User:Dinosnap/sandbox

“Wuselfaktor” describes a gameplay element found in simulation and strategy video games. The term originated from the German verb "wuseln" and is used to describe the feeling of seeing the constant hustle and bustle and the nimble back and forth of tiny characters walking around, being busy bringing things from A to B.

The term was originally created by German videogame magazines such as PC Player [1] to describe a key gameplay element of The Settlers 2. The popular original game The Settlers was created by German video game designer Volker Wertich, also known as one of the fathers of the city-building genre. The first The Settlers, was released in 1993 and became an instant classic. The game was praised for its complex and intricate gameplay, which required players to manage a colony of settlers, gather resources, and engage in battles with other players.

Since then, the term “Wuselfaktor ” gained popularity in the German gaming community and was used to describe this specific gameplay element by other games in the genre, such as the Anno series, Cities Skylines, the Tropico series, and Planet Zoo among others. “Wuselfaktor” has been mentioned in editorial content in various media outlets in Germany such as GameStar, Heise , GamePro , Tagesspiegel and others to describe this specific gameplay element of simulation and strategy games. It has also been referenced in popular German gaming podcasts such as Insert Moin, GameStar podcast and is even the eponym of the German podcast “Wuselfaktor”. In recent years, the Wuselfaktor has become a significant element for some games and was even mentioned in the official “Guide of Gaming Culture” by the German Cultural Council e.V. to describe this specific gameplay element of the Anno series.