User:51mplex/drydock

Hunger is a major element in Rogue and hacklikes. It is usually implemented as a counter which is decremented every turn, and is increased by consuming food.

In Rogue hunger forced the player to advance, since monsters didn't respawn when staying on one level.

In NetHack hunger is another possibility for YASD, forcing players to manage their food supplies carefully.

Angband, with its non-persistent levels, puts little pressure on finding food to stay alive.

In general, adding a hunger mechanic is one basic way to increase the feeling of realism in a game.