TFG essays: An Appreciation of Slowness — Through the Game, Through the Grind

🪨 Tuesday, 15 July - 2025

Day 14: An Appreciation of Slowness — Through the Game, Through the Grind

I believe it’s important for anyone who plays Old School RuneScape—especially as a free-to-play player—to consider slowness as a core element to embrace. This is a game where leveling a skill or reaching a goal can take hundreds, even thousands, of hours. One reason I enjoy it so deeply is that, in real life, I’ve always felt I move more slowly than others. I take longer to make decisions, to start things, and to understand. In this way, OSRS feels like a world that respects my pace.

That’s not to say the game forces you into a slow rhythm. In fact, one of its greatest strengths is that you can choose your path and pace at any moment. But slowness is always there, always an option—especially pronounced for free-to-play players. With fewer tools and options, we learn to value the long road. We level slower. We earn gold slower. And yet, that slow path becomes deeply meaningful.

Right now, I’m working toward my goal of collecting 100 beginner clue scrolls while mining in the Falador Mining Guild. Mining is one of my favorite skills—perhaps because it is one of the clearest reflections of slow progress being valuable. I mine gold, adamantite, and coal; I gather uncut gems; I receive random events like the mime show or the frog prince; and every so often, a little clue scroll pops into my inventory. These are small but steady gifts for the time I invest.

The grind is the core of OSRS. Skills like mining, woodcutting, and crafting are intentionally slow. But when we stop resisting that slowness and instead appreciate it, everything changes. The slower something is to achieve, the more rewarding it feels when it’s finally yours. And while I click on rocks, I get to admire the pixelated landscapes I love so much.

Sometimes I feel like I can’t fully speak about the game as a F2P player since I’ve never truly experienced the members’ world. I don’t even know how much content I’m missing. But I do know that the F2P limitations magnify the slowness—and that has made me appreciate the grind even more. We have fewer teleport options, less efficient tools (rune axe is our peak), fewer banking locations, and more walking. But in that limitation is also a gift: everything we do feels earned.

There are grinds I’m especially proud of: collecting the beginner clue scroll outfits, earning the barronite mace in Camdozaal, unlocking the ability to mine runite ore (though I haven’t used it much yet!). Each of these took time—and they were worth it.

I’ve also come to realize that the repetition of these tasks has a meditative effect on me. I often play while listening to cozy music, watching bird biology videos, or catching up on news. Sometimes I just let the OSRS soundtrack fill the space. These quiet hours become part of a calming ritual. And strangely enough, I’ve found that practicing patience here helps me build patience in real life too.

Sometimes we pressure ourselves to move faster, to meet goals on tight timelines, to compare our progress to others. But OSRS gently reminds me that it's okay to go at my own pace. The slow route can be beautiful. I’ve played this game (off and on) for around 15 years, and though I’ve never maxed an account, I now have that quiet goal for my current one—Donguri15. No deadlines, just dedication.

In the end, this is my little letter to slowness—to say thank you for being here in OSRS, and in my life. Let’s be slow. Let’s be curious. Let’s enjoy the journey.

🐦 Bird Fact of the Day

Meet the Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)!
This small European songbird undertakes one of the most impressive migrations on Earth. Despite weighing just 25 grams, some populations travel from Arctic regions of Europe and Asia all the way to sub-Saharan Africa, crossing deserts, snowy mountains, and oceans along the way. A true testament to endurance—just like an OSRS player on a long grind. 🌍✈️

🛡️ Today’s Achievement

Mining progress continues strong! Donguri15’s Mining level now stands 25.7% of the way to level 92—making it your highest-ranked skill so far! ⛏️✨

May your pickaxe stay sharp, your clue scrolls frequent, and your run energy never fall below 50%.
'Til next tick —
Donguri15, signing out from the Falador mines. 🦉⛏️