> It simulates being very productive (which in a meta sense you are), and for me that represents "goodness" in my self image. I think these sort of games are a

> It simulates being very productive (which in a meta sense you are), and for me that represents "goodness" in my self image. I think these sort of games are also excellent examples for the sunk cost fallacy [1]. They make you invest a lot of time at the beginning by slightly increasing the work and rewards, and if you want to stop you think that it would be a shame that the invested playing time would be wasted, not taking into account that there might be overall losses (such as fewer social interactions, less exercising etc.). People have an irrational aversion against giving up their investment of money/engery/time (the sunk cost), even if it might be better to give up on it entirely. Often there is an anxiety involved that the inconsistent action needs to be explained to others. [1] http://www.logicallyfallacious.com/index.php/logical-fallacies/174-sunk-cost-fallacy http://www.logicallyfallacious.com/index.php/logical-fallaci...