[Participating in the Nexon PEAK Post Challenge]

When I first started playing Mabinogi Mobile, my main interests were developing my character and finding the right equipment. As I continued playing, though, I gradually became just as interested in collecting things one by one. Mabinogi Mobile offers plenty to collect, including costumes, mounts, achievements, and titles.

I particularly enjoyed collecting runes, pets, costumes, and titles. I had different reasons for collecting each, and each had its own appeal. They all shared one thing, though: whenever I obtained one, I naturally wanted to collect the next.

Here is what I enjoyed about each of them.

1. The Enjoyment of Progression: Runes

Runes first introduced me to the enjoyment of collecting. As I developed my character, I wanted the best runes for my class. Researching them and collecting them one by one became an enjoyable part of building my character the way I wanted. At first, I saw them simply as a way to become stronger. But as I played and gathered different runes, deciding which ones to use became rewarding in its own right.

Mabinogi Mobile has a system called runewords. Collecting runes allows you to apply runeword effects based on the runes you own, increasing your combat power. Since runewords reach their maximum level at 5, I began focusing on how many runewords I had, which gave me another reason to collect runes.

2. The Appeal of Cute Companions: Pets

At first, I thought one pet I liked would be enough if I only needed it for combat power. Once I saw the other pets, though, I could not help wanting them too, simply because they were cute. Mabinogi Mobile lets your character interact with pets, and each has its own charming animations. Their different outfits make them even more appealing to collect. Beyond their appearance, they also feel like companions who stay by my side as I play. That sense of companionship made me all the more attached whenever I obtained a pet I had wanted.

Of course, pets also have a significant impact on combat power. Pulling an Epic pet gives you a title with an ownership effect that increases your combat power. Each pet has different stats, so certain pets inevitably become the preferred choices for combat content. But customization is also central to Mabinogi Mobile, and you can use different pets in town and in combat. I therefore keep one pet for combat power and another for its appearance, switching between them depending on whether I am fighting or spending time in town.

3. Costumes That Are a Treat for the Eyes

Costumes were the collection I most enjoyed building. Customizing my character is my favorite part of the game, so attractive outfits always catch my attention. As a free-to-play player, I initially told myself that one outfit I could wear regularly would be enough. But as new outfits were added, I found myself buying premium currency, and my bank account soon felt the effects. Now, whenever an outfit I like is added, I make sure to pull for it.

Dyeing, a distinctive feature of the Mabinogi series, can make the same outfit look so different that I find myself wanting two copies. Costumes can completely change a character’s overall look, so collecting one naturally makes me want to try another style. Whether I was choosing a cute costume or trying something a little different, I enjoyed shaping my character’s appearance to suit my tastes.

For me, collecting costumes was less about owning as many as possible and more about the enjoyment of discovering styles I liked. As I gathered outfits that appealed to me, customizing my character began to feel like a whole activity in its own right.

4. Titles and Achievements That Say Something About Me

Titles were what I found most enjoyable to collect. Runes drop at random while hunting, running dungeons, or taking part in other content. Pets and costumes require tickets and have very low chances of appearing, so collecting them involves spending money to some extent. Titles and achievements are different: I can earn them by putting enough effort into the game. That makes the process of collecting them enjoyable in itself. Since titles appear above a character’s name, I am always particularly keen to obtain the unusual ones.

Some titles come naturally through events or regular play, while others require specific actions or achievements. Certain special titles also have ownership effects, making them worth earning if you want to increase your combat power even a little.

I have earned a wide variety of titles, but one in particular stands out in my memory.

That title is “The One Who Lit the Distant Depths.” It can be obtained by visiting Abyss Holes several times, but I wanted to earn it through the mission that requires you to record the fastest Abyss Hole purification 1 time. To complete that mission, your party has to finish faster than every other party on the server at one of the 5 hunting grounds (as of Season 1).

I was worried because my combat power was not particularly high. Three very strong party members invited me along and offered to help me clear it, but I was still nervous about how to approach the boss. When the long-awaited weekend arrived, we tried to predict which of the 5 hunting grounds would attract the fewest parties and settled down to wait at the 구름황야 hunting ground. We entered as soon as an Abyss Hole appeared. Every 1 minute, every 1 second felt tense; my mouth was dry and my hands were trembling. Yet the boss was defeated in the blink of an eye.

Then an announcement about our party appeared across the server. I was delighted and could hardly believe what I had seen or helped accomplish. I still vividly remember getting out of my seat and shouting as soon as we succeeded. Because my character’s combat power was relatively low, earning that title felt all the more meaningful. Collecting it had given me another memory to treasure.

Runes for Growth, Pets for Companionship, Costumes for Individuality, Titles for Effort

Collecting runes, pets, costumes, and titles in Mabinogi Mobile brought me different kinds of enjoyment. Runes helped me develop my character and become stronger, while pets gradually added more companions to my journey. Costumes let me express my individuality by dressing my character in styles I liked. Titles reflected my effort, making the process of collecting them rewarding in itself. I appreciated how a single idea—collecting—could offer so many different ways to enjoy the game.

In Closing

The enjoyment I found in collecting in Mabinogi Mobile went beyond simply owning a lot of things. If you like developing your character and becoming stronger, I recommend collecting runes. If cute pets or a variety of companions appeal to you, pet collecting is worth exploring. For those who enjoy earning rewards through their own effort, I would suggest titles or achievements. And if you like customizing your character, you may enjoy gradually building a collection of costumes.

For me, Mabinogi Mobile offered the enjoyment of collecting alongside the satisfaction of character progression. As I collected things one by one, I would soon find myself wanting something else. Building a collection of my own became another reason to keep playing and enjoying the game.