Have you ever experienced déjà vu while playing mobile games due to similar storylines?

Dark, Story-Driven Narrative
1

I’m curious if anyone else has noticed when gacha games use really similar plot points. I was playing a popular tower defense game recently, and the story felt so familiar. It reminded me of another well-known mobile RPG’s second story arc.

Both games feature these narrative elements:

  • A team faces a significant new antagonist
  • This foe is linked to extraterrestrial beings threatening the world
  • The villain was once part of the same organization as the hero
  • Their base is entirely obliterated
  • A crucial companion perishes during the conflict
  • That fallen comrade is revived as a smaller version retaining some memories but with different traits
  • The group has to relocate to a safe haven managed by a reliable ally
  • The plot introduces upcoming confrontations with tainted societies and mystical entities

The parallels were quite striking. Has anyone else experienced such plot recycling in various mobile games? Sometimes I wonder if writers intentionally reuse successful story structures or if it occurs by chance.

2

Totally get what you mean. It’s wild how many games seem to have the same narrative beats. The betrayal angle really does pop up a lot, especially in RPGs. Makes me wonder if there’s a small pool of story ideas they all draw from.

3

Mobile games definitely recycle plots way more than console games. I think it’s because they pump out content so fast that writers just grab what works. The whole ‘former ally turned enemy’ thing shows up in tons of gachas. At this point, I just expect the mentor character to either die or become the final boss.

4

The revived companion trope is everywhere now. Started noticing it more after playing like 6 different gachas with basically identical plots.

5

That alien threat plotline is basically a mobile game template at this point.

6

Yeah I’ve noticed this too but with action RPGs mostly. Same alien invasion setup over and over. Pretty sure developers just copy whatever made money before.