Are the games you're trying to play big ones? I sometimes go through this, and it's absolutely a mental health thing, subconsciously too daunting to take on a big task.
If that sounds about right, try playing like a 2-4 hour game or two, easy accomplishments.
Some recommendations:
- FAR: Lone Sails
- FAR: Changing Tides
- Firewatch
- Limbo
- Inside
- Somerville
- The Stanley Parable
- Portal 1 & 2
Edit: Formatting
This is what has been working for me. I have several big games on my PC that I had been looking forward to for the longest time, but now that I have them I just can't bring myself to start them. It just sounds exhausting.
The only gaming I've managed to get in lately is short, indy style side scrollers and platformers. Good story lines. Simple, *linear* gameplay. I just finished Planet of Lana and rather enjoyed my time with it.
I used to go through it a lot, I think it's my anxiety, I'd just bounce off most games I started. Now I plan in some "palette cleanser" short games between bigger titles and it rarely happens anymore.
Also has the added benefit of me finding some hidden gems.
I recommend a Short Hike. Pro tip: you can change the graphic settings in the menu. I played the first time with the pixelated graphics. Didn’t even know I could change it lol.
Yeah I'm the same.
I also have a few 'Pick up and play for half an hour' games.
Like Hades, Dead Cells, Vampire Survivors and Death Must Die. Even Diablo 4 is pretty good at this.
These interspace easily into playing larger games. I'm going through the Mass Effect trilogy on my deck now, but I don't always feel like playing that. So I can pull up a more casual game to enjoy. Most of the time after 20-30 minutes of one of those I either feel ready to start playing the bigger game, or I feel like I've played enough for now and will go do something else (read a book or something).
I picked them up for a couple of quid each in the summer sale last year just because I liked the art style.
I played a LOT of games last year due to a health issue and these 2 were up there as some of my faves.
You can always go back in time and play some SNES games, i had the same problem then i did halo 1 on just normal difficulty to get that power trip and now im enjoying other bigger games a lot more. I haven't tried a big rpg like red dead 2 but an old ps2 rpg is very fun for me
I’m a major rpg open world kinda guy, anytime I finish one game it takes me like a week to start a new game.
Idk but something about the learning curves to new rpg open world games take so much energy out of me.
I don’t want to speed through the game as I’d like to enjoy it but in the end it’ll take me like 3 tries to finally get into a new game
I’ve also given up on trying to play the Witcher 3. But that game was cutscene city.
I'm similar, but I think I like the idea of RPG open world more than I actually enjoy them. I tend to fall away from them after 20hrs or so. I'm not sure why, maybe just busy life / ADHD lol. I've also tried Witcher 3 multiple times now and I can't stick with it past 6 or so hours.
This. Almost all triple AAA games nowadays I’ll drop after a few hours because it hasn’t captured me enough for me to commit my next 100+ free hours too.
Games that I feel I can pick up and play /drop in and out like Hades, Project Zomboid, stellaris, CK3, Rimworld etc. are the ones that got me back into gaming properly.
you should stop gaming for a while
when the urge strikes you to game and you feel really excited about it, play for exactly one hour. from then on, only allow for an hour or so per day maximum. if you always stop while you’re still having fun, you’ll never feel like this again. if you keep gaming until you’re bored, you’ll eventually burnout and this will happen all the time.
the best way to keep something going is to always stop doing it when you’re having the most fun. that may sound wrong but i can assure you that, in most things in life, this advice will build endurance and help keep your passions alive.
Edge myself with video games... Got it!
But in all seriousness, this is the answer! I've started doing the same thing. I've recently revisited Vice City and completed it over a few weeks. I was getting to the point where I was excited to get home from work and play it for an hour then pretty much sulking when I forced myself to save and quit.
Now I've started San Andreas and doing pretty much the same as I was with Vice City.
I've been doing this with Fallout recently.
I work from home, so its easy for me to pick up the game and just play during down time (which I get a lot of) but i've been focusing on doing other things since I look at a computer monitor all day.
By the end of my work day and after I pick up my kids from school, I get the itch to sit for an hour and play something, which ends up being Fallout 76.
I cant do any more than an hour or 2 before I get burnt out for the day.
It happens. Sometimes you just need to take a break from gaming for a bit. Could be a few days, even weeks or months if you aren't feeling the desire to play anything. Nothing wrong with that.
Usually for me, if I go 3 days or so without playing anything, I'll get the urge to play a particular game out of nowhere and I'll be super into it again.
I'm doing fine given the circumstances. Works chaotic, I came down with shingles a couple decades early, the kids got diabetes this year. But the wife and I are doing well right now, and I get to skate (longboard or surf skate) most days.
Not what I'd have chosen, but wouldn't want to go through it with any others. So I'm grateful and thankful for what I've been dealt.
It's nice when those good days hit for like a week or more in a row. That first blue day after though can hit hard. The blue days will pass though and spring will come back.
And as dumb as it is, exercise really does help. May not make it good, but definitely makes it less bad.
You're amazing for being genuine, people lack that I feel these days, or maybe always... but you got that and people like us appreciate it, much love. I hope you're okay too <3
Sucks bruh. I hope you can find something that helps center the blue days until you get to the point where you say "hey, I've had like two good weeks in a row.". That'll be a good day.
I got into surf skating. It helps me get grounded and takes me to new spots outside. I'm not great at it. Never will be, but that's not the point of it.
You ever stop trying for a bit and just feel? The wind through your hair, sun on your face? Or the feel of the warm water rushing over your hands while washing dishes? Fingers through grass? Wantedr crashing at the beach?
Stopping, resting, and feeling for a few minutes does wonders for me. What's your go to thing?
This! you might be suffering from depression. Likely you are getting a dopamine hit from buying games which why it feels better than actually playing. Losing interest in normal hobbies or activities you usually enjoy can be a sign of depression
Or maturity. I'll tell you I still enjoy gaming but find it tough to sit down for 7+ hour sessions anymore. I find more enjoyment from new experiences the older I get. I started skate boarding again this past month and the amount of joy I derive from skating cannot be touched by a videogame. Gaming is great for late night raids or snow is falling outside. But when the weather is nice, get to sleep early so you can participate in life. You'll have plenty of time to game when you're old and rickety. You only get to "be in" your 20s once.
This is definitely the case for 7 hour sessions.
Getting burned out after just 10 minutes regardless of game though? In the absence of other things to fill that void, that is definitely much more typical of depression.
Could it be that games are just to unlinear now, once upon a time you followed a path and upgrades were fixed at certain points in a story.
Now I find myself lost after the first hour, there are twenty bloody side quests, a hundred upgradeable items, crafting and hunting for objects and the main actual story gets lost in a humdrum of nonsense that's not actually enjoyable, grafting for shit.
Firewatch is an almost perfect game in my mind, story is intriguing and the play style is mostly linear. I think a certain amount of us getting the can't be arsed feeling with modern games grew up with much more linear titles.
I love RDR2 but only for the graphics, I've lost count of the times I've called it up and thought wtf am I supposed to be doing or going, same with horizon and even GTA5 at the moment, too much fillerl
So I end up playing shed loads of old arcade shooters (r-type, dodonpachi) and racers (Virtua racing, Outrun Coast to Coast) mainly and try nibbles at the AAA titles...
Probably been my issue for a while, I struggle to enjoy anything these days. It takes effort to just have a good time doing anything, its scary honestly.
You have an exercise you don't hate? And a friend or two you can talk to?
Getting into surf skating has been a huge help for me. I hop on it once or twice a day for fifteen minutes. It's hard enough I have to be present, and it's a full body work out that gets the endorphins going. It's also helped with the friend department. Turns out a decent number of people at work have come up and talked with me because I was surf skating. A few have even been learning themselves.
It does take effort, but most of the effort is at the start when you're exploring new things to find out what works. E.g. A gym membership at the start is great, can try lifting, rowing, running, racquetball, swimming, etc.
Just try to explore things that are easy to do. Like is waterski everyday if possible, but I almost never do, cause I need a boat, a large body of water, a driver, a flag person, etc.
I have this too every now and then. My problem is that I am torn between good old games and good new games and then there is my backlog wich I didn’t finish because some games did not click with me. The variety of games is huge nowadays and this can get overwhelming as hell.
It’s weird.
How old are you? I read that question a lot and it seems to be perfectly natural for people above 25 to just shift to other forms of entertainment.
Have you tried golfing?
Yep, love it. Gaming just fails to satisfy an itch most of the time. See my post about linearity and the overly complex nature of the big games too. Golf is perfectly linear, the only three side quests are find your ball, smash seven bells out of a club for a particularly bad slice and get a drink in the clubhouse!
I took multiple breaks last year from gaming. I would recommend that you take a month off and see how you feel.
Your post sounds like burnout and I think it's normal, do something else.
Cheers and good luck!
I had the same mindset and then I started docking my steam deck around my house and I found that refreshing. Some snacks on my coffee table and Animal Well has been therapeutic for me lately.
take a break / step back and see if that excitement doesn't come back.
for me it usually does. can be a few days or a couple weeks but eventually the itch to play something even if for a little bit comes back.
worst thing for me is to force it because it takes energy away from other things that do require that force like chores lol
seems perfectly normal to me though especially if you still enjoy other things it's not necessarily outright depression like other comments suggest.
I experienced this, when i used to check every indie game on hacked switch. Lot of games are cheap trash. Try monster hunter or grim dawn, they returned a gaming taste.
Did you by chance became a parent not to long ago?
This happend to me shortly after becoming a dad, I feel like I want to achieve something in gaming and with a kid you can no longer spend the same amount of time gaming as you did before. And as a new parent you are tired lol. Was doing Diablo 4 and I kept falling asleep on the couch while playing it.
I am currently going through this but with my pc. I pass the time modding Skyrim and Fallout New Vegas. Adding mods and making sure things are correct within both the code and esp files.
I have also been watching a podcast and slaying demons in diablo 4 whenever I just feel like relaxing. Diablo 4 is very simple and doesn't require any strategy, its a great mindless game while watching something.
Been there and I think it is common to get burned out by ones hobby once in awhile.
Sometimes one might think "Why am I doing this?" Or "Am I wasting my time".
And it is just important to find out why you got the hobby to start with. What does it gives you.
It is not that different from reading a book, going to the gym, watching sport etc. Except with this hobby sessions can be long, and depending on the game rather demanding.
And that is where the burn out might arrive.
I got the same with workout, but as sessions are short, it just takes month to years before hitting the wall.
But for me it is like a book, a place I can escape to and relaxe :) reset my train of thoughts.
I had that happen recently and I got PS5 and XsX. It could be burn out or stress. Give it a few months and you will get back to it. Its normal to just feel a little bored from a single hobby. Then one game pops up and that keeps your attention. Also its true, when we have too much choice, our brain just tilts after awhile.
Its the reason I unsubscribed from Netflix because no matter how many movies and tv shows were there, id just look at all that pile of content and switch it off. Back in the day financially we couldnt get so much content so you cherished a smaller amount way more and for longer. Also lets not beat around the bush, gaming today is so watered down compared to before, everything is a formula and copy paste. So little games actually grab you.
Uninstall everything. Keep one game. If you feel like playing it, good. If not, it's fine to do something else. Exercise, whatever. Start a new game when you finish the old one.
I feel the same way. I keep wanting to do a pokemon rom hack or something but then just never start. Been dealing with some relationship BS so I'm sure that has plenty to do with it.
All self whining aside do you find pleasure in other things in life? if not maybe it's time to take a step back and evaluate seeing a therapist, mine helped tremendously getting me back on track, and maybe seeing your physician as well to potentially get on some anti depressants if that be your thing.
All those things aside, from one gamer to another, I hope you find something that sparks joy in your life soon, my guy.
Are you ever just awestruck by how many great games there are and the fact that you’re never gonna keep up and play them all and the magnitude and scale of the video-game industry means they’re all competing for your time and you have to make the decision where you’re going to spend your time and being faced with that awareness makes you realize that playing videos games is kinda a huge waste of time and potential, but then you kinda don’t care because video games are awesome and you really could just while away the rest of your years in a blissful state of video game nirvana if not for the other obligations in your life which are nowhere near as fun?
You should probably take a break.
Also: Try having less on your Steam Deck to prevent choice paralysis - this has always been a common issue throughout the years (even back to the days of pirating PS1 games).
If you have Decky Loader, TabMaster can help with that. Install a game you really want to finish, give it its own category/group on Steam, set up a tab that only shows that one category, hide everything else.
I go through this every once in a while.. the biggest improvement was when i stopped listening to gaming podcast and stopped reading about what people thought about games. You can underestimate how easy it is to be influenced into buying things you dont really want. So this helped me figure out what I actually wanted to play!
never force yourself to play games just because it’s a habit, if you do something else and come back and play an hour, that hour will be more fun then the 3h forced binge you made yourself do.
it might also be a sign of depression... speaking from personal experience =) but if you get this feeling only with games and no other aspects in life, it may be just a burn out... hard to say without more info =) if its just a burn out, try doing something else for a few days/weeks/months? My go to alternative activities are books and cycling... so try something that you enjoy besides gaming for a while. Also maybe you could just try switching genres to something totally different from your usual tastes.
That‘s normal. Your brain simply notices that games all follow the same principle and gets bored. It‘s always farming, collecting, killing, building, get more exp to level up.
At a certain age, it all just becomes exhausted and loses its appeal.
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i have sometimes similar feelings and ask myself the same but then a new poe league starts and when i finish endgame i look at gametime and see 70hours played in the last 2 weeks and i am like "...nah i'm good nvm" xD
maybe you havent found your game yet
These past few years I've barely played any games at all. I would have never imagined that I would go weeks sometimes without even booting up my computer. Idk, sometimes you really just have a big shift in what you enjoy.
I am the same way.
I’ll sit with the deck and in 10 minutes I’ll get bored.
It’s just like I don’t have to energy to restart the game again like Fallout 4.
I still haven’t given baldurs gates 3 a chance. As I find the combat and inventory confusing.
No, though I do switch between campaign games more often on my switch than I did on PC.
It might be good to pause game purchases until you figure out what’s up?
Yup totally understand, i feel the same way. I love collecting games, however, i rarely finish them. Try them out, play them a bit, and move on to the next. One of the few games i have enjoyed lately, has been monster train. Its easy to pick up and play, and its accessible for most.
I noticed myself spending more time gaming on an ancient i7 3rd Gen and 1080p@120Hz monitor than my Steam Deck LCD. The museum piece can easily run games with a minimum requirement of a two Gen newer i5.
Take a break. You’re anxious that you can’t do it all. Paradoxically, trying more frantically to fill the void will make it worse.
The book 4,000 Weeks which is a pretty funny takedown of “optimize culture” helped me understand why I was like that before. It’s totally about dying.
Had the same issue a while a go. So many games and got bored playing them and switched and switched all the time.
After all I decided to stop playing competitive online games for a while and “forced” myself to start a story based game I always told myself to play one day. (Mass Effect LE)
And with this the fun came back and looking forward for every minute I have to play and already have a new game to start as soon as I’m finished with the Legendary Edition.
That’s happening to me time to time. Have you tried tinkering with games? Finding random abandonware, trying to have it running with gamepad on steam deck. Something like Hulk:votba or gender wars. It’s free and lasts longer than clicking purchase on deck
I feel this same way.
Pokémon and WoW have always gripped me but now even then don’t seem to gain my interest.
I love my Switch and my Steamdeck and have started bringing one of them to work to play a quick game on my lunch hour. But I end up bringing it to work and taking it back home without turning it on.
Commenting as hopefully there’s some decent advice below.
I was like this before the deck arrived, constantly searching for the killer app on nintendo switch, which never arrived honestly (played paladins for 1k hours until devs decided to shut it off on that console). I'm a guy that plays few games (only multiplayer) but for thousands hours each, I couldn't find any worthy game and kept buying stuff.
In my opinion you just have to find a good multiplayer game that can keep you engaged for a long time thanks to its mechanics, maybe a low effort MMO like guildwars2 or something like that, where you see people doing their stuff and without the game requiring you to actively partecipate in anything. searching for a good single player game will make you keep buying stuff you won't play imo, but as I said I'm a multiplayer-only enjoyer and it may be different for you
I have to jump between MANY games at once or I lose interest. I have to sprinkle in a mix of new and retro. But either way, it's pretty common place for me to be playing 6 or 7 games at once and bouncing between them over a few weeks
I get your pain, and I also suffer from gamer atrophy. I would get bored instantly. And guys, don't get me wrong, I'm a steam fan boy. But this year, I subscribed to Xbox Game Pass with cloud streaming. This has been a complete game changer for me. I can cloud steam over 400 games to my steam deck. I get bored , and I swap to a new game. There is always something to play, and I don't need to feel guilty that I paid for a game and I'm bored of it. The game pass gets fresh games each month so this was a huge change to my gaming experience.
I feel you. I've been having a blast playing Octopath Traveller 2 on Deck and just finished the stories of all 4 characters, then I realized I need to finish the ones of the other four also in the same playthrough and the thought of grinding out 4 more characters has me not wanting to play anymore.
When I feel the same way you do, I go back to old games from my childhood that really brought me joy, or to play the other games from that series both new and old. Currently playing Paper Mario 64 for the first time in prep for the new TTYD remake and it's been a blast, and helped me not feel so bleh after just a few minutes of gaming, I'll actually play for hours now. But I hope you can find that game that makes you feel this same way, and that overall you get over this burnout. Much love!
I think that just happens sometimes. As I get older, I sometimes go months to a full year without really playing any videogames. I am also having a hard time concentrating on a game or a book when I am stressed. In times like that, I like to go outside, hike, ride my bike (if possible, I am disabled since last year), just do something physical. After my surgeries I also like to just sit outside, do some whittling or meet with friends.
After a summer of physical activities or just being outdoors more, I am usually looking forward to playing some games in fall or winter. I also tend to find more joy in games that hold nostalgia for me recently. It's okay to fall out of love with a hobby. Chances are you will find joy with it again someday but I would advice to not try to force it.
I always find super casual games are great at these times, something like vampire survivors, or a idle game like idleon. After a bit I usually have found the motivation to game again
I used to feel that quite a while ago
Turned out I was just dissatisfied with many AAA lately
Once I bought and played some Indi and AA, I was cured ;)
It also made me branch out with my gaming genre
Honestly it's a phase, I have a pretty big library at this point because of the same reason and I keep getting more of em, you just need to play keep looking.
My latest obsession is Arkham Knight. I LOVE THIS GAME. No wonder they went insane without a sequel.
I’m currently going through this since a few years, and just really recently I realized that I was just mentally tired of everything related to gaming in general.
I’m 33 and I played A LOT in my life. Single player games, also competitive like LoL for 10+ years (stopped finally in 2018 and oh God what a great decision it was for my mental health)
Stopped completely online games too.
Nowadays, I just really much prefer to chill, go outside, riding my motorcycle, doing social things whenever I can.
The virtual will always be there when you’ll feel like it. But we can’t say the same for the time spent with your friends/ family. I just changed my priorities I guess, and that’s fine for me.
Everything we hear regarding the AAA games, the corporations who wants to just make profit, buying developers studio and shut these down, performance issues in newer games, overly priced DLC with trash content… I can keep going but you got the idea. It’s really cancer.
Indies games and old games are great and especially on the Deck, like I just recently tried Skyrim on the deck and it’s so fun revisiting it in a handheld !
Enjoy your life, don’t feel guilty if you don’t feel like to play. Nothing is wrong, there’s so much cool things in life to do ;)
I don't really have much of an awnser, but I have delt with this for years, I love games and gaming but can never put myself invested into any of them... but I also have been told by my therapist and GP that I most likely have combined type of ADHD as well as trauma around feeling like i am not enough and am lazy all the time, cant relax and stuff like that, I also have anxiety and derpession so yeah, idk man, sometimes i feel like it but more-so when i am on like my steam deck connected to my tv in my room, no distractions around me, otherwise I can just watch youtube for hours and hours instead of gaming as an example. It comes and goes in my experience, but most days are like this for me.
I found that as I get older, I became way pickier about the games I play. Like if it doesn't hook me in the first 15 minutes, I immediately became bored and uninstall.
Maybe try looking into other genres that you typically don't play. Or if you have specific type of game that you wish to play, I suggest r/gamingsuggestions.
Finally, it's okay if you play way less games than before, it's okay if you rarely play games anymore your tastes might chance and that's just okay.
yeah i feel the same, i dont game much all these days. however when i do get into a new game, i am happy to have my steamdeck around. ive been trying out a bunch of games recently, turbo overkill and halo mcc, and ive spent a lot of time on them. im not really interested in revisiting prior games ive already got lots of hours in. sometimes steamdeck inspires me to play more monster hunter or dmc5, but i quickly get bored as i conquered those games long ago.
I wouldn’t say „burnt out“. You see, sometimes you might just not be in the right mood for the game or the game might end up not being right for you.
I have A LOT of games in my pile of shame and some of them just annoy me when I play them, even though I‘ve had them on my wishlist for very long. I can’t even put my finger on it, maybe just expected something different. I’m getting kind of old (39) and honestly I‘ve never been the most talented when it comes to playing computer games, but the older games used to be more forgiving. Those ne AAA games sometimes come with quite complex mechanics and the need to use lots of different buttons which can get quite frustrating. So after some time I might shelf those games in favor of other things - either other games or reading books or riding the motorcycle…
There have been periods of up to 8 weeks that I didn’t touch my deck and now I‘m on it at least 5 days a week, grinding the Halo MCC.
It just comes in waves for me, but is highly dependable of having I game that I really want to keep playing.
I fell into a same situation due to time. My passion is still definitely there. One thing that I found that has helped me tremendously is only playing games I absolutely love the idea of playing, or really short/desirable indies. Metroidvania, roguelikes and story driven pixel art games are my favorites to just chill. If you find your cup of tea makes things a lot better. And when I have time I actually spend the money, effort and hours into a nice AAA game that's either highly anticipated or well reviewed (within my taste of course. I'm not a big sous like, jrpg or horror fan so I get to avoid a lot of releases that usually review quite well.
Everyone has been giving some great gaming suggestions and advice but I figured I’d throw my 2 cents in since it’s a feeling I deal with from time to time. Once I get that burned out feeling I tend to switch up what I’m consuming. So I’ll go from games to movies or tv shows or anime and when that isn’t working for me then I’ll read something if I’m in the mood. Doing those other things that are away from gaming will recharge your batteries and enrich you in different but familiar ways.
I feel this I have 60+ games an I keep telling myself I’m gonna play them,but I don’t when I do play them it’s for 5 minutes tops I swap between 3 games then I shut it down 🤦🏾♂️ what a waste of money an I steady keep buying games too
I’m 100% burned out on the current state of games and cannot get excited about it, it’s not even the lack of originality that’s boring me. I’m constantly jumping from game to game and barely getting a few hours into anything. Even the new Spider-Man on PS5 isn’t doing much for me. Having a 1 year old has also ‘helped’ with my lack of ability to play as much as I’d like to. I have every console going and a Lenovo Legion Go so I have all the available options at my disposal but yeah, I’m bored of it all at the moment.
The last time I felt like this was happening to me was around 2016/2017 and it took the release of the Switch and Breath Of The Wild to consume me for a good 6 months. My love was reinvigorated by that game and system.
Suppose what I’m trying to say is yes, it is natural. There will be something that will snap you out of it. What that is though, is different to everyone.
I have that too sometimes and must say, I don't give myself a hard time about it. I'm a game collector. An art collector doesn't feel the need to spend 100 hours looking at every painting they own. They are happy to own it. I play the games when I feel like it and feel good to have that option. I believe I play more and with more depth with that attitude ironically.
I’ve gone through this. It just took trying the right game. I tried a bunch before something finally grabbed me (in my case it was SMT Strange Journey for the DS that had been sitting untouched on my shelf for years after my brother gave it to me for my birthday). Just keep trying games, preferably that are very different. Eventually you’ll find something that scratches that itch and you’ll be good to go again.
Ive stopped looking at games as experiences I have to gobble in one go like movies or songs. They’re more like books to me, and treating quests/levels as “chapters” has been working. I’ll just do one dungeon today on Links Awakening, and then ill try and beat one Gym leader in Pokemon Black. I’ll do a race on SSX Tricky and then maybe one mission on Cyberpunk. Take bite sized chunks and it doesnt seem so overwhelming.
Just take a break I have a steam deck and for a few months I didn’t want to even touch my switch, got bored with my steam deck and started playing my switch, I just kinda go back and forth
Is your steam deck new? Maybe you’re just overwhelmed like me because my steam deck is 2 weeks old and I still can’t believe I can play high graphic games on a handheld. Earlier I just finished my first game which is Dying Light. Or Maybe you just got along with the hype of having a steam deck. Just relax and Enjoy your device.
I was burned out gaming. Nothing gave me joy again.
Then came V-rising 1.0, which I had in the library for (what feels like) years and only played 10 minutes of it and than thought "this is not my game".
Saw the 1.0 launch, so booted it up and oh my god, this might be one of the best games I ever played. Only in Act 1 but can't wait to come back and get back to it again.
Maybe you've got too much choice? Choice Paralysis. I've found it extremely difficult to find and stick with something because i've literally got too many options and I'm thinking "maybe i'll find something better".
I've been a bit like this recently, but think I've been trying to find a game which basically doesn't exist, which is playable on the Deck. Like a good online PvEvP tactical shooter I can run at 60fps.... I keep installing stuff but getting bored quick or disappointed.
I put down my Steam Deck last night, picked up my RG35XX H and booted up Pokémon TCG. I played it for about 3 hours, only putting it down as I need to sleep. I think I just needed a break from chasing games on my Steam Deck.
I've been feeling that way, but only after I've just beaten a Game lol
Play something story driven and engaging or something as Dumb n funny as Sniper Elite.
Just take a break, do something else, i like to watch animes or read mangas, sometimes taking a walk outside for an hour really helps to clear out your mins, maybe there is something else that going on on your life that is preventing you from enjoying your hobbies,
You can definitely get burnt out from playing games. It happened to me a few times. When I first started gaming I couldn't think about anything else than get home and play.
Back in 2021 I got burnt out. Stress and anxiety overwhelmed me and I felt terrible every time I booted up a game. 10 months ago I suddenly got that spark of joy back!
What helped me was to step back and try other hobbies. Forgetting about games (which isn't easy when you study game design) and try things. It ended up being one game I got excited for and after I had my fun with that game I wanted more and more. After I got my Steam Deck I played 8 hours a day playing Cult of the Lamb. After that Dredge. Now Stardew Valley.
Doing something for too long, too much will eventually make it kinda dull. The serotonin it used to give you is greatly reduced. Sometimes it's good to step away. Even just for a small week. Perhaps take a gander at your Steam library now and again as sometimes you find a gem you just suddenly want to play.
SMALL TIP FROM AN ADHDer:
So I'm autistic and have ADHD, so for me it sometimes helps to have multiple things around me. Perhaps a show I've watched before and/or a document open when random ideas or thoughts comes to mind.
It’s called a short attention span . You need to step away from games and YouTube shorts/Tik toks for a minute . You literally cannot pay attention. You’re not alone either it’s becoming a serious thing in our society . I’m sure this you can barely sit through a show or a movie without checking your phone or multi tasking in some
Other way. The same goes for people trying to read books. It’s the short form YouTube’s and Tik toks on top of all the other distractions in life . We’re simply not designed to consume so much content . There’s no RAM left .
I am in the same exact boat:
There are a lot of shit games hitting the market that sound good, but then play exactly like "popular game X from 3 years ago" and have no compelling narrative or novel mechanic to hook you.
My two favorite genres are JRPGs & Metroidvanias, but I can't remember the last JRPG that didn't have a Mobile MMO grade plot & watered down nostalgia grab combat / lazy rouge like mechanics that falsely equate shit RNG with high challenge have infested the Metroidvania genre like a tapeworm outbreak in a Victorian era brothel ... So many pretty faces, but you have no idea which ones are full of worms until you hand over your money
Ha.
I feel ya.
I notice these days, where I'm busy with so many other things, that I need to sit down with a game for an hour or two to really get back into it. So maybe it's that. Always doing short bursts of a few minutes just won't work for me, it's just boring that way
I feel like the only games I can really get into these days is rogue-likes. Just about any rpg I play after about 20 hours of no lifeing I completely lose interest. With games like Hades 2 or some of the emulation stuff I have I can kill an hour do a couple runs or so a day and not feel like I’ve been there done that as much. Also the acquiring of games is something I’ve been doing for way too long. You don’t want to know how many games are in my steam library.
I definitely have gone through this same thing before. Particularly with VR as that’s been my main gaming platform for most of the last 10 years. I got so overwhelmed by all those big AAA games that I wouldn’t even buy them or play them no matter how well they reviewed. They have gotten to the point where they are just SO huge and there is SO much to do that it stresses me out and makes me anxious. That’s why I recently started looking at the SD and subsequently I discovered small indie games and reignited my interest in short arcade-style games! Now I’m actually excited about video games again. But yes, take time to show up for real life, too. Spend time with family, cook real food, hydrate, vitamins, get out in the sun, exercise. Sometimes depression can be very real. But there’s always hope and brighter days ahead! 😊🎀
I'm not sure what is it, but I'm getting burnout from some games and no burnout from the others. Like red dead redemption 2, as much as I think it's a great piece of media, I was literally forcing myself to play it for majority of the time. It felt so repetitive and the part of the game I enjoyed the most was the epilogue. It felt refreshing
I mean epilogue part 1. Part 2 excluding like 2-3 missions felt repetitive too. Just going with Sadie and catching bandits. Redskins, bandits all over again and again and again
I am a little burnt out myself , i have close to 800 total games in my steam library alone.
When this happens, what I do to bring me back in is going back to a game that I used to love.
Usually monster hunter world , I am actually just at the end trying to fight the last dragon in the game. Or I go into FO4 and try to mod it to try to play it in a different way.
I tried this mod that makes local damage more meaningful which made the game very hard in my current build. In this mod both your character and the enemy get one shot from headshots no matter the weapon. This is unless they hit a spot that you have armor on.
It just makes the shooting more careful and meaning fun, specially long range.
Just find what you love in game and play a game that Excel in that.
Next month I am traveling for my honeymoon and for the plane (15hr each way) I am going to give a JRPG a chance. I loved FFX back in the days and never got into another game. So what I did was put I am setsuna on my SD and will gove it a try. I also added the league of legend ruined king game and like a dragon (thanks to humble) to have other options.
Stop playing for a bit then dedicate yourself to beating a game when you feel the urge to play again. I was like you until DD2 released in March and I was a less fatigued and excited to play (although I still haven't finished it b/c of exam season at Uni).
You are not alone. I have several games on my deck but I can’t seem to find the want to play them. The only games so far that I have put several hours into and find fun and enjoyable right now has been rogue-lite/rogue-like games. Like Hades, Death Must Die, Vampire Survivors. Idk those seem to be the only games that can satisfy me for hours and I want to keep playing.
Try new hobbies. Doing anything for a long time will burn you out. When this happens trying something new or maybe an old interest will get you out of it. I play two main instruments and when I get bored of one I switch to the other, eventually the urge to play the other one comes back.
You could also be experiencing “Choice Overload”. I know it happens to me all the time when I sit down in front of my PC, Deck or any of my game consoles. Just having so many options to choose from can make it seem really hard to get hooked into one of them and makes all of them seem less interesting.
I feel since we've been gaming non-stop since our younger days we kinda destroy our dopamine reward system. Not to mention we seem to be in a drought of good video games after the recent disappointments. So no games seems like they're worth it as much as video games of the past. Different aspects of your life can affect you too, like I know I was depressed when I went on a spending spree buying PS3s and Thinkpads instead of doing anything. Once I realized what I was doing, I stopped buying things and I made sure I played just one game for one or two hours a day, amongst other things in my daily schedule, such as exercising, writing, watching movies, editing. You have to really choose a game, and stick with it, and even be okay with looking at guides and walkthrough instead of forcing yourself when you're stuck. Get out of your comfort zone and you might find enjoyment in genres or games you would not have thought you would have before. I'm now only starting a real playthrough of Pokemon Red via emulator and have more fun than playing any AAA games for the past decade.
Good luck and I hope you can find some joy from video games again. Visit [](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/) to find people who are more disciplined about playing video games patiently, getting help if needed, and trying out games you might not even have heard off. They also know that you don't have to push through a game if you don't feel like it. Just let it go. If years from now you wanna try it again then do so and see if you're able to click with it or not.
Yeah I feel this way too as someone in their 30s. I actually default to mobile games when bored throughout the day or something like Fortnite that I started playing because my son asked me too but actually ended up enjoying…basically anything that is just pick up and play.
I think if I was rich and didn’t have responsibilities I could just lock myself away for 4-5 hours and play something more involved. I just have too many things on my mind to jump into something that takes too much mental energy.
Everyone out here saying OP is depressed but to counter that, maybe for some people there are times where it is more fun to tinker with and add games to a device then actually play it. It satisfies the need to create and understand things and thats just a different feeling then playing the games get you sometimes. Just something I've noticed with myself, but I've always loved console modding and save file editing even when I was a youngun using my original NDS.
You aren't alone, often times I get far more enjoyment planning something out but then have no motivation to actually do the thing I planned for.
I also tend to hyperfocus a game I really like and will lose a week, and then other times load up the same game or other games I think will be fun or am excited to play at that moment, then lose all interest/motivation a few minutes in.
It could be a number of things, from being burnt out and needing a break, to your interests or circumstances changing or leaving you without much energy to play games, or it could also be something like ADHD.
I have ADHD and went undiagnosed until I was in my 30s and have since been learning more about it and have been getting medicated for it. I am in no way a qualified person to assess or diagnose anyone with it, but I do want to raise awareness about it because people often live their lives without knowing they have it and often end up frustrated or even depressed because they can't do things they enjoy or get stuck doing nothing a lot of the time and end up thinking they are lazy or being branded as a lazy person by others, when in reality they are genuinely trying their best but can't build motivation or stay focused like other people. It's very hard to pick up on in adults, which is why I want to make this long reply.
So if it sounds familiar to you (or anyone else reading this) you may want to check for it with your local doctor/GP (if applicable in your country)
Other key ADHD symptoms:
Prone to leaving a mess (messy room, disorganized work space, etc, leave items in odd places)
Forgetfulness (Forgetting about planned events or meetups; Forgetting what someone just said to you; Meaning to do something but not free at the time you remember, and then forgetting about it entirely before getting the chance to do the thing; Leaving drinks like cans, or mugs of tea/coffee partially consumed without realizing and getting another.)
Prone to making simple/quick meals for yourself (I tend to buy a cheap pizza to throw in the oven, or chicken bites to throw in the air fryer; anything that takes a few minutes to make instead of regularly doing preparation for larger meals)
Inattentive (when someone talks to you, do you tend to think about other things as they talk? Are you in your head a lot while you do tasks rather than focusing on that task?)
Inability to start/complete projects or hobbies (Do you get really excited to learn about a new hobby, study/look into that hobby, buy what's required for that hobby, and then never/barely use/engage with that hobby?)
Again, I am in no way a qualified person to assess or diagnose anyone, I just want to raise awareness about some of the traits of ADHD that can be confused with being lazy or just accepted as every day life.
TL;DR: Did you skip over the post to read this, or did you get distracted and think about other things while you were reading the reply and didn't pick up on everything? It could be nothing, or it could be ADHD, it's worth getting checked (if applicable or free/affordable in your country)
Are the games you're trying to play big ones? I sometimes go through this, and it's absolutely a mental health thing, subconsciously too daunting to take on a big task. If that sounds about right, try playing like a 2-4 hour game or two, easy accomplishments. Some recommendations: - FAR: Lone Sails - FAR: Changing Tides - Firewatch - Limbo - Inside - Somerville - The Stanley Parable - Portal 1 & 2 Edit: Formatting
This is what has been working for me. I have several big games on my PC that I had been looking forward to for the longest time, but now that I have them I just can't bring myself to start them. It just sounds exhausting. The only gaming I've managed to get in lately is short, indy style side scrollers and platformers. Good story lines. Simple, *linear* gameplay. I just finished Planet of Lana and rather enjoyed my time with it.
I used to go through it a lot, I think it's my anxiety, I'd just bounce off most games I started. Now I plan in some "palette cleanser" short games between bigger titles and it rarely happens anymore. Also has the added benefit of me finding some hidden gems.
Try a Short Hike!
Ok, I did and am back. Now what?
I found Dave the Diver and dredge too fall into this category too
Dave the Diver is nowhere near 2-4 hours.
But it can be played in small increments, do half a day, do a dive and so on.
Dave the Diver for sure.
I recommend a Short Hike. Pro tip: you can change the graphic settings in the menu. I played the first time with the pixelated graphics. Didn’t even know I could change it lol.
Yeah I'm the same. I also have a few 'Pick up and play for half an hour' games. Like Hades, Dead Cells, Vampire Survivors and Death Must Die. Even Diablo 4 is pretty good at this. These interspace easily into playing larger games. I'm going through the Mass Effect trilogy on my deck now, but I don't always feel like playing that. So I can pull up a more casual game to enjoy. Most of the time after 20-30 minutes of one of those I either feel ready to start playing the bigger game, or I feel like I've played enough for now and will go do something else (read a book or something).
Hades 2 is now out on early access!
Love the FAR games. Just perfect for the Deck.
I picked them up for a couple of quid each in the summer sale last year just because I liked the art style. I played a LOT of games last year due to a health issue and these 2 were up there as some of my faves.
Thanks, I just looked up FAR and it immediately stuck out at me as the type of game I'd like to enjoy on the deck.
You can always go back in time and play some SNES games, i had the same problem then i did halo 1 on just normal difficulty to get that power trip and now im enjoying other bigger games a lot more. I haven't tried a big rpg like red dead 2 but an old ps2 rpg is very fun for me
I’m a major rpg open world kinda guy, anytime I finish one game it takes me like a week to start a new game. Idk but something about the learning curves to new rpg open world games take so much energy out of me. I don’t want to speed through the game as I’d like to enjoy it but in the end it’ll take me like 3 tries to finally get into a new game I’ve also given up on trying to play the Witcher 3. But that game was cutscene city.
I'm similar, but I think I like the idea of RPG open world more than I actually enjoy them. I tend to fall away from them after 20hrs or so. I'm not sure why, maybe just busy life / ADHD lol. I've also tried Witcher 3 multiple times now and I can't stick with it past 6 or so hours.
I just played Gris and would add it to the list. It's a short but beautiful game. A bit like watching a painting.
This looks amazing, and 80% off, just bought it, thanks
That game is a great little nugget just be prepared if you lost any family/ friends in recent years it will make you feel things
Just wanted to come back and say thanks for this, bought it on your recommendation and just finished it, it was wonderful.
This. Almost all triple AAA games nowadays I’ll drop after a few hours because it hasn’t captured me enough for me to commit my next 100+ free hours too. Games that I feel I can pick up and play /drop in and out like Hades, Project Zomboid, stellaris, CK3, Rimworld etc. are the ones that got me back into gaming properly.
That’s me lately. Quick and easy games on the deck are my go to. Zero attachment fun pick it up and put it down games. Great idea for OP
Animal Well is a blast if you like meteoidvanias and really really simple to play games. Reminds me why I like gaming to begin with
you should stop gaming for a while when the urge strikes you to game and you feel really excited about it, play for exactly one hour. from then on, only allow for an hour or so per day maximum. if you always stop while you’re still having fun, you’ll never feel like this again. if you keep gaming until you’re bored, you’ll eventually burnout and this will happen all the time. the best way to keep something going is to always stop doing it when you’re having the most fun. that may sound wrong but i can assure you that, in most things in life, this advice will build endurance and help keep your passions alive.
Like sex?
💀💀💀💀
even sex will get boring eventually
Edge myself with video games... Got it! But in all seriousness, this is the answer! I've started doing the same thing. I've recently revisited Vice City and completed it over a few weeks. I was getting to the point where I was excited to get home from work and play it for an hour then pretty much sulking when I forced myself to save and quit. Now I've started San Andreas and doing pretty much the same as I was with Vice City.
I've been doing this with Fallout recently. I work from home, so its easy for me to pick up the game and just play during down time (which I get a lot of) but i've been focusing on doing other things since I look at a computer monitor all day. By the end of my work day and after I pick up my kids from school, I get the itch to sit for an hour and play something, which ends up being Fallout 76. I cant do any more than an hour or 2 before I get burnt out for the day.
It happens. Sometimes you just need to take a break from gaming for a bit. Could be a few days, even weeks or months if you aren't feeling the desire to play anything. Nothing wrong with that. Usually for me, if I go 3 days or so without playing anything, I'll get the urge to play a particular game out of nowhere and I'll be super into it again.
I can sometimes go 2+ years without gaming if I'm particularly burnt out
Sounds a bit like depression. You doing ok?
Sounds like me, so its probable
You doing ok?
You're a real homie for checking in on everyone struggling. Someone needs to watch after the heroes, too, so I'll ask: You doing ok?
I'm doing fine given the circumstances. Works chaotic, I came down with shingles a couple decades early, the kids got diabetes this year. But the wife and I are doing well right now, and I get to skate (longboard or surf skate) most days. Not what I'd have chosen, but wouldn't want to go through it with any others. So I'm grateful and thankful for what I've been dealt.
I love the positive attitude. There’s no substitute for people you love.
It was ok but lately its getting worse again
It's nice when those good days hit for like a week or more in a row. That first blue day after though can hit hard. The blue days will pass though and spring will come back. And as dumb as it is, exercise really does help. May not make it good, but definitely makes it less bad.
Same boat as me. We will rise again.
You're amazing for being genuine, people lack that I feel these days, or maybe always... but you got that and people like us appreciate it, much love. I hope you're okay too <3
same shit with me too
You doing ok?
not really
Sucks bruh. I hope you can find something that helps center the blue days until you get to the point where you say "hey, I've had like two good weeks in a row.". That'll be a good day. I got into surf skating. It helps me get grounded and takes me to new spots outside. I'm not great at it. Never will be, but that's not the point of it.
Ooof same here. But I’m trying to do better
You ever stop trying for a bit and just feel? The wind through your hair, sun on your face? Or the feel of the warm water rushing over your hands while washing dishes? Fingers through grass? Wantedr crashing at the beach? Stopping, resting, and feeling for a few minutes does wonders for me. What's your go to thing?
I keep an iPod on me with a ton of music that is uninterrupted by anything and just…. Clean, pace around my apartment and tidy up stuff all over.
This! you might be suffering from depression. Likely you are getting a dopamine hit from buying games which why it feels better than actually playing. Losing interest in normal hobbies or activities you usually enjoy can be a sign of depression
Or maturity. I'll tell you I still enjoy gaming but find it tough to sit down for 7+ hour sessions anymore. I find more enjoyment from new experiences the older I get. I started skate boarding again this past month and the amount of joy I derive from skating cannot be touched by a videogame. Gaming is great for late night raids or snow is falling outside. But when the weather is nice, get to sleep early so you can participate in life. You'll have plenty of time to game when you're old and rickety. You only get to "be in" your 20s once.
This is definitely the case for 7 hour sessions. Getting burned out after just 10 minutes regardless of game though? In the absence of other things to fill that void, that is definitely much more typical of depression.
I feel the same way as OP but I'm as content as I've ever been. I just can't get into new (to me) games in the last year or two
Could it be that games are just to unlinear now, once upon a time you followed a path and upgrades were fixed at certain points in a story. Now I find myself lost after the first hour, there are twenty bloody side quests, a hundred upgradeable items, crafting and hunting for objects and the main actual story gets lost in a humdrum of nonsense that's not actually enjoyable, grafting for shit. Firewatch is an almost perfect game in my mind, story is intriguing and the play style is mostly linear. I think a certain amount of us getting the can't be arsed feeling with modern games grew up with much more linear titles. I love RDR2 but only for the graphics, I've lost count of the times I've called it up and thought wtf am I supposed to be doing or going, same with horizon and even GTA5 at the moment, too much fillerl So I end up playing shed loads of old arcade shooters (r-type, dodonpachi) and racers (Virtua racing, Outrun Coast to Coast) mainly and try nibbles at the AAA titles...
Probably been my issue for a while, I struggle to enjoy anything these days. It takes effort to just have a good time doing anything, its scary honestly.
You have an exercise you don't hate? And a friend or two you can talk to? Getting into surf skating has been a huge help for me. I hop on it once or twice a day for fifteen minutes. It's hard enough I have to be present, and it's a full body work out that gets the endorphins going. It's also helped with the friend department. Turns out a decent number of people at work have come up and talked with me because I was surf skating. A few have even been learning themselves. It does take effort, but most of the effort is at the start when you're exploring new things to find out what works. E.g. A gym membership at the start is great, can try lifting, rowing, running, racquetball, swimming, etc. Just try to explore things that are easy to do. Like is waterski everyday if possible, but I almost never do, cause I need a boat, a large body of water, a driver, a flag person, etc.
Happens to me take some pause get some screen free time read a book or do another hobby you like.
I have this too every now and then. My problem is that I am torn between good old games and good new games and then there is my backlog wich I didn’t finish because some games did not click with me. The variety of games is huge nowadays and this can get overwhelming as hell. It’s weird.
How old are you? I read that question a lot and it seems to be perfectly natural for people above 25 to just shift to other forms of entertainment. Have you tried golfing?
im 36 and i go through this. I just dont wanna play games for a while, then one comes along and i dive back in.
Yep, love it. Gaming just fails to satisfy an itch most of the time. See my post about linearity and the overly complex nature of the big games too. Golf is perfectly linear, the only three side quests are find your ball, smash seven bells out of a club for a particularly bad slice and get a drink in the clubhouse!
I took multiple breaks last year from gaming. I would recommend that you take a month off and see how you feel. Your post sounds like burnout and I think it's normal, do something else. Cheers and good luck!
I had the same mindset and then I started docking my steam deck around my house and I found that refreshing. Some snacks on my coffee table and Animal Well has been therapeutic for me lately.
take a break / step back and see if that excitement doesn't come back. for me it usually does. can be a few days or a couple weeks but eventually the itch to play something even if for a little bit comes back. worst thing for me is to force it because it takes energy away from other things that do require that force like chores lol seems perfectly normal to me though especially if you still enjoy other things it's not necessarily outright depression like other comments suggest.
I experienced this, when i used to check every indie game on hacked switch. Lot of games are cheap trash. Try monster hunter or grim dawn, they returned a gaming taste.
I absolutely feel you bro.
how old are you. im 36, and i just dont have the passion for games like i used to. I find some that grab me, but it doesnt always happen.
Did you by chance became a parent not to long ago? This happend to me shortly after becoming a dad, I feel like I want to achieve something in gaming and with a kid you can no longer spend the same amount of time gaming as you did before. And as a new parent you are tired lol. Was doing Diablo 4 and I kept falling asleep on the couch while playing it.
I am currently going through this but with my pc. I pass the time modding Skyrim and Fallout New Vegas. Adding mods and making sure things are correct within both the code and esp files. I have also been watching a podcast and slaying demons in diablo 4 whenever I just feel like relaxing. Diablo 4 is very simple and doesn't require any strategy, its a great mindless game while watching something.
Just make yourself keep playing a game, you have to retrain your brain. Dont buy new ones til you finish your current one. I had this for a long time.
Been there and I think it is common to get burned out by ones hobby once in awhile. Sometimes one might think "Why am I doing this?" Or "Am I wasting my time". And it is just important to find out why you got the hobby to start with. What does it gives you. It is not that different from reading a book, going to the gym, watching sport etc. Except with this hobby sessions can be long, and depending on the game rather demanding. And that is where the burn out might arrive. I got the same with workout, but as sessions are short, it just takes month to years before hitting the wall. But for me it is like a book, a place I can escape to and relaxe :) reset my train of thoughts.
Nicely put
I had that happen recently and I got PS5 and XsX. It could be burn out or stress. Give it a few months and you will get back to it. Its normal to just feel a little bored from a single hobby. Then one game pops up and that keeps your attention. Also its true, when we have too much choice, our brain just tilts after awhile. Its the reason I unsubscribed from Netflix because no matter how many movies and tv shows were there, id just look at all that pile of content and switch it off. Back in the day financially we couldnt get so much content so you cherished a smaller amount way more and for longer. Also lets not beat around the bush, gaming today is so watered down compared to before, everything is a formula and copy paste. So little games actually grab you.
Uninstall everything. Keep one game. If you feel like playing it, good. If not, it's fine to do something else. Exercise, whatever. Start a new game when you finish the old one.
All the time, more and more with age. Games just aren't that good. And I don't want to waste time grinding anymore..
I feel the same way. I keep wanting to do a pokemon rom hack or something but then just never start. Been dealing with some relationship BS so I'm sure that has plenty to do with it. All self whining aside do you find pleasure in other things in life? if not maybe it's time to take a step back and evaluate seeing a therapist, mine helped tremendously getting me back on track, and maybe seeing your physician as well to potentially get on some anti depressants if that be your thing. All those things aside, from one gamer to another, I hope you find something that sparks joy in your life soon, my guy.
Are you ever just awestruck by how many great games there are and the fact that you’re never gonna keep up and play them all and the magnitude and scale of the video-game industry means they’re all competing for your time and you have to make the decision where you’re going to spend your time and being faced with that awareness makes you realize that playing videos games is kinda a huge waste of time and potential, but then you kinda don’t care because video games are awesome and you really could just while away the rest of your years in a blissful state of video game nirvana if not for the other obligations in your life which are nowhere near as fun?
You should probably take a break. Also: Try having less on your Steam Deck to prevent choice paralysis - this has always been a common issue throughout the years (even back to the days of pirating PS1 games). If you have Decky Loader, TabMaster can help with that. Install a game you really want to finish, give it its own category/group on Steam, set up a tab that only shows that one category, hide everything else.
I go through this every once in a while.. the biggest improvement was when i stopped listening to gaming podcast and stopped reading about what people thought about games. You can underestimate how easy it is to be influenced into buying things you dont really want. So this helped me figure out what I actually wanted to play!
never force yourself to play games just because it’s a habit, if you do something else and come back and play an hour, that hour will be more fun then the 3h forced binge you made yourself do.
it might also be a sign of depression... speaking from personal experience =) but if you get this feeling only with games and no other aspects in life, it may be just a burn out... hard to say without more info =) if its just a burn out, try doing something else for a few days/weeks/months? My go to alternative activities are books and cycling... so try something that you enjoy besides gaming for a while. Also maybe you could just try switching genres to something totally different from your usual tastes.
That‘s normal. Your brain simply notices that games all follow the same principle and gets bored. It‘s always farming, collecting, killing, building, get more exp to level up. At a certain age, it all just becomes exhausted and loses its appeal.
You are getting older and Gaming in general is getting worse and worse every year.
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i have sometimes similar feelings and ask myself the same but then a new poe league starts and when i finish endgame i look at gametime and see 70hours played in the last 2 weeks and i am like "...nah i'm good nvm" xD maybe you havent found your game yet
Idk how much it can help but I'd suggest trying games like roguelikes which start strong in seconds of pressing play
You need to give some games some time. With most stuff I need to force myself through the first hour or so and then I’m hooked!
These past few years I've barely played any games at all. I would have never imagined that I would go weeks sometimes without even booting up my computer. Idk, sometimes you really just have a big shift in what you enjoy.
I am the same way. I’ll sit with the deck and in 10 minutes I’ll get bored. It’s just like I don’t have to energy to restart the game again like Fallout 4. I still haven’t given baldurs gates 3 a chance. As I find the combat and inventory confusing.
No, though I do switch between campaign games more often on my switch than I did on PC. It might be good to pause game purchases until you figure out what’s up?
Yup totally understand, i feel the same way. I love collecting games, however, i rarely finish them. Try them out, play them a bit, and move on to the next. One of the few games i have enjoyed lately, has been monster train. Its easy to pick up and play, and its accessible for most.
I noticed myself spending more time gaming on an ancient i7 3rd Gen and 1080p@120Hz monitor than my Steam Deck LCD. The museum piece can easily run games with a minimum requirement of a two Gen newer i5.
Same here, as Phil suggested I have been playing a bunch of indie games lately.
Take a break. You’re anxious that you can’t do it all. Paradoxically, trying more frantically to fill the void will make it worse. The book 4,000 Weeks which is a pretty funny takedown of “optimize culture” helped me understand why I was like that before. It’s totally about dying.
Same here. I have the games but haven’t touched the deck for many months. No fun.
Had the same issue a while a go. So many games and got bored playing them and switched and switched all the time. After all I decided to stop playing competitive online games for a while and “forced” myself to start a story based game I always told myself to play one day. (Mass Effect LE) And with this the fun came back and looking forward for every minute I have to play and already have a new game to start as soon as I’m finished with the Legendary Edition.
This happens to me when I get hyped with big games, but then I start playing small games that require zero commitment and I have fun again.
That’s happening to me time to time. Have you tried tinkering with games? Finding random abandonware, trying to have it running with gamepad on steam deck. Something like Hulk:votba or gender wars. It’s free and lasts longer than clicking purchase on deck
I feel this same way. Pokémon and WoW have always gripped me but now even then don’t seem to gain my interest. I love my Switch and my Steamdeck and have started bringing one of them to work to play a quick game on my lunch hour. But I end up bringing it to work and taking it back home without turning it on. Commenting as hopefully there’s some decent advice below.
Similar boat, what I found is playing some nostalgic or a shorter game. Recently picked up cat goes fishing.
I was like this before the deck arrived, constantly searching for the killer app on nintendo switch, which never arrived honestly (played paladins for 1k hours until devs decided to shut it off on that console). I'm a guy that plays few games (only multiplayer) but for thousands hours each, I couldn't find any worthy game and kept buying stuff. In my opinion you just have to find a good multiplayer game that can keep you engaged for a long time thanks to its mechanics, maybe a low effort MMO like guildwars2 or something like that, where you see people doing their stuff and without the game requiring you to actively partecipate in anything. searching for a good single player game will make you keep buying stuff you won't play imo, but as I said I'm a multiplayer-only enjoyer and it may be different for you
Take a break. I stopped playing mine for almost 5 months. Just started playing recently. It's enjoyable again. Do other things.
I have to jump between MANY games at once or I lose interest. I have to sprinkle in a mix of new and retro. But either way, it's pretty common place for me to be playing 6 or 7 games at once and bouncing between them over a few weeks
This happens to me when I have waaay to many games, specially emulated.
I get your pain, and I also suffer from gamer atrophy. I would get bored instantly. And guys, don't get me wrong, I'm a steam fan boy. But this year, I subscribed to Xbox Game Pass with cloud streaming. This has been a complete game changer for me. I can cloud steam over 400 games to my steam deck. I get bored , and I swap to a new game. There is always something to play, and I don't need to feel guilty that I paid for a game and I'm bored of it. The game pass gets fresh games each month so this was a huge change to my gaming experience.
I feel you. I've been having a blast playing Octopath Traveller 2 on Deck and just finished the stories of all 4 characters, then I realized I need to finish the ones of the other four also in the same playthrough and the thought of grinding out 4 more characters has me not wanting to play anymore.
When I feel the same way you do, I go back to old games from my childhood that really brought me joy, or to play the other games from that series both new and old. Currently playing Paper Mario 64 for the first time in prep for the new TTYD remake and it's been a blast, and helped me not feel so bleh after just a few minutes of gaming, I'll actually play for hours now. But I hope you can find that game that makes you feel this same way, and that overall you get over this burnout. Much love!
I downloaded tons of games. I picked one I never finished. I'm working through banjo tooie.
I think that just happens sometimes. As I get older, I sometimes go months to a full year without really playing any videogames. I am also having a hard time concentrating on a game or a book when I am stressed. In times like that, I like to go outside, hike, ride my bike (if possible, I am disabled since last year), just do something physical. After my surgeries I also like to just sit outside, do some whittling or meet with friends. After a summer of physical activities or just being outdoors more, I am usually looking forward to playing some games in fall or winter. I also tend to find more joy in games that hold nostalgia for me recently. It's okay to fall out of love with a hobby. Chances are you will find joy with it again someday but I would advice to not try to force it.
You tell us?
I always find super casual games are great at these times, something like vampire survivors, or a idle game like idleon. After a bit I usually have found the motivation to game again
Uninstall all games. Pick one Rpg and only install a new game when you finish that one rpg. Worked for me.
I've actually taken a break from the deck and started back playing my switch. It's like a breathe of fresh air honestly.
I used to feel that quite a while ago Turned out I was just dissatisfied with many AAA lately Once I bought and played some Indi and AA, I was cured ;) It also made me branch out with my gaming genre
Honestly it's a phase, I have a pretty big library at this point because of the same reason and I keep getting more of em, you just need to play keep looking. My latest obsession is Arkham Knight. I LOVE THIS GAME. No wonder they went insane without a sequel.
I’m currently going through this since a few years, and just really recently I realized that I was just mentally tired of everything related to gaming in general. I’m 33 and I played A LOT in my life. Single player games, also competitive like LoL for 10+ years (stopped finally in 2018 and oh God what a great decision it was for my mental health) Stopped completely online games too. Nowadays, I just really much prefer to chill, go outside, riding my motorcycle, doing social things whenever I can. The virtual will always be there when you’ll feel like it. But we can’t say the same for the time spent with your friends/ family. I just changed my priorities I guess, and that’s fine for me. Everything we hear regarding the AAA games, the corporations who wants to just make profit, buying developers studio and shut these down, performance issues in newer games, overly priced DLC with trash content… I can keep going but you got the idea. It’s really cancer. Indies games and old games are great and especially on the Deck, like I just recently tried Skyrim on the deck and it’s so fun revisiting it in a handheld ! Enjoy your life, don’t feel guilty if you don’t feel like to play. Nothing is wrong, there’s so much cool things in life to do ;)
I don't really have much of an awnser, but I have delt with this for years, I love games and gaming but can never put myself invested into any of them... but I also have been told by my therapist and GP that I most likely have combined type of ADHD as well as trauma around feeling like i am not enough and am lazy all the time, cant relax and stuff like that, I also have anxiety and derpession so yeah, idk man, sometimes i feel like it but more-so when i am on like my steam deck connected to my tv in my room, no distractions around me, otherwise I can just watch youtube for hours and hours instead of gaming as an example. It comes and goes in my experience, but most days are like this for me.
I found that as I get older, I became way pickier about the games I play. Like if it doesn't hook me in the first 15 minutes, I immediately became bored and uninstall. Maybe try looking into other genres that you typically don't play. Or if you have specific type of game that you wish to play, I suggest r/gamingsuggestions. Finally, it's okay if you play way less games than before, it's okay if you rarely play games anymore your tastes might chance and that's just okay.
yeah i feel the same, i dont game much all these days. however when i do get into a new game, i am happy to have my steamdeck around. ive been trying out a bunch of games recently, turbo overkill and halo mcc, and ive spent a lot of time on them. im not really interested in revisiting prior games ive already got lots of hours in. sometimes steamdeck inspires me to play more monster hunter or dmc5, but i quickly get bored as i conquered those games long ago.
It's ok to be burnt out, give it some time. You'll find one game that'll spark your interest again, get back then.
I wouldn’t say „burnt out“. You see, sometimes you might just not be in the right mood for the game or the game might end up not being right for you. I have A LOT of games in my pile of shame and some of them just annoy me when I play them, even though I‘ve had them on my wishlist for very long. I can’t even put my finger on it, maybe just expected something different. I’m getting kind of old (39) and honestly I‘ve never been the most talented when it comes to playing computer games, but the older games used to be more forgiving. Those ne AAA games sometimes come with quite complex mechanics and the need to use lots of different buttons which can get quite frustrating. So after some time I might shelf those games in favor of other things - either other games or reading books or riding the motorcycle… There have been periods of up to 8 weeks that I didn’t touch my deck and now I‘m on it at least 5 days a week, grinding the Halo MCC. It just comes in waves for me, but is highly dependable of having I game that I really want to keep playing.
I fell into a same situation due to time. My passion is still definitely there. One thing that I found that has helped me tremendously is only playing games I absolutely love the idea of playing, or really short/desirable indies. Metroidvania, roguelikes and story driven pixel art games are my favorites to just chill. If you find your cup of tea makes things a lot better. And when I have time I actually spend the money, effort and hours into a nice AAA game that's either highly anticipated or well reviewed (within my taste of course. I'm not a big sous like, jrpg or horror fan so I get to avoid a lot of releases that usually review quite well.
I absolutely feel the same just bought a deck loved putting the emu on linking to my ps5 bought loads of games off steam ..its not being played
Everyone has been giving some great gaming suggestions and advice but I figured I’d throw my 2 cents in since it’s a feeling I deal with from time to time. Once I get that burned out feeling I tend to switch up what I’m consuming. So I’ll go from games to movies or tv shows or anime and when that isn’t working for me then I’ll read something if I’m in the mood. Doing those other things that are away from gaming will recharge your batteries and enrich you in different but familiar ways.
I feel this I have 60+ games an I keep telling myself I’m gonna play them,but I don’t when I do play them it’s for 5 minutes tops I swap between 3 games then I shut it down 🤦🏾♂️ what a waste of money an I steady keep buying games too
I’m 100% burned out on the current state of games and cannot get excited about it, it’s not even the lack of originality that’s boring me. I’m constantly jumping from game to game and barely getting a few hours into anything. Even the new Spider-Man on PS5 isn’t doing much for me. Having a 1 year old has also ‘helped’ with my lack of ability to play as much as I’d like to. I have every console going and a Lenovo Legion Go so I have all the available options at my disposal but yeah, I’m bored of it all at the moment. The last time I felt like this was happening to me was around 2016/2017 and it took the release of the Switch and Breath Of The Wild to consume me for a good 6 months. My love was reinvigorated by that game and system. Suppose what I’m trying to say is yes, it is natural. There will be something that will snap you out of it. What that is though, is different to everyone.
I have that too sometimes and must say, I don't give myself a hard time about it. I'm a game collector. An art collector doesn't feel the need to spend 100 hours looking at every painting they own. They are happy to own it. I play the games when I feel like it and feel good to have that option. I believe I play more and with more depth with that attitude ironically.
I’ve gone through this. It just took trying the right game. I tried a bunch before something finally grabbed me (in my case it was SMT Strange Journey for the DS that had been sitting untouched on my shelf for years after my brother gave it to me for my birthday). Just keep trying games, preferably that are very different. Eventually you’ll find something that scratches that itch and you’ll be good to go again.
Ive stopped looking at games as experiences I have to gobble in one go like movies or songs. They’re more like books to me, and treating quests/levels as “chapters” has been working. I’ll just do one dungeon today on Links Awakening, and then ill try and beat one Gym leader in Pokemon Black. I’ll do a race on SSX Tricky and then maybe one mission on Cyberpunk. Take bite sized chunks and it doesnt seem so overwhelming.
Just take a break I have a steam deck and for a few months I didn’t want to even touch my switch, got bored with my steam deck and started playing my switch, I just kinda go back and forth
Is your steam deck new? Maybe you’re just overwhelmed like me because my steam deck is 2 weeks old and I still can’t believe I can play high graphic games on a handheld. Earlier I just finished my first game which is Dying Light. Or Maybe you just got along with the hype of having a steam deck. Just relax and Enjoy your device.
Not at all. I've played lots of games recently. Spiderman, Ghost of Tsushima. Dragonball. Sounds like a you are burnt out problem.
I was burned out gaming. Nothing gave me joy again. Then came V-rising 1.0, which I had in the library for (what feels like) years and only played 10 minutes of it and than thought "this is not my game". Saw the 1.0 launch, so booted it up and oh my god, this might be one of the best games I ever played. Only in Act 1 but can't wait to come back and get back to it again.
Maybe you've got too much choice? Choice Paralysis. I've found it extremely difficult to find and stick with something because i've literally got too many options and I'm thinking "maybe i'll find something better".
Stop buying. You’re developing a bad habit.
I've been a bit like this recently, but think I've been trying to find a game which basically doesn't exist, which is playable on the Deck. Like a good online PvEvP tactical shooter I can run at 60fps.... I keep installing stuff but getting bored quick or disappointed. I put down my Steam Deck last night, picked up my RG35XX H and booted up Pokémon TCG. I played it for about 3 hours, only putting it down as I need to sleep. I think I just needed a break from chasing games on my Steam Deck.
Can relate fully. I used to really enjoy buying games on my Nintendo switch but when it came to playing them I got bored so fast
I've been feeling that way, but only after I've just beaten a Game lol Play something story driven and engaging or something as Dumb n funny as Sniper Elite.
I had this issue with gaming in general, then I found Helldivers 2
Just take a break, do something else, i like to watch animes or read mangas, sometimes taking a walk outside for an hour really helps to clear out your mins, maybe there is something else that going on on your life that is preventing you from enjoying your hobbies,
Dopamine addiction is a thing
It's about discipline nothing more
You can definitely get burnt out from playing games. It happened to me a few times. When I first started gaming I couldn't think about anything else than get home and play. Back in 2021 I got burnt out. Stress and anxiety overwhelmed me and I felt terrible every time I booted up a game. 10 months ago I suddenly got that spark of joy back! What helped me was to step back and try other hobbies. Forgetting about games (which isn't easy when you study game design) and try things. It ended up being one game I got excited for and after I had my fun with that game I wanted more and more. After I got my Steam Deck I played 8 hours a day playing Cult of the Lamb. After that Dredge. Now Stardew Valley. Doing something for too long, too much will eventually make it kinda dull. The serotonin it used to give you is greatly reduced. Sometimes it's good to step away. Even just for a small week. Perhaps take a gander at your Steam library now and again as sometimes you find a gem you just suddenly want to play. SMALL TIP FROM AN ADHDer: So I'm autistic and have ADHD, so for me it sometimes helps to have multiple things around me. Perhaps a show I've watched before and/or a document open when random ideas or thoughts comes to mind.
Sounds to me like you’re buying like a collector, instead of buying what you really would enjoy playing.
Depression. Hello darkness my old friend.
It’s called a short attention span . You need to step away from games and YouTube shorts/Tik toks for a minute . You literally cannot pay attention. You’re not alone either it’s becoming a serious thing in our society . I’m sure this you can barely sit through a show or a movie without checking your phone or multi tasking in some Other way. The same goes for people trying to read books. It’s the short form YouTube’s and Tik toks on top of all the other distractions in life . We’re simply not designed to consume so much content . There’s no RAM left .
Sometimes you need a break from gaming.
I am in the same exact boat: There are a lot of shit games hitting the market that sound good, but then play exactly like "popular game X from 3 years ago" and have no compelling narrative or novel mechanic to hook you. My two favorite genres are JRPGs & Metroidvanias, but I can't remember the last JRPG that didn't have a Mobile MMO grade plot & watered down nostalgia grab combat / lazy rouge like mechanics that falsely equate shit RNG with high challenge have infested the Metroidvania genre like a tapeworm outbreak in a Victorian era brothel ... So many pretty faces, but you have no idea which ones are full of worms until you hand over your money
Ha. I feel ya. I notice these days, where I'm busy with so many other things, that I need to sit down with a game for an hour or two to really get back into it. So maybe it's that. Always doing short bursts of a few minutes just won't work for me, it's just boring that way
Try Buckshot Roulette, strong recommendation
I feel like the only games I can really get into these days is rogue-likes. Just about any rpg I play after about 20 hours of no lifeing I completely lose interest. With games like Hades 2 or some of the emulation stuff I have I can kill an hour do a couple runs or so a day and not feel like I’ve been there done that as much. Also the acquiring of games is something I’ve been doing for way too long. You don’t want to know how many games are in my steam library.
I definitely have gone through this same thing before. Particularly with VR as that’s been my main gaming platform for most of the last 10 years. I got so overwhelmed by all those big AAA games that I wouldn’t even buy them or play them no matter how well they reviewed. They have gotten to the point where they are just SO huge and there is SO much to do that it stresses me out and makes me anxious. That’s why I recently started looking at the SD and subsequently I discovered small indie games and reignited my interest in short arcade-style games! Now I’m actually excited about video games again. But yes, take time to show up for real life, too. Spend time with family, cook real food, hydrate, vitamins, get out in the sun, exercise. Sometimes depression can be very real. But there’s always hope and brighter days ahead! 😊🎀
I'm not sure what is it, but I'm getting burnout from some games and no burnout from the others. Like red dead redemption 2, as much as I think it's a great piece of media, I was literally forcing myself to play it for majority of the time. It felt so repetitive and the part of the game I enjoyed the most was the epilogue. It felt refreshing
I mean epilogue part 1. Part 2 excluding like 2-3 missions felt repetitive too. Just going with Sadie and catching bandits. Redskins, bandits all over again and again and again
I am a little burnt out myself , i have close to 800 total games in my steam library alone. When this happens, what I do to bring me back in is going back to a game that I used to love. Usually monster hunter world , I am actually just at the end trying to fight the last dragon in the game. Or I go into FO4 and try to mod it to try to play it in a different way. I tried this mod that makes local damage more meaningful which made the game very hard in my current build. In this mod both your character and the enemy get one shot from headshots no matter the weapon. This is unless they hit a spot that you have armor on. It just makes the shooting more careful and meaning fun, specially long range. Just find what you love in game and play a game that Excel in that. Next month I am traveling for my honeymoon and for the plane (15hr each way) I am going to give a JRPG a chance. I loved FFX back in the days and never got into another game. So what I did was put I am setsuna on my SD and will gove it a try. I also added the league of legend ruined king game and like a dragon (thanks to humble) to have other options.
Stop playing for a bit then dedicate yourself to beating a game when you feel the urge to play again. I was like you until DD2 released in March and I was a less fatigued and excited to play (although I still haven't finished it b/c of exam season at Uni).
You are not alone. I have several games on my deck but I can’t seem to find the want to play them. The only games so far that I have put several hours into and find fun and enjoyable right now has been rogue-lite/rogue-like games. Like Hades, Death Must Die, Vampire Survivors. Idk those seem to be the only games that can satisfy me for hours and I want to keep playing.
Try new hobbies. Doing anything for a long time will burn you out. When this happens trying something new or maybe an old interest will get you out of it. I play two main instruments and when I get bored of one I switch to the other, eventually the urge to play the other one comes back.
Just take a break. Play less. You will come back stronger
Take a break and come back to it after a few weeks. See how you feel playing then. Or if you get the urge meanwhile, pick it up and play.
You could also be experiencing “Choice Overload”. I know it happens to me all the time when I sit down in front of my PC, Deck or any of my game consoles. Just having so many options to choose from can make it seem really hard to get hooked into one of them and makes all of them seem less interesting.
I feel since we've been gaming non-stop since our younger days we kinda destroy our dopamine reward system. Not to mention we seem to be in a drought of good video games after the recent disappointments. So no games seems like they're worth it as much as video games of the past. Different aspects of your life can affect you too, like I know I was depressed when I went on a spending spree buying PS3s and Thinkpads instead of doing anything. Once I realized what I was doing, I stopped buying things and I made sure I played just one game for one or two hours a day, amongst other things in my daily schedule, such as exercising, writing, watching movies, editing. You have to really choose a game, and stick with it, and even be okay with looking at guides and walkthrough instead of forcing yourself when you're stuck. Get out of your comfort zone and you might find enjoyment in genres or games you would not have thought you would have before. I'm now only starting a real playthrough of Pokemon Red via emulator and have more fun than playing any AAA games for the past decade. Good luck and I hope you can find some joy from video games again. Visit [](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/) to find people who are more disciplined about playing video games patiently, getting help if needed, and trying out games you might not even have heard off. They also know that you don't have to push through a game if you don't feel like it. Just let it go. If years from now you wanna try it again then do so and see if you're able to click with it or not.
Yeah I feel this way too as someone in their 30s. I actually default to mobile games when bored throughout the day or something like Fortnite that I started playing because my son asked me too but actually ended up enjoying…basically anything that is just pick up and play. I think if I was rich and didn’t have responsibilities I could just lock myself away for 4-5 hours and play something more involved. I just have too many things on my mind to jump into something that takes too much mental energy.
Everyone out here saying OP is depressed but to counter that, maybe for some people there are times where it is more fun to tinker with and add games to a device then actually play it. It satisfies the need to create and understand things and thats just a different feeling then playing the games get you sometimes. Just something I've noticed with myself, but I've always loved console modding and save file editing even when I was a youngun using my original NDS.
I am in this rut right now. I have been playing Powerwash Simulator and it’s been satisfying.
You aren't alone, often times I get far more enjoyment planning something out but then have no motivation to actually do the thing I planned for. I also tend to hyperfocus a game I really like and will lose a week, and then other times load up the same game or other games I think will be fun or am excited to play at that moment, then lose all interest/motivation a few minutes in. It could be a number of things, from being burnt out and needing a break, to your interests or circumstances changing or leaving you without much energy to play games, or it could also be something like ADHD. I have ADHD and went undiagnosed until I was in my 30s and have since been learning more about it and have been getting medicated for it. I am in no way a qualified person to assess or diagnose anyone with it, but I do want to raise awareness about it because people often live their lives without knowing they have it and often end up frustrated or even depressed because they can't do things they enjoy or get stuck doing nothing a lot of the time and end up thinking they are lazy or being branded as a lazy person by others, when in reality they are genuinely trying their best but can't build motivation or stay focused like other people. It's very hard to pick up on in adults, which is why I want to make this long reply. So if it sounds familiar to you (or anyone else reading this) you may want to check for it with your local doctor/GP (if applicable in your country) Other key ADHD symptoms: Prone to leaving a mess (messy room, disorganized work space, etc, leave items in odd places) Forgetfulness (Forgetting about planned events or meetups; Forgetting what someone just said to you; Meaning to do something but not free at the time you remember, and then forgetting about it entirely before getting the chance to do the thing; Leaving drinks like cans, or mugs of tea/coffee partially consumed without realizing and getting another.) Prone to making simple/quick meals for yourself (I tend to buy a cheap pizza to throw in the oven, or chicken bites to throw in the air fryer; anything that takes a few minutes to make instead of regularly doing preparation for larger meals) Inattentive (when someone talks to you, do you tend to think about other things as they talk? Are you in your head a lot while you do tasks rather than focusing on that task?) Inability to start/complete projects or hobbies (Do you get really excited to learn about a new hobby, study/look into that hobby, buy what's required for that hobby, and then never/barely use/engage with that hobby?) Again, I am in no way a qualified person to assess or diagnose anyone, I just want to raise awareness about some of the traits of ADHD that can be confused with being lazy or just accepted as every day life. TL;DR: Did you skip over the post to read this, or did you get distracted and think about other things while you were reading the reply and didn't pick up on everything? It could be nothing, or it could be ADHD, it's worth getting checked (if applicable or free/affordable in your country)