better chance at winning the RNG item lottery.
4 Genshin Impact
- Release year: 2020
- Platforms: Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Mostly, Genshin Impact is an easy game when players are just messing around in the overworld environment. But if they want to get the most out of the freebies— Primogems included, then a bit of min-maxing is necessary here.
Min-maxing in Genshin Impact isn't that difficult, thankfully. Players just need to pay attention to which elemental reactions do the most damage. The hard part is getting the artifact stats needed to get a decent critical rate and damage ratio. Needless to say, those with better and more min-maxed artifacts/teams will farm domains faster and get free Primogems easier in the Spiral Abyss.
3 The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
- Release year: 2002
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Xbox
It's about as old as Diablo 2 and while Morrowind didn't make the same lasting genre impact as the former, it's one of the most complex Elder Scrolls games to date. There's a mountain of intricacy here compared to the more streamlined and simplified Skyrim.
The potion durations stack, there's no limit on debilitating effects, and players can even craft their own spells. Well, that leads to some broken combinations that allow players to spit on the face of the final boss pretty early in the game. At the same time, Morrowind can also feel like a brutal and beautiful wasteland, so overpowering the game's content through min-maxing is a reward on its own.
2 Eve Online
- Release year: 2003
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, GeForce Now, Macintosh operating systems
Eve Online has another name, courtesy of its veteran players. It's also called "spreadsheet simulator" because of how many things players will need to track and monitor in order to get the most out of their space roleplaying experience.
Ship-building and customization alone reward players who go out of their way to determine the best possible combination of modules and parts. If players opt to have a trading empire or hold territories in the game, then optimizing or micromanaging those is also rewarded with more in-game income. The backdrop of space is just the icing on the cake here for min-maxers.
1 Guild Wars 2
- Release year: 2012
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows
Guild Wars 2's community prides itself on playing a casual-friendly game but that doesn't mean hardcore grinders and min-maxers aren't welcome. Because the game's most difficult content, Raids, requires perfect skill sequences and the most tuned stats and builds if players want to finish them.
Anyone without a plan and an efficiently min-maxed build and a team that just waltzes in unprepared will be obliterated in Raids. The rewards are good too and those who have completed Raids can also flaunt their achievements to mere mortals.