I see many 4k-1d players on KGS with thousands if not tens of thousands of games under there belt, and seem to have been that rank for quite a while. In order to get better, I've been playing quite a lot of games, but this makes it seems like simply playing is not the right move to make.

Up to what point do you think players can get better by simply playing games before hitting a plateau? Is it simply a lack of meaningful review that makes these players stop improving?

You can play 5k with intuition only.
After 5k you have to read. (To improve your reading: Review your games and Tsumego)

There is an active topic with virtually the same title: viewtopic.php?f=16&t=13926

I am going to quote you and reply over there.

_________________
The Adkins Principle:
At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?
— Winona Adkins

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

This is pretty much my situation, and now it has become very clear that I must read to get any further. Learning to read at 5k instead of 15k is a pain though

_________________
Confucius in the Analects says "even playing go is better than eating chips in front of tv all day." -- kivi

Well...

Not just that.

I think that playing almost all of those games as even games against an opponent just as bad as you are would be a very slow way to learn. When you make a wrong move (in some situation) it is only when the opponent makes the move to punish that mistake that you get to learn. But if they are just as bad as you are, how likely is it that they saw the move was a mistake (you didn't).

To learn from playing, your opponent must be somewhat better than you are. While high handicap games are mainly a matter of "keep connected and prevent the opponent from connecting low handicap games are much less of a distortion. I think you CAN learn a lot "just from playing games" if those are 3-4 stone handicap games against an opponent strong enough to win 2/3 or 3/4 << and you keep adjusting as you improve >>

But yes, you will also need to learn how to "read"

I think it is a balance between reading books + playing. If you read too much and play too little you have too much theory and little practice and the other way around.

_________________
Stefany, web programmer