completionism

Completionism is a term used to describe a drive to finish every component of a task, project, or body of content. It is often associated with thoroughness and a desire for finality, and it sits within broader discussions of motivation, perfectionism, and conscientiousness. Some view completionism as a virtue that promotes high standards and durable results, while others see it as potentially rigid or maladaptive when it hinders pace or creativity.

In gaming culture, a completionist is a player who aims to exhaust all content in a game: finishing the main story, completing side quests, collecting items, and earning every achievement or trophy to reach full completion. The label reflects a commitment to thorough exploration and mastery, and many game designers acknowledge completion metrics such as 100% completion. Critics argue that completionism can turn play into a grind, delay progression, or contribute to burnout, especially when the required tasks feel repetitive or unrewarding.

In other domains, completionism can describe the aspiration to assemble a complete, self-contained set of elements in contexts like data curation, software development, or academic work. However, what counts as “complete” is often subjective, and practical constraints frequently require trade-offs between thoroughness, efficiency, and usability.