Games Want You to Play Forever, But Dispatch Tells You When to Stop

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Few wishes seem as tempting—and potentially disastrous—as wanting our favorite video games to never end. It appears that most major game companies are now focused on creating games designed for endless play.

Live-service games are designed to keep you playing indefinitely, and with constant updates – like Fortnite’s recent Simpsons-themed season – it’s easy to get caught in a never-ending cycle of unlocking content. Thankfully, we’re seeing a return to episodic games, which offer self-contained stories in manageable chunks, giving us a welcome break from the constant grind.

I’m focusing on Dispatch, a new story-driven superhero game from AdHoc Studio. AdHoc is a relatively new company made up of people who used to work at big names like Ubisoft, Night School, and especially Telltale Games – the studio behind the popular episodic game, The Walking Dead, from 2012. While Telltale unfortunately closed down for various reasons (some of which I previously reported on), their style of game had already started to feel less fresh. Players were beginning to prefer either fully finished single-player games or the live-service games that are common now.

I’ve been really wanting games that give you that satisfying ‘win’ feeling, but without needing to pour tons of hours into them. And honestly, Dispatch nails it! It’s designed like those classic TV shows – each ‘episode’ is perfectly paced, giving you a great experience without dragging on. It’s just… satisfyingly complete, you know?

Dispatch is a funny workplace comedy set in a Los Angeles where superheroes are employed by a private security company. Imagine ‘The Office’ meets ‘The Boys’! Players take on the role of hero Robert Robertson III, making choices that shape his personality and significantly impact the story. Each episode starts with a brief introduction, then moves into an interactive simulation where you manage hero dispatches, culminating in a dramatic finale and credits. While the structure is somewhat predictable, it intentionally evokes the feel of classic, pre-prestige television.

The game’s story is brought to life with a full voice cast, featuring well-known TV actors like Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad and Jeffrey Wright from Westworld. A collaboration with Critical Role also brings in popular voice actors such as Laura Bailey and Matt Mercer.

Over the last week, I got into a routine of playing Dispatch each night after dinner. I’d head to my office for one episode – about an hour long, not counting the credits – before joining the rest of the family. Like a TV show, Dispatch is divided into eight episodes. What’s really nice is that each episode feels complete on its own, so I didn’t feel pressured to immediately start the next one. It was easy to stop and think about the big decisions I’d made, and I actually enjoyed having time to process everything before continuing the next night.

Look, I want to be clear: Dispatch isn’t really like watching TV, even though people keep saying that. It’s a fantastic game, first and foremost! Honestly, just managing and sending out heroes is super addictive – I could play that part forever. But what really gets me is how confidently the game is paced. The developers know exactly when to end things, leaving you feeling totally satisfied… and eagerly waiting for the next ‘episode’ to drop the following week. It’s a smart design choice that just works.

Dispatch is a remarkably satisfying game – one of the best I’ve played all year. It expertly blends talent, writing, and production, and has already sold 2 million copies – a huge achievement for a brand new game and studio. While I could detail why it’s been such a surprise hit, what I appreciated most was its concise length. It wasn’t too short, or too long – it was just right.

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2025-12-28 00:09