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やり込み yarikomi
Playing far past "finished".
What does yarikomi mean?
Going all the way in: 100% completion, hidden bosses, self-imposed challenges. Japanese games often build an entire second life into the postgame just for these players.
Example
クリア後のやり込みが本番だと思ってる。
For me the real game starts after the credits.
Vibe
Who you can say this to, and how it lands.
Safe to use Fine in ordinary conversation.
The story behind yarikomi
やり込み is the sport of refusing to be finished. Japanese games have encouraged it for decades: the phrase やり込み要素 has been printed on boxes and in previews for years as a selling point, promising that the credits are a doorway rather than an exit.
The deeper tradition is the rules players invent for themselves. No damage taken, minimum level, single weapon, no saves. None of it is in the manual, all of it enforced by nothing but pride, and communities have spent decades comparing which handicap produces the most beautiful run. It is the point where a game stops being consumed and starts being practised, like an instrument.
Get yarikomi in your pocket
やり込み is one of 308 words in YABAI, a Japanese culture snack for Android. Every word comes with its meaning, an example sentence, a vibe check and a story like the one above — in 13 languages, read aloud by your device. Paid app: no ads, no sign-up, no subscription.
