History Main / StatGrinding

* Done in the ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' series. Basically everything other than direct stat points can be leveled. Special skills and spells get more powerful/cover more area the more you use them, using the same weapon type levels up weapon proficiency which makes the weapon of the type provide more stats, stat growth can be increased by banking stored levels with Reincarnation, and Chara World lets you increase other stat points like Aptitude (which multiplies stat points from equipment), Movement/Throw Range and Evility slots. Apart from that, you can boost the stats of items by going into the Item World.

* Partially done in ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'', which has regular level-ups, but also has a system by which spells become more powerful/cover more range the more you use them, and you become more proficient with a given weapon the more you use that. A character/class's weapon proficiency only even affects how fast they will level up with that weapon. Apart from that, you can boost the stats of items by going into the item world.
** ''VideoGame/DisgaeaDimension2'' has a third option. You can boost all your stats by defeating enemies in the Land of Carnage. The problem is actually defeating enemies in the land of carnage, but a few trips to the [[PeninsulaOfPowerLeveling Cave of Ordeals]] or the item world to strengthen your equipment and some reincarnations later and you can handle these enemies.

** In ''VideoGame/{{SaGa 2}}'' (''Final Fantasy Legend II''), humans can gain stats the same way mutants do. Monsters evolve the same way as before (plus the inability to use weapons). New to this game are robots which simply increase their stats through equipped gear, as if it's added on as upgrades.
** The ''VideoGame/{{Romancing SaGa}}'' trilogy tends toward everyone using the same system as humans in ''[=SaGa 2=]'', although they gain random special attacks and spells based on the attack types they use.

** ''VideoGame/{{Makai Toshi SaGa}}'' (aka ''The Final Fantasy Legend'') does this primarily with mutants. Humans can use items to speed the process and monsters simply transform into stronger monsters with fixed stat values (a hidden "rank" stat on monsters and enemies allows for some real shenanigans, such as evolving a monster to one of the monsters outside of the last boss's room -- before ever entering the tower).

* ''TabletopGame/TheWorldOfDarkness'' has a variation of this, where you choose which stats to boost to use your experience.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' has a mechanic that is officially called Base Stats (Commonly referred as Effort Value by fans). A Pokémon gains Base Stats by defeating a Pokemon. Each stats can have up to 252 Base Stats (255 prior to Generation 6) with the maximum amount Base Stats a Pokémon can have is 510, which means only 2 stats can be maxed at maximum. There are certain items that boost how Base Stats grow, but they all cuts the holder's speed by half. Vitamin can also boost the Base Stats of the Pokémon, but it will not boost when one of the Pokémon's Base Stats has reached over 100. Generation 6 introduced Super Training, allowing Pokémon to increase Base Stats without battling a Pokémon. It also allows the player to see how many Base Stats a Pokémon has overall, though not the number unless a Reset Bag is used on a Pokémon.

** Its SpiritualSuccessor, ''VideoGame/SecretOfEvermore'', also had this system, but with much lower level caps for weapons. Alchemy spells could be raised to level 9, and could be cast in quick succession for easy leveling (provided you had enough reagents to use them).

* From Software's ''Shadow Tower'' series (a series that would influence the more well-known VideoGame/DarkSouls development) you don't get experience points. Instead each breed of demon automatically gives a stat increase of specific type and number once you kill it. So you are always improving every battle that you win. Since there is no dynamic difficulty, if you play a New Game + enough times you'll soon become a virtual god.

* ''VideoGame/DungeonMaster'' (1987) also eschewed experience points and levels in favor of this system.

* Some of the ''VideoGame/{{Grandia}}'' games up weapons and spells by using them.

* Some of the ''Franchise/{{Grandia}}'' games up weapons and spells by using them.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' has a mechanic that is officially called Base Stats. (Known as Effort Value by fans) A Pokémon gains Base Stats by defeating a Pokemon. Each stats can have up to 252 Base Stats (255 prior to Generation 6) with the maximum amount Base Stats a Pokémon can have is 510, which means only 2 stats can be maxed at maximum. There are certain items that boost how Base Stats grow, but they all cuts the holder's speed by half. Vitamin can also boost the Base Stats of the Pokémon, but it will not boost when one of the Pokémon's Base Stats has reached over 100. Generation 6 introduced Super Training, allowing Pokémon to increase Base Stats without battling a Pokémon. It also allows the player to see how many Base Stats a Pokémon has overall, though not the number unless a Reset Bag is used on a Pokémon.

* The ''[[Franchise/SaGaRPG SaGa]]'' series uses this '''a lot''', to the point of being a TropeCodifier, although the '''method''' of grinding changes from game to game:

* ''VideoGame/Persona5'': Training in either [=LeBlanc=]'s attic or at the Protein Lovers gym increases Joker's HP and SP each time at the cost of an afternoon or evening. Continued training at Protein Lovers will eventually unlock harder training regimens that further increase these stats, and drinking a Protein Shake beforehand will add even more gains per session.

* The first two Franchise/StarOcean games allowed your characters to power up their special attacks if they were used a certain number of times, usually a few hundred.

* The ''VideoGame/{{SaGa}}'' series uses this '''a lot''', to the point of being a TropeCodifier, although the '''method''' of grinding changes from game to game:

* ''VideoGame/Persona5'': Training in either LeBlanc's attic or at the Protein Lovers gym increases Joker's HP and SP each time at the cost of an afternoon or evening. Continued training at Protein Lovers will eventually unlock harder training regimens that further increase these stats, and drinking a Protein Shake beforehand will add even more gains per session.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Neptunia}}'', while gaining normal levels still exist, ''VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptuniaVictory'' (including it's UpdatedRerelease ''[=Re;Birth3=]'') and [[VideoGame/MegadimensionNeptuniaVII its sequel]], as well ''VideoGame/HyperdevotionNoireGoddessBlackHeart'' spinoff also have some challenges that you can undertake for each character. This usually increases stats up to a certain point.

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series has used some form of this trope in every game [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness except]] [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsArena the first]].
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', skill increases only occur after a ''successful'' use of that skill. This can make grinding a long process without the use of in-game training (which is unlimited as long as you can afford it) or exploits (Alchemy, Drain Skill and train, etc.) Grinding the spell-casting skills from the lowest levels can be all but impossible. Even a low-level Destruction spell has a laughable chance of success and will cost half (or more) of a non-magically inclined user's Magicka. Training and exploits are really the best options at that point.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' makes this ''far'' less painful, as failed attempts at crafting count toward skill increases, accuracy rolls in combat are removed altogether, and your Magicka recharges passively. However, the skill points and attributes in ''Oblivion'' are handled in such a way that efficient grinding requires a {{Munchkin}} level of micromanagement, while the grossly overdone LevelScaling makes raising the 'wrong' skills ''much'' more potentially painful. The limits on training (5 training sessions per level) also make this a pain. That said, skills level up independently from your level, and the game only uses your level for scaling. If you never rest (and thus, never level up), you can beat the main quest, every faction questline, and every side quest plus explore for hundreds of hours while your level is still in the single digits. (A few quests force you to rest to continue, but not many.) Essentially, the world will be saved from a horde of extremely feeble monsters by a strangely competent insomniac.