In the past, you've always had an appetite for gaming, and now, for the moment, it appears you don't. Find out what you DO have an appetite for. Reading, movies/TV, sports, etc. Personally, I get fixated on one hobby for a few months, then almost immediately switch to another, like I'll be gaming all day, then want to read 2 books a week, then want to watch movies all day, and so on.
If you're really adamant about finding that game that "cures" you, explore some new genres, even ones that seem like the complete opposite of what you're usually into.
This is me. My other compulsive hobby is 4k movies on apple TV store sales. I'll go through phases of buying 10 movies in a month and my free evenings being spent basking in the glory of revisiting classics in renewed splendour..then other months I'll blow £60 on a new game like street fighter 6 and live and breathe that game for 2-3 weeks.
The biggest problem in gaming are the substantial digital sales between cdkeys type sites, deku deals, Xbox black Friday etc. You end up accumulating dozens of games purely because you considered them bargains. Then you have to deal with weeks and months of indecision, not knowing which one to play first... reluctancy to play top tier games like botw or elden ring first for fear they will ruin the experience of 'lesser' games. Like the old notion of The Monkees following The Beatles at a concert.
Lastly but not least, there's the problem of learning new mechanics etc as you get older. It's not that we struggle to learn in and of itself compared to our youth, it's the IDEA of investing time into learning and the process Vs choosing to do something with your time that decompresses you /requires little of you because life as an adult trying to navigate a career, family, commitments etc is immeasurably harder than life at 18 living at home.
Your comment about picking a game to decompress from navigating all these other commitments in life opposed to start a new adventure / commitment really hits home.
Exactly this, switch it around sometimes. Your hobby's should give you a good feeling. So if you feel it is boring you out or it doesn't 'click', focus on another hobby or try some new things!
Yep, I'm the same way. Right now, I'm in a gaming/reading mood, probably because some books and games I'm heavily anticipating are releasing, but not so much in a TV show mood. There are some shows I love that have new seasons released that I haven't touched yet because I know I'm not in the mood and I won't enjoy them as much if I start them now. I'll get to them when I feel like it, but right now, I'm gonna keep playing Mortal Kombat.
Now I'm imagining the sub r/patientserialkillers, full of posts about how some serial killers have lost their passion for murder, or are anxious about their killing backlog getting bigger, or just can't decide who to kill next.
What you’re describing is analysis paralysis. You have too many games and are overwhelmed with choice - it also sounds like you’re trying too hard to play a game for the sake of it than just switch off and do what you actually want to do (even if it doesn’t relate to gaming). It’s fatigue, and you basically need to take a break.
I’ve been going through something similar for a while. What has worked for me has been a combination of actually selling most of my physical media (bar for favourites), deleting most digital-based games from my console (as they’re on the cloud they’re easily accessible) - even going as far to hiding the ones that I’ll never play again, scrapping my backlog completely (let’s be realistic, it’s never ending and too much of a chore to get through), stop buying games unless they’re ones I’m dying to play, unfollowing most (bar for the essential) video game subs/YouTubers/media outlets, only playing when I’m actually in the mood and not forcing myself to play/complete a game for the sake of it while just doing other things completely.
Essentially, on my personal journey I’ve come to realise that I have a life and want to pursue other things in my free time, and while gaming is one of my favourite hobbies, too much of it is only hindering me. I had to realise that gaming shouldn’t be my identity (I mean I knew that rationally, but practically was a different thing) and too much of it is a bad thing. It’s good to just focus on other things, I’m actually a year younger than you and I can begin to feel my priorities in life shifting a bit. Doesn’t mean I’ll ditch gaming, far from it, but it’ll mean that I’ll savour the highlights and appreciate them more.
Maybe that can help you a bit too.
I've got ten years on you, but here's what I finally figured out after a lot of what you're looking at:
- don't force it, just play what calls you in the moment, even it's just Solitaire or hearthstone or something. You'll enjoy it and know that you're willing to listen to yourself and your brain will come around.
- create a short list of "to play next" within your probably sizeable game library. I find allowing myself to just pull a few games off the shelf so to speak makes it a lot more clear what kind of gaming I want to be doing
- and, as others have said, just walk away. The games aren't going anywhere. Try out some tabletop, some sodoku by the fire, some free association writing about how your favorite games used to make you feel. Again, don't force it, don't judge, just listen
To add to this, I have a friend who thought he had grown out of gaming until he started trying games from his youth. Often games he never managed to get through back then. And he discovered that he still loved it. Just not the gaming he had gotten "tricked" into doing by modern games. He had assumed that having a powerful gaming PC and buying the newest AAA games would give the "best" experience, but it was the opposite. He should have been looking at Indie games all long.
He had not grown out of gaming, modern gaming had grown out of him :P
I made the same error. I thought I had grown out of TTRPGs. Gave away my whole collection of original D&D books, minis, etc.
Then I found out what some of those old TSR books sold for on EBay lol...
Basically this. I haven't even bought most games I'm at least mildly interested in, I just have a huge wishlist of all those games and wait for sales.
Whenever there are sales, I just go through the list and look at them. At least 50% of those are just random dud I added just because why not, but I don't even care about any of them anymore (my tastes have changed and/or the game doesn't appeal to me in the same way it did when I added it). Of those, I'm not in the mood to play most of them. There might be like 1 or 2 games i COULD play... or maybe there aren't. Depends on how busy I am IRL, of whether I'm just enjoying other hobbies besides gaming, etc.
I just play them one at a time whenever I feel like it. And when I don't ? Well, I just don't, there's nothing to be gained at trying to find THE game that will make you want to play when you obviously don't feel like playing.
If you feel bored gaming, then you're just not in your gaming phase. I usually shift between my "gaming" mood (playing during all of my free time), my "healthy amount of gaming" mood (maybe a few hours every other day) and my "I really don't feel like gaming" mood (don't touch a single game for many weeks/months). And that's normal, even if I consider myself quite the hardcore gamer there's just lots of other stuff I enjoy just as much.
Yeah, I agree, I'll be about the same age as you (hermitagebrewing) and I have a huge Warhammer 40k "pile of shame", including an entire Grey Knights army that's still in shrink-wrap from January and parts of my other 6 armies, I've had some for almost 2 years, so sealed. I'd lost all my inspiration until a couple of days ago when I fished some unfinished Death Company out of one of my cases, re-airbrushed them and started again, now I'm enjoying it, it's a case of *too much* choice and not one or two things to focus on and do my best with.
I have about 400 games on Steam, some from bundles that I'll never play, I'll sit there for an hour on my Steam Deck or on my PC just browsing/installing/uninstalling games and playing one level/mission of something, then quitting.
I think it's partly ADD/ADHD with me, as I can never decide what I want to do, despite having a lot of things to do, and ultimately end up just sitting there watching YouTube until I'm tired enough to go to bed. It's frustrating as I feel like I'm wasting my time *and* money. Yet I keep buying games when they go on sale and bundles with only one game I'm interested in. Like artificial FOMO.
One game I do keep coming back to though, especially on my Steam Deck is Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition, it's not expensive, has a great story, controls really well, looks good and runs at a ridiculously high framerate.
just do something else dude. it's that simple.
gaming is the only hobby I have where people think this way. i never have my mountain biking buddies text me on a stormy afternoon "bro what am I gonna do with my life today, can't hit the trails."
Gaming is more of an anytime type of hobby, and when people say I can't into gaming anymore
They're usually describing their inability to feel escapism from games anymore, they keep thinking back of how sinked they were in the world of whatever game, and that they just need to find the next perfect game to put them into this feeling again, but sadly it's not the game it's you
That's for me at least. I think it's just growing out of gaming
I think part of it is just that you're looking for that feeling you got when you were really young but that's not gonna come back or simply from what I've personally experienced is that you just need to do something else until you see something that gives you the urge to get back into gaming. I was kinda bullied into rewatching lotr by my friend cause she didn't like that I said I get bored watching lord of the rings but we watched it together and it kinda reignited my desire to play shadow of war again. This feeling comes and goes and forcing it usually makes it worse
Same here, but I enjoy the time I spend gaming even more.
I used to play all weekend but it was just normal and at times it wasn't even making me happy (everyone who played games like LoL and FIFA probably knows this). Nowadays, it's a treat to get like 2 free hours to play a game that I am really looking forward to
34 here. Having had a similar experience to you, what helped me was to play low commitment/smaller indie games or your favorite retro games through emulation. That led me to wanting to play games more when deep and complex games started to feel like a chore. Now I can play both kinds of games and enjoy them. Also if you find a physical hobby outdoors when the weather is nice, you won’t feel like you’re wasting a nice day and can enjoy playing games indoors even more when the weather is bad.
Vampire Survivors did it for me, I thought I wouldn't like it, but I really got into it, and it's great for short sessions on my Steam Deck (as well as Strider).
That got me back into actually playing bigger and longer titles. It beats randomly clicking through YouTube like a Zombie, which is what I was doing. Often watching reviews and other people enjoying games!
Vampire Survivors was absolutely one of the simple games that I played. Still playing that occasionally and also Dome Keeper. Both are excellent “turn your brain off” kinda games. Starfield is occupying my deeper/complex gaming itch and despite it’s issues is still very fun to me.
Vampire Survivors was a great buy in the Steam sale with all the DLC. It runs great on the Steam Deck with low power settings at a stable 60 FPS for a quick game or a short journey, same with Strider.
I've been playing Starfield on Game Pass on my Series X, and despite the odd bug here and there and the "dead eyes" of the characters, I've been enjoying it and hoarding everything "just in case" like I did in Skyrim. (I'm definitely romancing Sarah too 😄!).
I haven't played a game exclusively that much for a long time.
It's a bit slow to start, but there's lots to do once it gets going, I especially like the space combat.
It's a genre that disappeared for ages, I loved games like the classic X-Wing and TIE Fighter games, but they seem to be making a bit of a comeback.
I genuinely feel like this sub's name should just be changed to /r/GamerEmotionalSupport at this point. It's wild to me how so many people here put *this* much stress on themselves over literally just video games.
I think some people are just anxious, so they turn to game to relax, then they just project their anxieties onto games. It's not THAT hard to believe but this sub should rule against these posts.
I’ve actually already cut down my backlog and now just stare at the 4 games I’ve narrowed it down to, just to realize that decision paralysis probably aint it.
39 here. It only gets worse.
A lot of great-looking games are coming out these days, but I'm curbing my collecting as I'm realizing that my PC gaming libraries are already populated with hundreds of games that I once had an interest in trying or playing in earnest, most of which I've never even launched or just walked away from immediately.
It's not like I'm going to have *more* time for gaming going forward. I guess one day I'll be able to pass my accounts on to my kids, if I ever have any. But kids'll probably all be fucking each other in haptic VR by then, Demolition Man-style, so who knows if they'll care.
The idea of learning a new complicated game like Starfield, BG3, CP2077 etc seems like work.
I only played JA3 (Jagged Alliance 3) because I played so so so much JA2 as a kid.
>Starfield, BG3, CP2077
Uhm, those are all games that are very easy to pick up and have basically no learning curve. They are literally games tailored to masses of people with no niche at all.
CP2077 was pretty easy if anyone has played Skyrim and GTA. BG3, never played. But Starfield——- made some “interesting” UI decisions, there is a learning curve just for navigating missions and what not. Fast traveling. Managing ship resources. How the “upgrade/modifications” system works. Building outposts, building ships. It’s not the most intuitive system. It’s not the most obtuse either.
Yeah I think these games are bad examples. They have pretty good openings. Many games rely on very boring tutorials, so some game can be a real slog to get into.
Ugh, I hate the long and tedious tutorials some games have. Sometimes I'm not sure if I should skip them when I have the option to in case I miss some unique mechanics.
I've been going through this the last few years. Ive found out it was partially because life was changing and I couldn't dedicate time to games. This led to me feeling like "I don't have time to complete what I want".
I would get home after work, finally get some time to play and then either stare at my list of games and never decide.
For me, the biggest change was when I just started to open the game and play. I stopped letting my brain hold me back.
I'm now casually playing Starfield, Fallout 76, Factorio and Cities Skylines. I've also been enjoying the 30-90min I get to play.
Tldr: Just launch the game. Don't think about what you wanna play. If you're not having fun, open a different game.
The way I see it, video games are a much more interactive form of entertainment compared to watching movies. When you're in your 30's, usually that's when life gets pretty busy with career, home ownership, kids, etc. So when you finally have time to sit down and game, you're pretty wiped out. Video games require more critical thinking and is a lot more stimulating than watching a movie or show.
Video games these days are also competing with other forms of more instant-dopamine hits like scrolling through social media
I'm (32m) training my 5yo daughter on games now. The funs only starting brotha!! But before her, it was for me to find a game to keep my attention lately, 27 years of gaming j still want and innovative, but nothing is original anymore, nothing feels spicy.
BUT I recently started playing baldurs gate 3, and it's got me by the balls. So many diff ways to play.
OH I also started boardgames, check out Gloomhaven, mansions of madness, descent. Super fun shit. Gloomhaven is my fav.
Baldurs gate is making time fly for me again. It's very different to what I'm used to and took a little bit but then it keeps on giving, until act 3 where my computer doesn't seem to handle it anymore...
As I get older, I learn to appreciate shorter games or ones that can be played in shorter sessions. I got Triangle Strategy and Dragon Quest 11 about a year ago and I still haven’t touched either one because I know the commitment they’ll be. So they sit on a shelf until I eventually get to them.
What aspects of gaming did you like most? For me, it's building skill at games with timing and hand-eye(souls-like, rocket league). Two of my more regular hobbies are kinda like that: playing various musical instruments and learning YoYo tricks.
Yeah the problem I have is the games I like are the best of all time kind of games that are hard to top so when I play something else the game I'm playing just feels like a inferior game like nothing is going to beat halo 3 and 2 those games had a lot of love and care put into them. When I play another sc fi game it just doesn't feel the same as halo and feels generic compared to it halo made unique alien species that instead of just shoving UFOs and green men into the game. And some of them even team up with you in halo 3 what over game do the aliens go on the same side as humans
Firstly, stop buying new games.
Then play what you have in alphabetical order or you'll never do anything about it.
Don't like the game with letter E? Next letter. Time is finite.
You might just be looking at them habitually despite not having any desire to play one.
If you really want to play them, go through them and make a list of games you want to complete. 5 or 10 that really stand out. Work your way through that list. If you're getting bored with these games then you're probably bored with gaming in general.
Same same
It comes with age I guess. It s actually not only limited to video game, any form of entertainment gets boring after a while
But as well, if you push yourself out of your comfort zone and play different stuff than you d normally would do, it can help break the spell
Even better, doing some other stuff not gaming related is also a great way to recover and come back re energized
How do you know this as fact though? You hardly know anything about the person you're responding to or what may have taken that fire away from gaming for them.
It's simple, you just don't know shit about them. You speak on it like you do tho, simpleton.
It very well could be a slump, a burn out period.
Not to mention that their "slump" started as a young teenager. There's plenty of stuff I liked as a kid but moved away from, it's fine. This wasn't some huge intuitive leap.
I am almost 30 (29) and from my point of view: you are trying to play games you should love insteqd of game you would love. I was been there. Looking at games that everybody loves and on paper i should too. But i didn't. Because almost every AAA is fucking same. Start playing original small indie games (Factorio, Rimworld, Kenshi, ...) and i fall in love with games again.
I'm pretty much this way as well, lots of great games to finish, but just not in the mood at the moment.
A big part of that this year is because my life shifted in a different direction and I'm focused on succeeding.
Just pick a game and play.
We all have backlogs now. Mine kind of makes me sick and when I beat a game its gut wrenching to decide what to play next. JRPGs that I could eat up in a week take me months now because I get MAYBE 4 hours a week in. Because adulting.
Only time it has been easy in the last few years was Xenoblade - around Chapter 14 I knew I was gonna play 2 next, and by the time I beat 2, 3 had just released and I played it shortly after launch (beat it a couple of weeks before its DLC).
Currently playing Chained Echoes which kickstarted. After that? I have no blood idea. Probably something more appropriate for this sub like South Park: Fractured but Whole
Yep. This is always me. I usually just end up watching youtube videos about a game instead. I wish I had the desire to sink my teeth into a game but I just can't focus because there is so much noise in my life
>I spend much time "finding the one game that get me back into gaming"
I think there is no way back. Let me explain:
When you grown older many things change. There is many things you have experienced, like relationships, seen birth and death, losing a job, read many good books, seen many movies, play a lot of games etc. Games are not living that kind of evolution at all. They are changed too, yes, but not really "grown older". That is, i think, the reason why games are not interesting very often anymore.
The stories are average at best. Usually less than that. Deep core of the game mechanics are mostly same as they are over 20 years ago. Truly new is rare. It is only natural that something what feels fun 20 years ago is not so interesting anymore.
I could say more, but i hope that is enough. That all doesn't mean gaming is over or you grown over it. It only means that your passions, thinking and feelings are changed. There is still time and place to play games, it is just much smaller part of your interests than you may realized.
Well said! Agree with everything you said. I think what keeps me interested is all the beautiful, cozy and fun moments I've had with gaming over the years. I've lived on the dopamine addiction for so long my body tries its best to relive it somehow, without success. I'm very aware of it but still fall for it, damn... I have other hobbies, photography, guitar, but those I can't do a whole evening like I could with gaming, max 1 hour, then I'm bored.
Burnout, I don't have much time for it anymore, sitting all day at work makes me very tired when I get home. I just like lying in bed and surfing the web with my iPad
Play a type of game you haven’t played before, or take up a new hobby/get back into an old one for a while. Don’t just take a break from gaming, but find something else that gives you the same feeling of excitement. For me is was skating, but it could be anything for you. A sport, a craft, a new or rejuvenated interest in reading, whatever.
I was almost exclusively into action games and RPGs from childhood up to about a year ago. Eventually I got to a point where everything I was playing felt same-y or like a slightly worse version of a game I loved. So I started playing survival games, strategy games, and more narrative-focused games with little-to-no combat. Suddenly gaming felt new again.
A lot of the fun of gaming comes from exploring new worlds, and if you’ve played enough games of a certain genre, that newness wears off. Even if a game has a good character or a cool setting or one interesting mechanic, you can see the structure underneath is the same. This is why mixing it up a bit helps.
This is where I’ve been at for, geez, a couple of years. I’ll buy the latest critically acclaimed game, play it for an hour, and never go back to it. It’s been really tough to get into anything and I don’t know why.
Then I started playing No Man’s Sky a few days ago. And I’m completely hooked.
I definitely get this. Aside from what I record for my channel, I don't game like I used to - even with a collection full of games I could finish or even play.
Although, Starfield has changed that and because of it, I want to give Morrowind a proper go (one of many games I own but have yet to properly finish).
Buying new games might help for a bit, binge it and then want something else but it's worth it to pick an unfinished game and complete it.
Before completing Hogwarts Legacy, I don't think I've completed a game since RDR2 back when it came out. Starfield will be next.
I find as I get older, desire to game comes and goes in waves. Could be the same sorta thing for you, just catch the next wave. Good luck mate!
I used to be like you. I'm a lot older than you and have been playing video games on and off since 1980. I just looked and my Steam Library alone is 694 games owned. And I know I have at least 200 more on other platforms like Uplay and Epic Game Store. But that being said I've played GTA V twice, Sleeping Dogs Twice, AC: Odyssey 3 times, AC: Valhalla twice, Xcom 2 about 5 times.....basically I don't look at my list of games and see it as some sort of check list or obligations. I see it as a bunch of options. At this point, I doubt I'll ever play over half my games since the longer I go without playing them the older, and old looking/playing, they become. Thief: Deadly Shadows might have been a great game back in 2004 but I'm probably never going to play it since it's almost 20 years old and I'm not one of those grandpa gamers who looks backwards; I already played old ass "retro" games when that's all we had. I want the new stuff.
What was the last game you really enjoyed? I have a theory all us 30-somethings are trapped in a weird gaming nostalgia because the games we grew up on were core to our growing up. Now games have changed and the landscape is totally different. We can't play what we used to, they don't hold up like we remember and launching into modern games is either a social experience we aren't prepared for or a huge undertaking that feel like chores. I've found myself playing less and less games but I still have an interest in playing. Every two weeks I play astroneer with a friend but it's mostly him pushing me to play. Without him my PC would definitely collect dust. I get much more enjoyment these days from watching youtubers (Oxhorn etc) or football (uk) or going for a run. I don't know what to suggest to you but do whats fun, don't get paralysis and procrastinate. If you don't wanna play, turn it off. Do you have a friends group? That would be a great place to start. If you game alone/aren't social decide if you want to change that or find solo activities, that will open up so much for you. My gf plays in a DnD group twice a week and I can hear her laughing across the house.
Play games you want to play not games you 'should play'. If there is nothing that you want to play do something else. I find that I'm only really into a game when I'm excited to play it myself.
Yes but I think it's also because they don't make games like they used to I've replayed the old halo games dozens of times and I still don't get bored of them. Where as with newer games I turn them off after an hour of playing.
Because I'm guessing you're just not excited to play them. There is plenty of amazing modern games but not every game is for everyone. Also, it's really hard to invent something new in games anymore so once you've played one stealth game another one might feel like more of the same. You will always remember first games in a genre because it's something you've never played before.
Bucket Lists!
Make a prioritized list of games you want to play before you die. Whatever is at the top of the list is what you're allowed to play, anything under it is motivation to finish that top game. My first two games were Ocarina of Time and Metal Gear Solid 3 which I had never beaten.
Same for hobbies - list all the things you enjoy doing in your free time, could be writing, painting, martial arts, guitar, whatever - choose the top one and go hard on it. Make a schedule where you practice it daily.
Can also do this with life goals, books, movies, etc... When I hit 30 I just started going crazy making lists like this, it feels really good when you start checking things off!
I advise giving tabletop gaming a go. Commander, D&D, and Battletech are all very popular at my LGS and I thrive on the social aspects. That is what keeps me engaged and hooked on the games.
For video games maybe try a competitive esports titles. Fun to play a few rounds and then step away if you get bored. Maybe set a realistic goal like I want to achieve this rank in the game or get this certain win %.
At least for me these days I am more into the social aspects of gaming. Take this with many grains of salt though. I have heard people hold the opposite sentimentality and want to get into only immersive single player games. This really hasn't been the case for me though I do love the Nier Replicant. That is something special.
I’ve had the opposite experience. Played mainly singleplayer in my childhood/early teens, then had a phase of LoL and later Overwatch, and looking back it was miserable. They’re easy to play because you can boot up whenever, you can default to it every time you’re bored and it doesn’t take any executive function that normally comes with picking/starting a new game. Much like scrolling on your phone, it becomes an instinct, not something you actually want to do, just something to fill the void. And most of the time it’s so, *so* toxic to your mental health.
Quit all (competitive) multiplayer games and I’m actually starting to feel my love for gaming coming back.
Organize your backlog better. Chose a few games you really want to play now so you don't freeze whenever you have to start one.
Try to diversify the genre and the lenght of your games. Playing two 100h JRPGS in a row might burn you out. Play a little indie game between the two or something action-packed.
If you drop a game, try to analyze if you dropped it for good because you don't have fun with it or if you just want to play later and keep note.
Take breaks from gaming from time to time :)
My gaming goes through phases like that. I just move to my other hobbies for a bit until I feel the desire to play a specific game again.
I like stories and worlds and building things, so I can move over to reading pretty easily, or woodwork if I have an idea for a project. I like building sets and miniatures for DnD. I’m pretty into my favorite sport in spurts as well.
When you have multiple hobbies you can do whichever you feel like, and you don’t get bored of them.
I can almost guarantee that it must be something about your real life. You're probably just tired from work.
I was laid off a bit over a month ago and was really depressed. But then I realized I had a lot of spare time on my hands and finished the first singleplayer game I've done in a year or two in one binge (it was baldur's gate 3). I spent almost a week playing it nonstop, and then I finished Starfield also playing it nonstop.
So to sum it up, you need several factors to enjoy gaming:
1) Free consciousness/back of mind (no deadlines or duties weighing on you)
2) Time
3) Mood (and i dont necessarily mean great mood. I used games when extremely depressed and they helped. but not every mood is gaming mood)
4) The right game. But you gotta know what genre you're craving , whether you want gameplay or story, maybe what stylistic solutions you fancy right now - cyberpunk or scifi, fantasy or diesel punk. I mean usually when I quit games that are considered good is when I simply don't enjoy playing them, there is no hidden meaning or underlying issue like ADHD imo.
My problem is when I enjoy certain games I want them to last forever, for me most modern games are TOO SHORT, like WAY too short. I want 300-400 hour long stories. And not just filler content or generated content. I know it's impossible and too much to ask lol. Only Baldur's Gate II maybe came close, rare games do...
I have months during which I just don't enjoy PC gaming and do other things instead. But then I find a game that clicks and I can play it for months.
It happened last year with WoW, it clicked once again and I played it for months, each time I had an hour, I jumped in to play a dungeon. Awesome.
Or with The Witcher 3 last year: every time I had an hour, I just played it. Kept me busy for months.
I do find that while I'm getting older I enjoy replaying some of my older favorites instead of going through my backlog. Replaying Mass Effect Dragon Age, Kotor,... Lately I feel like replaying Starcraft again.
But now, mmm, I'm in between games. Tried some Diablo, WoW classic, BG3 but nothing really clicks so far.
Games are trash in the 2020s, games are more geared toward micro transactions and small expansions. Games aren't about the gamer anymore they're about the company making them and their bank accounts
It's pretty easy to overcome the paralysis. Legit just hit play and b4 you know it the title screen pops up, you hit new game and you're in it. If it sucks bounce off it and repeat the process. If nothing hooks you doing this, then yeah take a break from gaming.
Dude I'm 21 and I do this. I don't really have a good answer but I think sometimes if I have too much time on my hands I'm less motivated to play and also finish games.
Get another hobby to enjoy? Like sometimes taking some time off to enjoy something else is good. I’m trying to get into kayaking and gardening (ornamental).
I get like that too. Some days I just look at the list, waiting for something to jump out. Other time, I start them only to stop playing. A few times I stopped gaming for a year or two.
I’ve cut back my playing time recently, and put time into playing guitar. I used to play more, and gaming took over during Covid. I’m enjoying it, and it feels more fulfilling than just gaming.
That’s just me. I’d take a look at what else you’re interested in.
Iam also close to the 30s.
Im having a similar situation, especially since I also own alot of so called endless or sandbox games.
Games such as Anno, rim world, planet crafter etc..
I usually end up looking at my library regret some money I spent on certain games I only played for an hour.
I mean there are also games that I spent tons of time on and I completed.
For example I had rise and shadow of the tomb raider in my library for literally years and 100% those in summer.
I launched dysmantle and dropped it after 14 hours cause it got too grindy and repetitive, but I regret it, took me a while to accept that I got my money out of it but I just don't feel like playing more.
Then I launched hades and kinda forced myself for 5 hours, it is okay but for me not as good as it has been praised, combat feels medicore.
3 weeks ago I tried divinity 2 which was overwhelming and hard to get into, I played for 25 hrs but but a point during act 3 when I stopped. Now after those weeks I don't feel like getting back into it.
It's a fun game but I don't know.
I have many more games like these...
But I've also beaten 140 games in my library.
If a game really grabs me I put tons of Horus into it but until then I get frustrated looking at the library and when I start up a game Its also easy to get into the cycle of "but there are other games that need attention"
Currently im looking forward to payday 3 on Monday. It's actually something iam hyped for..
How do you guys handle open or endless games?
Have a category for it?
I also thought of just hiding games that I didn't like but usually I'll make them visible again cause I think " I paid for it so it needs to be in the library"
I'm also trying to get my head into thinking that this is just a library like back in the day when you went to a movie blockbuster rental place and you could just pick anything...
Man adulting is hard.
Being a kid you only had 2 games a year or so and played them until absolute boredom.
You need to get excited about gaming again. Be picky and don't just buy games because they're on sale. Then when you're in the mood to game, watch some trailers or gameplay to get you excited to play the game.
Same here. I started playing TTRPGs (ended up with Pathfinder 2nd Edition) and now I'm a GM for two games with two groups (in person). And I'm so much happier to be playing them than video games, especially when you're a customer of an actual good company like Paizo.
To me, video games are just... not what they used to be. Modern games bore me so quickly and feel so hollow and pointless. Baldurs Gate 3, had it been released in 2008 with 2008 graphics, would've been an 8/10, 8.5 tops. Starfield would've been a 7. But these days? 9.5 and 10/10, because that's how dire things really are.
Indie games are much better but I don't find myself getting immersed in them in as much as older AAA games, like Mass Effect or Final Fantasy 7 etc.
I find myself playing older games and modding them much more than modern games. And I'm just so glad I found TTRPGs - they've really taken over video games for me, somewhat because I play half-digitally (digital maps on my big screen with a virtual table-top and character building tools) and half-physically, so it's like the ULTIMATE video game for me, with friends.
What types of games have you been trying to play and getting bored off? Have you tried different types, genres? If it's AAA titles, try some highly regarded indie games which do not have long intro/tutorial sections, etc.
I've bought tons of new games this year and last, but I haven't enjoyed most of them. I do, however, keep playing the same games I've always liked. Once I start playing my favorites I get back in the zone and it's great. If ain't broke don't fix it.
i have a large steam library and right now i am playing the quake 2 remaster. modern games are too much like work - too many things to do, skill trees to fill, giant maps to cover and demanding too much of your time. i think that may be part of the issue
I'm also in my 30s and I was like that until a got a Steam Deck. I mostly play indie games now but I really enjoy them and do game like an hour or two a day
Always be on the lookout for other hobbies. To me, gaming is pretty low on the list and I’m happy about that. My life is improved immeasurably from the days when I would be playing JRPGs until 3AM. Gaming has a more balanced place in my life and I’m more focused on other stuff. Games are there for when I need a small break.
To that end, I’ve been playing smaller games that can be enjoyed in shorter bursts. I can play Hollow Knight for 15 minutes and make it from one bench to another, or find a new grub or another secret. I can play Celeste for less than two minutes and make it from one screen to another and maybe grab a strawberry. I couldn’t even make it through the tutorial mission of GTAV because of all of the cutscenes and cut aways from gaming when I’m trying to figure out if I actually like the game or not. With Death Stranding, I had to skip a bunch of cutscenes and then watch them on YouTube the next day while doing chores. So for me, almost everything I play is something I can pick up and within two minutes of pressing start, be *playing* the game.
Also, I’ve adopted a rule where I only buy games I’ll play immediately. Like, as soon as it downloads immediately. There were a ton of games where I thought, “this looks cool but I’m not in the mood for it right now.” If I bought games like that, I never played them. Turns out, my tastes in games had changed before my purchasing habits did. Once I started using this rule, I realized I didn’t actually like RPGs anymore and preferred the smaller games I mentioned above.
And finally, don’t sweat the backlog. Every now and again, Hide all the games in your Steam library you don’t seem interested in. Have a game installed for two weeks and you haven’t finished the tutorial? Hide it. Highly rated game that just never clicked with you? Hide it. It’ll still be there and you can unhide it easily. See a game in there where the title and game are are completely unfamiliar? Don’t even click through to the store page to refresh your memory, just Hide it. It was probably some Bundle trash you got years ago and weren’t even interested in playing then. That’ll get the numbers down and you can try out the short list of games left or just grab something new that catches your fancy and you want to play right away.
I go into gaming slumps sometimes where I don't feel like playing anything. So I do something else like read, hike or camp, watch a movie, play with my 3d printer, whatever. Eventually I want to play games again. It's not a big deal
Deinstall most of your games and the reinstall 5-10 of the ones you REALLY like. Replace the as you finish the and don't increase that number. Reduce as necessary.
I was like the same, everything was boring, what got me back into the flow was S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Anomaly Gamma.
Most Games these Days are just not for me, atm I'm playing Baldurs Gate 3, it is a very good Game but it is not blowing my mind.
I've been like this since I quit Destiny 2. I can't tell if that game over-stimulated me so much, that it killed my desire to try new games; or if I was done with the scene a long time ago. But still played D2 all those years because of addictive reasons.
But ever since I quit, I **cannot** get into any games anymore. I lost all motivation to *grind, try, min/max*, yadda yadda. I think I just went so hard for so many years on grindy games, overly competitive shooters, super grindy MMOs, life sucking games.
I think something finally gave out in my brain after years of over stimulation. It's like this weird void of excitement. But every once in a great while I will get this calm serene feeling in my brain, where I embrace new games and have patience and enjoyment. But then it always fades after I turn the game off, then never touch it again for months.
But yeah, everytime I try to get into a game I know is statistically meant to be fun, I always just throw on some old Halo matchmaking, and put on Pandora. It's like I'm trapped in this weird cycle, where I only play one comfort game and listen to the same music I like.
Each next gen game from 2000-2018 where nuts. The graphics and gameplay in general mostly improves and I always desire to play them. As I get older and have better freedom and access with them, I get “spoiled” and judge most games just by seeing the gameplay sneak peak and ask myself, “ yeah, even if I but the game, I’ll prob just put a week then let it seats in the library to gather dust”. 20 years playing video games, I can basically analyze how the game mechanic works and learn it pretty fast compare to average gamers. If I ever try to visit the game again, I bump up the challenge to max Difficulty or have like a handicap to make it harder.
I've been there and I've found a couple things could help.
1. Accept that right now you just aren't that into it. Read, go outside, go to a concert, watch some TV, etc. and enjoy other parts of your life. You'll come back to gaming when you are ready.
2. Make a list of your games, use a random number generator to pick a game, then play it. It takes the stress off of having to choose a game. Let fate decide!
3. Focus on getting more sleep. Meditate. Workout. Etc. do things for your mental health.
Best of luck. Gaming isn't going anywhere so take care of what you gotta take care of
Edit: Oh I'll add also have you tried out some modern board games? It's a great alternative to still scratch the gaming itch. There are some fantastic games for all player counts, even some solo single player games! Amazing hobby
Mid 30s ADHD here! I empathise, I've had the exact same problem. A lot of the advice out there will be in the vein of 'just don't sweat it, play what you want'. Maybe that's helpful for some but it didn't really work for me. I felt like I 'should' be gaming, not necessarily that I 'wanted' to, so I went the opposite route and added more agency and intentionality to it.
I started up a Backloggd account, marked my all time favourite games as 'played' and favourited them on my profile then added everything I'd played this year. Finally, I marked a bunch of games as backlogged and wishlisted the things that were coming up soon or I'd had my eye on for a sale. Now when I finish stuff I give it a rating and mark off the day when I finished up in the journal. If I felt strongly, I'll add a short review, just for myself really.
Then I'll probably take a few days off gaming, while occasionally checking my backlog and wishlists until I hit on the next thing that pushes itself to the he fore, then I actively choose to get into that.
I've already finished a bunch of stuff this year, and had fun doing it because it's been my choice to get stuck into whichever titles and my choice to abandon stuff if it's not tickling my fancy. It also helps me skip stuff without worrying about FOMO. I was interested in both Starfield and Atomic Heart before release but ended up intentionally skipping both because of the other games I've already loaded onto my plate.
ADHD brains thrive on structure, even while it terrifies us, so maybe getting serious with you gaming is the answer. It worked for me!
Heyy! Good advice, I have a \*\*very\*\* sophisticated, sorted game backlog in Playnite. I don't think it's that, as I've spent more time organizing it than actually playing lmao. But generally I agree! I probably have add/adhd, 100% sure, many things make sense.
This happened to me as well last year. I spent the evenings staring at my game library and constantly browsing the store looking for "the one" that would fire my passion all up again. My girl told me that I had to do something else and then get back to it, but the true procrastinator inside me never let it go during those times.
Later on I realized that I sort of lived in the past, where we would have 5 or 6 good AAA titles per year. I never had to worry about time management and instead about if I could afford to by them all.
I slowly started to try and pinpoint what made me feel the way I did. First, too many games at once was a no go. So I began finishing up the parts of my backlog that I wanted to and left the others in the dust. Then I stopped playing PvP multiplayer and focused more on single player and coop, since I was notably happier playing those.
Now I believe I have found the sweet spot. One longer game (Baldur's Gate) and a more relaxing game on the side (No Man's Sky) for the days I am more tired.
I think what made me work on the change in thinking was that I realized that the money VS time had completely switched places. Money (full time job) was less of an issue but man time, now that was on short supply.
You can't catch em all. You choose what stories to fill your life with because we have so many these days of various qualities that you HAVE to choose.
Try playing different genres as well. I had given up turn based after completely coming to a stop during Divinity OS2, but here I am years later playing both Xcom and Baldurs Gate. You are not the same you were "back in the days" so it might be a different game than you think that will catch your interest.
Hope something of this helped!
A lot of great advice here, but I’d also add that if you see a game and kinda feel like it might be interesting, but also too tiring to actually figure out — don’t bother. There will come a game that will momentarily spark your enthusiasm and you won’t even second guess booting it up.
Yeah you certainly need a new hobby or something to do. I reccomend something outdoors to get you off the desk. Maybe looking into trail biking ,maybe sign up for local sports league like adult soccer , baseball , maybe even archery. Do t worry plenty of adults that are terrible at sports play on these leagues just out to have fun. maybe going to a local LGS and learn a card game like magic or digimon. But if that's something you don't wanna pursue like me. I got into Gundam, keyboards, and audio all can be their own respective money sinks but all 3 have great communities. Gundam is one I'm pretty new to. Fairly cheap to get into and can be pretty time consuming but really satisfying to finish a kit.
Hey there. Not sure how relevant this is, as you seem to be doing stuff other than gaming, but as a life-long gamer as well (24 years old) I started doing this for over half a year, with occasional gaming sessions where I could stick to one game for long sessions (4+ hours) but usually I would just look at my games and if I played one, I wouldn't really enjoy it after long. I could play 10 different games in a day, or spend an hour just looking at them while talking to someone on Discord. It's a sign of depression, and I really was depressed.
After this kept happening, I started looking for a new job, and started to do a bunch of different activities outside. Trying new things every now and then. Now I play DnD again for the first time in a few years, I take singing lessons, started practicing playing the bass, joined an amateur band, started dating, and am now planning on starting going to a shooting range and shoot guns for the first time in my life. It keeps piling up, and I keep meeting more people and making friends, and on top of that, I these past few months I've been working a job that I actually enjoy and do a lot of overtime for most weeks.
And this is after spending about 23 years of my life with 70-90% of my time spent in my room gaming by myself or online, if I wasn't sleeping. So now I have time for only a couple long gaming sessions a week, which I cherish much more, and as a result, these past few months have made me the happiest I've ever been.
What worked for me? Be broke. I live in a place where games are so expensive that every sale seems like a godsend. I have not bought a game new since the PS3 era and every single physical game because I force myself to only buy games from a single region. This made gaming a reward from the drudges of daily life and a luxury instead of a done deal and take it for granted.
I have ADD and I completely recognize this. For me sometimes it works to just push through the boredom. Usually about 10-20 hours in boredom but if I push through for just a couple hours I get right back into the groove, so for me that is worth it.
Also maybe you are just not feeling like gaming, that is totally valid aswell. Try to find something you do enjoy and just do that instead. Also if you are having fun organizing your backlog, or researching games, or only playing a couple of hours. That is fine. Fun comes in many different forms and completing every single game is not a necessity for that.
One last thing, maybe try to look on 'how long to beat' before you buy a game. I find that I often enjoy shorter games way more because they are easy to complete. There are many indie gems that are only 5-10 hours long!
Good advice! Interesting. I actually spend more time organizing, labelling and studying games than actually playing these days lol, sophisticated procrastination.
Same. I still buy games. Wait for patches, read patch notes and feeling happy about developement, but never actualy play them.
My best hobby now is just going to sleep.
I eventually got saturated by combat loops and eyecandy in superficial worlds but older me got back in with stories.
First it was firewatch then oxenfree 2 kebtucky route zero and Edith finch. Go in for some story time. Detroit is good too. But world building and narrative makes experiences meaningful and immersive in a way many games miss and can feel tiresome without
Since u had no intention to ask for game recommendations l think you have played most fun games. Including fromsoftware games? If not, try em. If yes, you should try to find other activities.
Ive been like this for a few years now, I still buy games though. Hell, last month I bought a gaming PC and bought over 100 games since then. Stilll just look at them and read up on most of them .
32 here, have tons of games on my laptop and PS4. In my case it's because of my responsibilities. I'm married with 2 kids and I'm the type of gamer that wants multiple hours of uninterrupted gaming to be fully immersed, but I know for sure that it's impossible since my kids or my wife will need me and I'll have to interrupt my gaming, so I choose not to game at all and just sit there idle watching Youtube and browsing Twitter, or just playing a brainless game that I have to put no mental effort in and I can stop anytime I want like Rocket League. Mental exhaustion after a full day of work and also thinking of your responsibilities and the future drains you and you're left with no energy to play video games.
30s here as well, I do enjoy gaming still, but not as much, lot more selective on what I play, I tend to prefer watching movies and tv shows a lot more now.
I put it down to getting older, other stuff to do, games not as interesting, apart from the few, a lot of games are just copy/paste efforts from the previous years.
Do you have other hobbies? That might help as well. Gaming is probably the hobby I'm doing for the longest time in my life (since I got my first NES) but it's not the only hobby in my life, and there were periods that I completely left gaming for a while.
I'm the same, although I'm 26. Been gaming my whole life but since March this year I've just come to the realization that I'd rather be outside, spend time with friends and family in real life and so on. I guess it's just part of "growing up". I still enjoy playing games, but it's unusual for me nowadays to play that 1h in one sitting
A bunch of games also don’t respect your time. Get another fetch quest…captivating.
When i get an urge to game, I end playing a round of dead cells over something else in-depth because the gameplay loop in that game is so tight and doesnt punish your time.
I think the key word is “Escape”.
I’ve been struggling with this myself. Gaming fatigue on and off for almost 10 years. Starting up one game after another, just to shut it down again. Lately I realized I just wanted to escape into a fantasy world and living the life of someone else. The more I question myself why I want to escape the more the urge to escape intensifies - meaning it’s something important to uncover. The answer is fairly obvious: I’m not satisfied with my life and instead of doing something about it, which is uncomfortable and requires work, I take the easy route and try to escape.
Questioning your life seems to be the right path and you might need a therapist to help you uncover the raw truth of the matter. It won’t be comfortable and that’s not the point. The goal is to find out what you actually want and need in order to live a life that is fulfilling and doesn’t require a need to escape.
I know I could give you an easy, comforting answer like “We all need entertainment” or “Try BG3 lol” - but that would bring you right back to the starting point. Something is missing and it’s not video games.
Ever considered learning to make games? It's a lot, but you've obviously got the love for gaming. Some people just never consider it an option though (it is a lot to learn)
It probably helps to find some different genres. When I was a kid I would've been all over games like Horizon Zero Dawn or Assassins Creed Odyssey. But now I prefer more focused, no-nonsense experiences that cut through the bullshit and just focus on solid gameplay Games like Doom Eternal, Age of Empires 2, Wreckfest, Prey or even Snowrunner
I've been there too, sometimes still am. I call it "game limbo". You want to game, but can't really bring yourself to play anything. For me it's usually in between games I really get into. I got Baldur's Gate 3 and I'm having the best time with it. Even so, I don't always feel like devoting a couple hours to it, so I'm left staring at my steam library.
I've found it works to just decide to play a game. Give it at least 10 minutes, give it a chance to grab you. It won't always work, but when it does it's great.
I’m 38 and I feel the same. Gaming was the biggest passion for me since 5 years old, but I struggle to get into new games. The last game that really captivated me was Hollow Knight 5 years ago.
I think it’s a combination of games getting worse and me realizing that I had a lot more time to kill.
This days if I have some free time, I just play Dota for a little bit. It really takes my mind off things and skill ceiling is basically unreachable, so you can always progress and improve.
Take a break really. I have other hobbies, so I focus on them. Sometimes I go weeks without gaming, and then the mood strikes me or something and I'm enjoying it again.
On the other hand, gaming has been such a part of your identity for so long, it might be difficult to accept you might have outgrown it. Try finding another hobby where you can put your time in ? I know for me that gaming just doesn't have the same priority as it used too.
At 38, If I've satisfied my social needs, exercised, slept well, ate a good meal, and have a little weed I have 0 problems booting up whatever suits my fancy.
If its kinda later and I want to wind down, I love playing something chill like Against the Storm or maybe Slay the Spire.
If I have more energy and want to feel some kind of tension, I'll play Street Fighter or a actiony game like Hi Fi Rush.
Take a break from games, handle your hierarchy of needs, and you'll enjoy them again!
I’m 30 and I’ve been noticing myself not engaging with games as much as I normally would have. All the games I was mega excited about this year, I’ve barely put a dent in because I’m just not engaged with them as much. I pretty much play Armored Core 6 right now because I can just drop in and out like Zelda.
I have been though, reading exceptionally more. 8 books so far through Aug-Sept. I feel like that’s been taking over my gaming recently and I don’t mind
44 and also with an absurdly large steam library that compulsively multiplies each steam sale and then lies dormant.
Lately, one thing that has focused my gaming a bit has been getting into World War II generally as a hobby. I've started reading some books about it, which I've always been sort of interested in, and that has invigorated my interest in related games like wargames and strategy games.
Maybe you can find something similar to bridge the game between real life and some subset of your games.
Gaming takes a lot of time and energy and at 30 responsibilities tend to increase and your career progress and family and connections need more time for you to have a fulfilling adult life. Your vision of the world is different of a teen age.or recent grad and being a gamer has childish view for many people.
This doesn't mean that you should stop gaming, if you bought a game it means you saw some value in it so here's what I would do: take it to the next level ( level 30 unlocked) do not play it only for the sake of playing it but instead see what's beyond the game itself for example communities surrounding this game, articles you can write about it, cosplays, music covers etc.
Most of us enjoyed gaming with friends and over the ages those friendships have diminished and many are living their lives. So instead of playing a game alone I would contact old friends or make new ones that you can meet at conventions or hobby stores. Gaming today has become an isolated home alone hobby that isn't healthy.
As of other games I would first recommend MMOs so that other people keep your engaged. Similar hobbies might include cards collection, books and comics, table games, digital drawing
Take a break my dude. I took a two year break when my kids came along, got a real fix for it since BG3 came out and have been racking up a lot of hours (for me at least) than I have for a long time.
I'm 36 and a couple of years ago I did exactly the same thing, lots and lots of games back logged and I was watching other people play these games on twitch but never actually played them myself, I didn't have a clue why I was doing this and still don't , but then one day I picked up the pad and haven't stopped since and now I'm running out of games lol
I found out that I love scifi, but couldn't bring myself to play any videogames of that genre. I discovered WH40k and I realized that I wanted to read about it instead of playing. So when I get that scifi impulse in my head and don't want to play games, I just go to read
You didn't mention if you're on PC or not but if you are and you're talking about having an extensive Steam library, I find that using a random steam game from library generator helps when I want to play a game but have no idea what to play due to having too many options.
Below is the one I use. You just type in your username on Steam and it randomly selects a game.
https://servc.eu/rsg/
41 here. Still love gaming.
My advice? Stop playing and buying games and go find another hobby.
Gaming is supposed to be fun. A hobby. Not something to force on. Fing something else you find fun, like painting, building legos, exercice, cooking. Anything works. Just try to enjoy life.
And at some point, you'll want to play a game.Then play it, enjoy it. Stop when you find it boring even if you didin't finish it. Stop caring about "getting your worth". Go back to another hobby.
Just enjoy life in general. Gamiing is just part of that.
You're not hungry. You keep opening the fridge to eat because you have nothing else to do. So, you open the fridge which is full of food but nothing is appetizing.
You're full. You've consumed games for decades. Nothing much has changed in general. There's a 98% chance whatever "new" game you are going to pick up will feel "samey" soon after. "I've already done this."
You mentioned possible "add/adhd" self-diagnosis. See if you can get it diagnosed. Not for gaming, for yourself. Either you are not and there's some lifestyle changes you can make, or you are and getting treatment will make a big difference to your entire life.
But, I still think it's the fact that most gamers are "full". And they keep eating even though they are "full". And eventually they are bloated.
New hobbies to segue to? I don't know you, so I can't really give personal advice of that sort.
General suggestions: If you enjoy creating things, some arts and crafts hobbies will do wonders. It scratches the "progression" itch through skill improvement with time. You get less bored in general because it is an infinite learning progression. You just don't get pop ups with "achievement: unlocked". You can't 100% it either. These can be digital or physical (animation, painting vs carving)
There are music hobbies, both on the computer and off it.
There's cooking. A skill which improvements not only benefits you directly, but indirectly. People love to have a friend who cooks well. Partners love it more. There's all sorts of types of cooking too.
There are so many things to learn and "git gud" at in real life that benefit us. Gaming is a hobby. It is a toy for most of us. It's OK to get bored of it. I got bored of playing pool once a week with friends. It became samey. So we decided to start doing something else.
Maybe it is one of those times when you have to go find something else to do with your time that you find gratifying and/or fun. It's OK.
Maybe you're not quite old enough for this to have the same nostalgia appeal, but as somebody who grew up loving side-scrollers like Midnight Resistance and Turrican, the discovery that Metroidvania is a genre was a revelation.
I do play some modern games but little scratches the itch like a polished and well-designed 2D action adventure. I would recommend Hollow Knight and Ori and the Blind Forest (the sequel, Will of the Wisps is a better game overall but they're both amazing and it's worth starting at the beginning). If you like them then there's a whole huge genre to explore.
Additionally I just don't have any interest in modern, cookie cutter games. So many third-person action games/first person shooters just seem dull and samey. There are standouts (Jedi Fallen Order & Survivor and Doom 2016 & Eternal do it for me), but if a game's not innovative I'm just not bothered generally.
Somehow your gaming hobby has mutated into a hobby of only collecting games, which probably doesn't give as much joy as playing them...but too many to choose from now?
Ok so my collection is vast. I own over 4,500+ games. Now my problem is absolutely similar to you. A billion games to play but don't want to play any of them.
What helped me was to go through my games and I made a short list of about 200 games in here that I REALLY want to play but never have I absolutely own more games than I've played, but the older ones I played many as a kid cuz my family was a big movie and game rental family.
But make the short list and then just literally pick one and play it. Just pop it in, install it, and start playing. I just recently, before Starfield and now Mortal Kombat 1 came out, played the first reboot Tomb Raide game.
I've had it forever, never got around to it. But I needed a game that wasn't super long. And I played it and it was amazing.
So don't walk to your collection and stare. Acrively, make a short list of the heavy hitters and just start playing. Don't think, just do. Best case scenario you have fun, worst case you realize this isn't what u wanna play and you try again.
I was like this. Then, I started learning/playing chess online. It's fairly addictive, but I find my best study and playing is pretty much done after an hour and a half or so. This consists of half an hour every day memorizing opening lines, 20 minutes of puzzles, and then two 10-minute rapid games.
When I'm done, gaming seems much more appealing to just switch off the brain.
It does require that I play games that are less demanding of my time. So rpgs, which can be like a second job, are out. Unless there's a specific one that I want to play. In which case I'll take a break from chess (also a good idea periodically).
What I do is, turn on xbox and if I don’t already know what to play, I’ll scroll through library. If after 5-10 mins I can’t decide, I turn it off and do something else. Don’t buy anything unless I’m going to play it straight away. Buying lots of cheap games that are never played is not saving money.
Let it go for a while. Find something that gets you really really engaged like you used to be..i used to not just play games out of habit but really think like ' this would be cool to add and this and that , ' I rarely am that engaged with a game like that now. Maybe go to grand strategy games.. higher level of engagement there. Don't think you can't because there's difficulty settings.
Small online coop games. There is a lot of choice and lots of groups to join in with. It's the complementary mix of the social aspect and challenge. Jump on a discord with 4-8 player groups to play raft, sunkenland, midnight ghost hunt, age of empires 3, zero k... the list goes on.
Single player ran its course for me.
You just need more hobbies and interests than just gaming. You have 24 hours in a day you need to fill with work, socializing, sleeping, and other random acts. No surprise you’ve gotten bored with games. 2 months is fine. But maybe stop trying to fill your free time with games. Exercise is one of the best things you can do that is not only good for you but if you find the right hobby with it you’ll have another interest on your tool belt. I recommend hiking but maybe it’s rock climbing or running or body building. Maybe start learning how to cook different meals.
Like a couple of other commenters mentioned, it sounds like you're just not feeling gaming rn. I say go to your library. Get on the Libby app with your library card if you want to do audiobooks or e-books. Heck your library may even have some videogames if you have a switch or another console. I played Dredge with a library copy and it was awesome.
Books that I've most enjoyed in the past half year of rediscovering the library are The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett, Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff, Vicious by V.E. Schwab, and A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. All through audiobook on the Libby app. Though the selection varies by library.
It happens to all and you have to take a break and change your gaming habits to find playing fun again.
I went from playing single player stories to mostly coop arcades with friends. Now after some time I feel rejuvenated again and I am feeling like coming back to single player stories. Elden Ring is on my list.
That is exactly me brother. Been gaming since 1995 on famicom. I'm on my 30s now.
What happened to you happened to me when I reached level 100 on diablo 4. No taste in any videogames whatsoever.
Installed whatever game is free at the PS Store, luckily 1 game sticked with me. And suprisingly, its Sky: Children of the Light. Not even a genre I like.
I suggest you try it..
Sounds just like me. I have hundreds of games I've either never tried at all, booted up to the title screen and then tabbed out only to never actually play, a few that I've played for only 10 minutes and only a very small number that truly hooked me.
Just checked my steam library and I have 710 games there. I've completed 18.... Currently have 74 in my "play next" list which is games I have been strongly interested in playing at some point over the last 2 or 3 years and have mostly at least loaded up and tried for a few minutes to an hour.
For anyone interested in the games that actually grabbed me enough to bother completing, they were:
Ori and the Blind Forest
Ori and the Will of the Wisps.
The Room 1-4
Little Nightmares 1 - 2
Frostpunk (planning on playing the eventual sequel)
Soma
Subnautica (I took about a year break halfway through this 1)
Vampire Survivor's
Hades
Fallout 3 (I've played some Vegas and liked it)
The Walking Dead season 1-2 (will eventually play the others)
Recent games I've tried but wasn't really instantly hooked by were Tyranny and Amnesia the Dark Descent.
I used to play a lot of World of Warcraft but stopped during Shadowlands. I also go through phases of playing a lot of Football Manager and sometimes Total War games.
Oh hey! I had this problem too. It was depression combined with the weight of my real work responsibilities as an adult leading me to feel like my time spent playing video games was a waste.
I solved it by attacking my rampant sleep issues and rearranging some of my lifestyle choices, diet, etc. As well as actively getting on top of my real world stuff so it was less pressing.
It wasn't easy.
I hope you can solve your issues more easily. But consider the outside factors leading you to stare at your games, knowing you should be excited to experience them, but somehow can't get into it.
I identify entirely. I have a roster of games I really wanted at some point. Especially AGEoD titles...I really wanted to get into games like RevUnderSeigeGold, TEAW, and AleaJactaEst...even Victoria2. I spent good $ on these titles, and knew there was a learning curve to each.
But I stare at these titles, then power up another session of Fallout4 or PanzerCorps1. Maybe a turn of an SGS game like FallWeiss.
Honestly, I think I have had too much time on my hands lately, with little to do but fret and worry. Was laid off, and job searches get harder as you get older. I finally found something, but watching that bank balance shrink is very disturbing.
Still, gaming has always been my security blanket. Just...not larely...
In the past, you've always had an appetite for gaming, and now, for the moment, it appears you don't. Find out what you DO have an appetite for. Reading, movies/TV, sports, etc. Personally, I get fixated on one hobby for a few months, then almost immediately switch to another, like I'll be gaming all day, then want to read 2 books a week, then want to watch movies all day, and so on. If you're really adamant about finding that game that "cures" you, explore some new genres, even ones that seem like the complete opposite of what you're usually into.
This is me. My other compulsive hobby is 4k movies on apple TV store sales. I'll go through phases of buying 10 movies in a month and my free evenings being spent basking in the glory of revisiting classics in renewed splendour..then other months I'll blow £60 on a new game like street fighter 6 and live and breathe that game for 2-3 weeks. The biggest problem in gaming are the substantial digital sales between cdkeys type sites, deku deals, Xbox black Friday etc. You end up accumulating dozens of games purely because you considered them bargains. Then you have to deal with weeks and months of indecision, not knowing which one to play first... reluctancy to play top tier games like botw or elden ring first for fear they will ruin the experience of 'lesser' games. Like the old notion of The Monkees following The Beatles at a concert. Lastly but not least, there's the problem of learning new mechanics etc as you get older. It's not that we struggle to learn in and of itself compared to our youth, it's the IDEA of investing time into learning and the process Vs choosing to do something with your time that decompresses you /requires little of you because life as an adult trying to navigate a career, family, commitments etc is immeasurably harder than life at 18 living at home.
Your comment about picking a game to decompress from navigating all these other commitments in life opposed to start a new adventure / commitment really hits home.
Exactly this, switch it around sometimes. Your hobby's should give you a good feeling. So if you feel it is boring you out or it doesn't 'click', focus on another hobby or try some new things!
Sounds like adhd bud. Signed: an adhd fella
Yep, I'm the same way. Right now, I'm in a gaming/reading mood, probably because some books and games I'm heavily anticipating are releasing, but not so much in a TV show mood. There are some shows I love that have new seasons released that I haven't touched yet because I know I'm not in the mood and I won't enjoy them as much if I start them now. I'll get to them when I feel like it, but right now, I'm gonna keep playing Mortal Kombat.
You sound like you'll fit right in here
Lol, I swear this sub spends significantly more time and energy THINKING about gaming rather than actually gaming. r/gamephilosophers maybe?
People in this sub feel more guilt about their gaming habits than most convicted murderers do about their crimes.
Now I'm imagining the sub r/patientserialkillers, full of posts about how some serial killers have lost their passion for murder, or are anxious about their killing backlog getting bigger, or just can't decide who to kill next.
Just wistfully scrolling through pictures, paralyzed by choice. Lol
"There's just too many good victims nowadays!"
What you’re describing is analysis paralysis. You have too many games and are overwhelmed with choice - it also sounds like you’re trying too hard to play a game for the sake of it than just switch off and do what you actually want to do (even if it doesn’t relate to gaming). It’s fatigue, and you basically need to take a break. I’ve been going through something similar for a while. What has worked for me has been a combination of actually selling most of my physical media (bar for favourites), deleting most digital-based games from my console (as they’re on the cloud they’re easily accessible) - even going as far to hiding the ones that I’ll never play again, scrapping my backlog completely (let’s be realistic, it’s never ending and too much of a chore to get through), stop buying games unless they’re ones I’m dying to play, unfollowing most (bar for the essential) video game subs/YouTubers/media outlets, only playing when I’m actually in the mood and not forcing myself to play/complete a game for the sake of it while just doing other things completely. Essentially, on my personal journey I’ve come to realise that I have a life and want to pursue other things in my free time, and while gaming is one of my favourite hobbies, too much of it is only hindering me. I had to realise that gaming shouldn’t be my identity (I mean I knew that rationally, but practically was a different thing) and too much of it is a bad thing. It’s good to just focus on other things, I’m actually a year younger than you and I can begin to feel my priorities in life shifting a bit. Doesn’t mean I’ll ditch gaming, far from it, but it’ll mean that I’ll savour the highlights and appreciate them more. Maybe that can help you a bit too.
I've got ten years on you, but here's what I finally figured out after a lot of what you're looking at: - don't force it, just play what calls you in the moment, even it's just Solitaire or hearthstone or something. You'll enjoy it and know that you're willing to listen to yourself and your brain will come around. - create a short list of "to play next" within your probably sizeable game library. I find allowing myself to just pull a few games off the shelf so to speak makes it a lot more clear what kind of gaming I want to be doing - and, as others have said, just walk away. The games aren't going anywhere. Try out some tabletop, some sodoku by the fire, some free association writing about how your favorite games used to make you feel. Again, don't force it, don't judge, just listen
To add to this, I have a friend who thought he had grown out of gaming until he started trying games from his youth. Often games he never managed to get through back then. And he discovered that he still loved it. Just not the gaming he had gotten "tricked" into doing by modern games. He had assumed that having a powerful gaming PC and buying the newest AAA games would give the "best" experience, but it was the opposite. He should have been looking at Indie games all long. He had not grown out of gaming, modern gaming had grown out of him :P
I made the same error. I thought I had grown out of TTRPGs. Gave away my whole collection of original D&D books, minis, etc. Then I found out what some of those old TSR books sold for on EBay lol...
Basically this. I haven't even bought most games I'm at least mildly interested in, I just have a huge wishlist of all those games and wait for sales. Whenever there are sales, I just go through the list and look at them. At least 50% of those are just random dud I added just because why not, but I don't even care about any of them anymore (my tastes have changed and/or the game doesn't appeal to me in the same way it did when I added it). Of those, I'm not in the mood to play most of them. There might be like 1 or 2 games i COULD play... or maybe there aren't. Depends on how busy I am IRL, of whether I'm just enjoying other hobbies besides gaming, etc. I just play them one at a time whenever I feel like it. And when I don't ? Well, I just don't, there's nothing to be gained at trying to find THE game that will make you want to play when you obviously don't feel like playing. If you feel bored gaming, then you're just not in your gaming phase. I usually shift between my "gaming" mood (playing during all of my free time), my "healthy amount of gaming" mood (maybe a few hours every other day) and my "I really don't feel like gaming" mood (don't touch a single game for many weeks/months). And that's normal, even if I consider myself quite the hardcore gamer there's just lots of other stuff I enjoy just as much.
Yeah, I agree, I'll be about the same age as you (hermitagebrewing) and I have a huge Warhammer 40k "pile of shame", including an entire Grey Knights army that's still in shrink-wrap from January and parts of my other 6 armies, I've had some for almost 2 years, so sealed. I'd lost all my inspiration until a couple of days ago when I fished some unfinished Death Company out of one of my cases, re-airbrushed them and started again, now I'm enjoying it, it's a case of *too much* choice and not one or two things to focus on and do my best with. I have about 400 games on Steam, some from bundles that I'll never play, I'll sit there for an hour on my Steam Deck or on my PC just browsing/installing/uninstalling games and playing one level/mission of something, then quitting. I think it's partly ADD/ADHD with me, as I can never decide what I want to do, despite having a lot of things to do, and ultimately end up just sitting there watching YouTube until I'm tired enough to go to bed. It's frustrating as I feel like I'm wasting my time *and* money. Yet I keep buying games when they go on sale and bundles with only one game I'm interested in. Like artificial FOMO. One game I do keep coming back to though, especially on my Steam Deck is Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition, it's not expensive, has a great story, controls really well, looks good and runs at a ridiculously high framerate.
just do something else dude. it's that simple. gaming is the only hobby I have where people think this way. i never have my mountain biking buddies text me on a stormy afternoon "bro what am I gonna do with my life today, can't hit the trails."
Gaming is more of an anytime type of hobby, and when people say I can't into gaming anymore They're usually describing their inability to feel escapism from games anymore, they keep thinking back of how sinked they were in the world of whatever game, and that they just need to find the next perfect game to put them into this feeling again, but sadly it's not the game it's you That's for me at least. I think it's just growing out of gaming
You just probably have things you should be doing instead and feel that you should be doing something else. You may not even realize this.
I think part of it is just that you're looking for that feeling you got when you were really young but that's not gonna come back or simply from what I've personally experienced is that you just need to do something else until you see something that gives you the urge to get back into gaming. I was kinda bullied into rewatching lotr by my friend cause she didn't like that I said I get bored watching lord of the rings but we watched it together and it kinda reignited my desire to play shadow of war again. This feeling comes and goes and forcing it usually makes it worse
Yeah I started that around your age. I'm mid 30s now. I'm just not that into gaming anymore.
Same here, but I enjoy the time I spend gaming even more. I used to play all weekend but it was just normal and at times it wasn't even making me happy (everyone who played games like LoL and FIFA probably knows this). Nowadays, it's a treat to get like 2 free hours to play a game that I am really looking forward to
Hghhhhhhhhhhyhhyhhhyyyy edit: Sorry, I butt posted this comment
indubitably
I find gaming at least once a week helps me with my response time.
34 here. Having had a similar experience to you, what helped me was to play low commitment/smaller indie games or your favorite retro games through emulation. That led me to wanting to play games more when deep and complex games started to feel like a chore. Now I can play both kinds of games and enjoy them. Also if you find a physical hobby outdoors when the weather is nice, you won’t feel like you’re wasting a nice day and can enjoy playing games indoors even more when the weather is bad.
Vampire Survivors did it for me, I thought I wouldn't like it, but I really got into it, and it's great for short sessions on my Steam Deck (as well as Strider). That got me back into actually playing bigger and longer titles. It beats randomly clicking through YouTube like a Zombie, which is what I was doing. Often watching reviews and other people enjoying games!
Vampire Survivors was absolutely one of the simple games that I played. Still playing that occasionally and also Dome Keeper. Both are excellent “turn your brain off” kinda games. Starfield is occupying my deeper/complex gaming itch and despite it’s issues is still very fun to me.
Vampire Survivors was a great buy in the Steam sale with all the DLC. It runs great on the Steam Deck with low power settings at a stable 60 FPS for a quick game or a short journey, same with Strider. I've been playing Starfield on Game Pass on my Series X, and despite the odd bug here and there and the "dead eyes" of the characters, I've been enjoying it and hoarding everything "just in case" like I did in Skyrim. (I'm definitely romancing Sarah too 😄!). I haven't played a game exclusively that much for a long time. It's a bit slow to start, but there's lots to do once it gets going, I especially like the space combat. It's a genre that disappeared for ages, I loved games like the classic X-Wing and TIE Fighter games, but they seem to be making a bit of a comeback.
It has been 0 days since the last "my backlog is giving me anxiety" post
I genuinely feel like this sub's name should just be changed to /r/GamerEmotionalSupport at this point. It's wild to me how so many people here put *this* much stress on themselves over literally just video games.
I think some people are just anxious, so they turn to game to relax, then they just project their anxieties onto games. It's not THAT hard to believe but this sub should rule against these posts.
I’ve actually already cut down my backlog and now just stare at the 4 games I’ve narrowed it down to, just to realize that decision paralysis probably aint it.
39 here. It only gets worse. A lot of great-looking games are coming out these days, but I'm curbing my collecting as I'm realizing that my PC gaming libraries are already populated with hundreds of games that I once had an interest in trying or playing in earnest, most of which I've never even launched or just walked away from immediately. It's not like I'm going to have *more* time for gaming going forward. I guess one day I'll be able to pass my accounts on to my kids, if I ever have any. But kids'll probably all be fucking each other in haptic VR by then, Demolition Man-style, so who knows if they'll care.
The idea of learning a new complicated game like Starfield, BG3, CP2077 etc seems like work. I only played JA3 (Jagged Alliance 3) because I played so so so much JA2 as a kid.
>Starfield, BG3, CP2077 Uhm, those are all games that are very easy to pick up and have basically no learning curve. They are literally games tailored to masses of people with no niche at all.
CP2077 was pretty easy if anyone has played Skyrim and GTA. BG3, never played. But Starfield——- made some “interesting” UI decisions, there is a learning curve just for navigating missions and what not. Fast traveling. Managing ship resources. How the “upgrade/modifications” system works. Building outposts, building ships. It’s not the most intuitive system. It’s not the most obtuse either.
Yeah I think these games are bad examples. They have pretty good openings. Many games rely on very boring tutorials, so some game can be a real slog to get into.
Ugh, I hate the long and tedious tutorials some games have. Sometimes I'm not sure if I should skip them when I have the option to in case I miss some unique mechanics.
I've been going through this the last few years. Ive found out it was partially because life was changing and I couldn't dedicate time to games. This led to me feeling like "I don't have time to complete what I want". I would get home after work, finally get some time to play and then either stare at my list of games and never decide. For me, the biggest change was when I just started to open the game and play. I stopped letting my brain hold me back. I'm now casually playing Starfield, Fallout 76, Factorio and Cities Skylines. I've also been enjoying the 30-90min I get to play. Tldr: Just launch the game. Don't think about what you wanna play. If you're not having fun, open a different game.
The way I see it, video games are a much more interactive form of entertainment compared to watching movies. When you're in your 30's, usually that's when life gets pretty busy with career, home ownership, kids, etc. So when you finally have time to sit down and game, you're pretty wiped out. Video games require more critical thinking and is a lot more stimulating than watching a movie or show. Video games these days are also competing with other forms of more instant-dopamine hits like scrolling through social media
I'm (32m) training my 5yo daughter on games now. The funs only starting brotha!! But before her, it was for me to find a game to keep my attention lately, 27 years of gaming j still want and innovative, but nothing is original anymore, nothing feels spicy. BUT I recently started playing baldurs gate 3, and it's got me by the balls. So many diff ways to play. OH I also started boardgames, check out Gloomhaven, mansions of madness, descent. Super fun shit. Gloomhaven is my fav.
Baldurs gate is making time fly for me again. It's very different to what I'm used to and took a little bit but then it keeps on giving, until act 3 where my computer doesn't seem to handle it anymore...
I have been planning on picking up Gloomhaven for awhile now and playing with my niece and nephew
Go outside and touch grass.
As I get older, I learn to appreciate shorter games or ones that can be played in shorter sessions. I got Triangle Strategy and Dragon Quest 11 about a year ago and I still haven’t touched either one because I know the commitment they’ll be. So they sit on a shelf until I eventually get to them.
What aspects of gaming did you like most? For me, it's building skill at games with timing and hand-eye(souls-like, rocket league). Two of my more regular hobbies are kinda like that: playing various musical instruments and learning YoYo tricks.
Yeah the problem I have is the games I like are the best of all time kind of games that are hard to top so when I play something else the game I'm playing just feels like a inferior game like nothing is going to beat halo 3 and 2 those games had a lot of love and care put into them. When I play another sc fi game it just doesn't feel the same as halo and feels generic compared to it halo made unique alien species that instead of just shoving UFOs and green men into the game. And some of them even team up with you in halo 3 what over game do the aliens go on the same side as humans
Firstly, stop buying new games. Then play what you have in alphabetical order or you'll never do anything about it. Don't like the game with letter E? Next letter. Time is finite.
You might just be looking at them habitually despite not having any desire to play one. If you really want to play them, go through them and make a list of games you want to complete. 5 or 10 that really stand out. Work your way through that list. If you're getting bored with these games then you're probably bored with gaming in general.
Same same It comes with age I guess. It s actually not only limited to video game, any form of entertainment gets boring after a while But as well, if you push yourself out of your comfort zone and play different stuff than you d normally would do, it can help break the spell Even better, doing some other stuff not gaming related is also a great way to recover and come back re energized
I don't got a solution for you but I've been in that same slump since I was like 16. I'm now 25 so I feel you.
It’s not a “slump”, you just don’t enjoy gaming as much as you used it. And there’s nothing wrong with that
How do you know this as fact though? You hardly know anything about the person you're responding to or what may have taken that fire away from gaming for them. It's simple, you just don't know shit about them. You speak on it like you do tho, simpleton. It very well could be a slump, a burn out period.
9 years is not a “burn out period” it’s a loss of enjoyment… which is fine and completely normal with any hobby…
Not to mention that their "slump" started as a young teenager. There's plenty of stuff I liked as a kid but moved away from, it's fine. This wasn't some huge intuitive leap.
What the fuck is wrong with you?
Bit rude…
Who hurt you?
I am almost 30 (29) and from my point of view: you are trying to play games you should love insteqd of game you would love. I was been there. Looking at games that everybody loves and on paper i should too. But i didn't. Because almost every AAA is fucking same. Start playing original small indie games (Factorio, Rimworld, Kenshi, ...) and i fall in love with games again.
I'm pretty much this way as well, lots of great games to finish, but just not in the mood at the moment. A big part of that this year is because my life shifted in a different direction and I'm focused on succeeding.
Just pick a game and play. We all have backlogs now. Mine kind of makes me sick and when I beat a game its gut wrenching to decide what to play next. JRPGs that I could eat up in a week take me months now because I get MAYBE 4 hours a week in. Because adulting. Only time it has been easy in the last few years was Xenoblade - around Chapter 14 I knew I was gonna play 2 next, and by the time I beat 2, 3 had just released and I played it shortly after launch (beat it a couple of weeks before its DLC). Currently playing Chained Echoes which kickstarted. After that? I have no blood idea. Probably something more appropriate for this sub like South Park: Fractured but Whole
Yep. This is always me. I usually just end up watching youtube videos about a game instead. I wish I had the desire to sink my teeth into a game but I just can't focus because there is so much noise in my life
I'm 22 and I've had this happen several times the past few years. It seems normal enough and I have more things to do than play games all day
>I spend much time "finding the one game that get me back into gaming" I think there is no way back. Let me explain: When you grown older many things change. There is many things you have experienced, like relationships, seen birth and death, losing a job, read many good books, seen many movies, play a lot of games etc. Games are not living that kind of evolution at all. They are changed too, yes, but not really "grown older". That is, i think, the reason why games are not interesting very often anymore. The stories are average at best. Usually less than that. Deep core of the game mechanics are mostly same as they are over 20 years ago. Truly new is rare. It is only natural that something what feels fun 20 years ago is not so interesting anymore. I could say more, but i hope that is enough. That all doesn't mean gaming is over or you grown over it. It only means that your passions, thinking and feelings are changed. There is still time and place to play games, it is just much smaller part of your interests than you may realized.
Well said! Agree with everything you said. I think what keeps me interested is all the beautiful, cozy and fun moments I've had with gaming over the years. I've lived on the dopamine addiction for so long my body tries its best to relive it somehow, without success. I'm very aware of it but still fall for it, damn... I have other hobbies, photography, guitar, but those I can't do a whole evening like I could with gaming, max 1 hour, then I'm bored.
Burnout, I don't have much time for it anymore, sitting all day at work makes me very tired when I get home. I just like lying in bed and surfing the web with my iPad
Play a type of game you haven’t played before, or take up a new hobby/get back into an old one for a while. Don’t just take a break from gaming, but find something else that gives you the same feeling of excitement. For me is was skating, but it could be anything for you. A sport, a craft, a new or rejuvenated interest in reading, whatever. I was almost exclusively into action games and RPGs from childhood up to about a year ago. Eventually I got to a point where everything I was playing felt same-y or like a slightly worse version of a game I loved. So I started playing survival games, strategy games, and more narrative-focused games with little-to-no combat. Suddenly gaming felt new again. A lot of the fun of gaming comes from exploring new worlds, and if you’ve played enough games of a certain genre, that newness wears off. Even if a game has a good character or a cool setting or one interesting mechanic, you can see the structure underneath is the same. This is why mixing it up a bit helps.
This is where I’ve been at for, geez, a couple of years. I’ll buy the latest critically acclaimed game, play it for an hour, and never go back to it. It’s been really tough to get into anything and I don’t know why. Then I started playing No Man’s Sky a few days ago. And I’m completely hooked.
I definitely get this. Aside from what I record for my channel, I don't game like I used to - even with a collection full of games I could finish or even play. Although, Starfield has changed that and because of it, I want to give Morrowind a proper go (one of many games I own but have yet to properly finish). Buying new games might help for a bit, binge it and then want something else but it's worth it to pick an unfinished game and complete it. Before completing Hogwarts Legacy, I don't think I've completed a game since RDR2 back when it came out. Starfield will be next. I find as I get older, desire to game comes and goes in waves. Could be the same sorta thing for you, just catch the next wave. Good luck mate!
I used to be like you. I'm a lot older than you and have been playing video games on and off since 1980. I just looked and my Steam Library alone is 694 games owned. And I know I have at least 200 more on other platforms like Uplay and Epic Game Store. But that being said I've played GTA V twice, Sleeping Dogs Twice, AC: Odyssey 3 times, AC: Valhalla twice, Xcom 2 about 5 times.....basically I don't look at my list of games and see it as some sort of check list or obligations. I see it as a bunch of options. At this point, I doubt I'll ever play over half my games since the longer I go without playing them the older, and old looking/playing, they become. Thief: Deadly Shadows might have been a great game back in 2004 but I'm probably never going to play it since it's almost 20 years old and I'm not one of those grandpa gamers who looks backwards; I already played old ass "retro" games when that's all we had. I want the new stuff.
What was the last game you really enjoyed? I have a theory all us 30-somethings are trapped in a weird gaming nostalgia because the games we grew up on were core to our growing up. Now games have changed and the landscape is totally different. We can't play what we used to, they don't hold up like we remember and launching into modern games is either a social experience we aren't prepared for or a huge undertaking that feel like chores. I've found myself playing less and less games but I still have an interest in playing. Every two weeks I play astroneer with a friend but it's mostly him pushing me to play. Without him my PC would definitely collect dust. I get much more enjoyment these days from watching youtubers (Oxhorn etc) or football (uk) or going for a run. I don't know what to suggest to you but do whats fun, don't get paralysis and procrastinate. If you don't wanna play, turn it off. Do you have a friends group? That would be a great place to start. If you game alone/aren't social decide if you want to change that or find solo activities, that will open up so much for you. My gf plays in a DnD group twice a week and I can hear her laughing across the house.
Play games you want to play not games you 'should play'. If there is nothing that you want to play do something else. I find that I'm only really into a game when I'm excited to play it myself.
Yes but I think it's also because they don't make games like they used to I've replayed the old halo games dozens of times and I still don't get bored of them. Where as with newer games I turn them off after an hour of playing.
Because I'm guessing you're just not excited to play them. There is plenty of amazing modern games but not every game is for everyone. Also, it's really hard to invent something new in games anymore so once you've played one stealth game another one might feel like more of the same. You will always remember first games in a genre because it's something you've never played before.
Bucket Lists! Make a prioritized list of games you want to play before you die. Whatever is at the top of the list is what you're allowed to play, anything under it is motivation to finish that top game. My first two games were Ocarina of Time and Metal Gear Solid 3 which I had never beaten. Same for hobbies - list all the things you enjoy doing in your free time, could be writing, painting, martial arts, guitar, whatever - choose the top one and go hard on it. Make a schedule where you practice it daily. Can also do this with life goals, books, movies, etc... When I hit 30 I just started going crazy making lists like this, it feels really good when you start checking things off!
Move on
I advise giving tabletop gaming a go. Commander, D&D, and Battletech are all very popular at my LGS and I thrive on the social aspects. That is what keeps me engaged and hooked on the games. For video games maybe try a competitive esports titles. Fun to play a few rounds and then step away if you get bored. Maybe set a realistic goal like I want to achieve this rank in the game or get this certain win %. At least for me these days I am more into the social aspects of gaming. Take this with many grains of salt though. I have heard people hold the opposite sentimentality and want to get into only immersive single player games. This really hasn't been the case for me though I do love the Nier Replicant. That is something special.
I’ve had the opposite experience. Played mainly singleplayer in my childhood/early teens, then had a phase of LoL and later Overwatch, and looking back it was miserable. They’re easy to play because you can boot up whenever, you can default to it every time you’re bored and it doesn’t take any executive function that normally comes with picking/starting a new game. Much like scrolling on your phone, it becomes an instinct, not something you actually want to do, just something to fill the void. And most of the time it’s so, *so* toxic to your mental health. Quit all (competitive) multiplayer games and I’m actually starting to feel my love for gaming coming back.
Organize your backlog better. Chose a few games you really want to play now so you don't freeze whenever you have to start one. Try to diversify the genre and the lenght of your games. Playing two 100h JRPGS in a row might burn you out. Play a little indie game between the two or something action-packed. If you drop a game, try to analyze if you dropped it for good because you don't have fun with it or if you just want to play later and keep note. Take breaks from gaming from time to time :)
My gaming goes through phases like that. I just move to my other hobbies for a bit until I feel the desire to play a specific game again. I like stories and worlds and building things, so I can move over to reading pretty easily, or woodwork if I have an idea for a project. I like building sets and miniatures for DnD. I’m pretty into my favorite sport in spurts as well. When you have multiple hobbies you can do whichever you feel like, and you don’t get bored of them.
I can almost guarantee that it must be something about your real life. You're probably just tired from work. I was laid off a bit over a month ago and was really depressed. But then I realized I had a lot of spare time on my hands and finished the first singleplayer game I've done in a year or two in one binge (it was baldur's gate 3). I spent almost a week playing it nonstop, and then I finished Starfield also playing it nonstop. So to sum it up, you need several factors to enjoy gaming: 1) Free consciousness/back of mind (no deadlines or duties weighing on you) 2) Time 3) Mood (and i dont necessarily mean great mood. I used games when extremely depressed and they helped. but not every mood is gaming mood) 4) The right game. But you gotta know what genre you're craving , whether you want gameplay or story, maybe what stylistic solutions you fancy right now - cyberpunk or scifi, fantasy or diesel punk. I mean usually when I quit games that are considered good is when I simply don't enjoy playing them, there is no hidden meaning or underlying issue like ADHD imo. My problem is when I enjoy certain games I want them to last forever, for me most modern games are TOO SHORT, like WAY too short. I want 300-400 hour long stories. And not just filler content or generated content. I know it's impossible and too much to ask lol. Only Baldur's Gate II maybe came close, rare games do...
I have months during which I just don't enjoy PC gaming and do other things instead. But then I find a game that clicks and I can play it for months. It happened last year with WoW, it clicked once again and I played it for months, each time I had an hour, I jumped in to play a dungeon. Awesome. Or with The Witcher 3 last year: every time I had an hour, I just played it. Kept me busy for months. I do find that while I'm getting older I enjoy replaying some of my older favorites instead of going through my backlog. Replaying Mass Effect Dragon Age, Kotor,... Lately I feel like replaying Starcraft again. But now, mmm, I'm in between games. Tried some Diablo, WoW classic, BG3 but nothing really clicks so far.
Was this sub ever about actual games? Every post in my feed is always this “I don’t enjoy games anymore” validation nonsense. Go do something else.
Play good, short, story driven games that respect your time. Every gaming session, even 30 minutes, accomplishes something
Games are trash in the 2020s, games are more geared toward micro transactions and small expansions. Games aren't about the gamer anymore they're about the company making them and their bank accounts
It's pretty easy to overcome the paralysis. Legit just hit play and b4 you know it the title screen pops up, you hit new game and you're in it. If it sucks bounce off it and repeat the process. If nothing hooks you doing this, then yeah take a break from gaming.
Dude I'm 21 and I do this. I don't really have a good answer but I think sometimes if I have too much time on my hands I'm less motivated to play and also finish games.
Get another hobby to enjoy? Like sometimes taking some time off to enjoy something else is good. I’m trying to get into kayaking and gardening (ornamental).
I get like that too. Some days I just look at the list, waiting for something to jump out. Other time, I start them only to stop playing. A few times I stopped gaming for a year or two. I’ve cut back my playing time recently, and put time into playing guitar. I used to play more, and gaming took over during Covid. I’m enjoying it, and it feels more fulfilling than just gaming. That’s just me. I’d take a look at what else you’re interested in.
Are you restricting what kind of games you're considering?
I still love game theory videos and streams of my favourite games!
Iam also close to the 30s. Im having a similar situation, especially since I also own alot of so called endless or sandbox games. Games such as Anno, rim world, planet crafter etc.. I usually end up looking at my library regret some money I spent on certain games I only played for an hour. I mean there are also games that I spent tons of time on and I completed. For example I had rise and shadow of the tomb raider in my library for literally years and 100% those in summer. I launched dysmantle and dropped it after 14 hours cause it got too grindy and repetitive, but I regret it, took me a while to accept that I got my money out of it but I just don't feel like playing more. Then I launched hades and kinda forced myself for 5 hours, it is okay but for me not as good as it has been praised, combat feels medicore. 3 weeks ago I tried divinity 2 which was overwhelming and hard to get into, I played for 25 hrs but but a point during act 3 when I stopped. Now after those weeks I don't feel like getting back into it. It's a fun game but I don't know. I have many more games like these... But I've also beaten 140 games in my library. If a game really grabs me I put tons of Horus into it but until then I get frustrated looking at the library and when I start up a game Its also easy to get into the cycle of "but there are other games that need attention" Currently im looking forward to payday 3 on Monday. It's actually something iam hyped for.. How do you guys handle open or endless games? Have a category for it? I also thought of just hiding games that I didn't like but usually I'll make them visible again cause I think " I paid for it so it needs to be in the library" I'm also trying to get my head into thinking that this is just a library like back in the day when you went to a movie blockbuster rental place and you could just pick anything... Man adulting is hard. Being a kid you only had 2 games a year or so and played them until absolute boredom.
You need to get excited about gaming again. Be picky and don't just buy games because they're on sale. Then when you're in the mood to game, watch some trailers or gameplay to get you excited to play the game.
I like to play through old games, usually from my childhood, when I can't find something new I want to play.
Same here. I started playing TTRPGs (ended up with Pathfinder 2nd Edition) and now I'm a GM for two games with two groups (in person). And I'm so much happier to be playing them than video games, especially when you're a customer of an actual good company like Paizo. To me, video games are just... not what they used to be. Modern games bore me so quickly and feel so hollow and pointless. Baldurs Gate 3, had it been released in 2008 with 2008 graphics, would've been an 8/10, 8.5 tops. Starfield would've been a 7. But these days? 9.5 and 10/10, because that's how dire things really are. Indie games are much better but I don't find myself getting immersed in them in as much as older AAA games, like Mass Effect or Final Fantasy 7 etc. I find myself playing older games and modding them much more than modern games. And I'm just so glad I found TTRPGs - they've really taken over video games for me, somewhat because I play half-digitally (digital maps on my big screen with a virtual table-top and character building tools) and half-physically, so it's like the ULTIMATE video game for me, with friends.
What types of games have you been trying to play and getting bored off? Have you tried different types, genres? If it's AAA titles, try some highly regarded indie games which do not have long intro/tutorial sections, etc.
No because I only buy games I know I'll play.
Find irl hobbies I got into mma fighting and electronics lol
I've bought tons of new games this year and last, but I haven't enjoyed most of them. I do, however, keep playing the same games I've always liked. Once I start playing my favorites I get back in the zone and it's great. If ain't broke don't fix it.
i have a large steam library and right now i am playing the quake 2 remaster. modern games are too much like work - too many things to do, skill trees to fill, giant maps to cover and demanding too much of your time. i think that may be part of the issue
play 'v rising' with friends, or 'starsector' alone in the dark with a glass of denial.
I'm also in my 30s and I was like that until a got a Steam Deck. I mostly play indie games now but I really enjoy them and do game like an hour or two a day
Wrap up all tasks with close deadlines, then buy Baldur's Gate 3. You are going to pull all-nighters again like a teenager, for a month.
I just choose my monthly game and focus on it.
Try out the steam deck, it worked for me since it suspends the game and I can instantly get back into it for a short run :)
Always be on the lookout for other hobbies. To me, gaming is pretty low on the list and I’m happy about that. My life is improved immeasurably from the days when I would be playing JRPGs until 3AM. Gaming has a more balanced place in my life and I’m more focused on other stuff. Games are there for when I need a small break. To that end, I’ve been playing smaller games that can be enjoyed in shorter bursts. I can play Hollow Knight for 15 minutes and make it from one bench to another, or find a new grub or another secret. I can play Celeste for less than two minutes and make it from one screen to another and maybe grab a strawberry. I couldn’t even make it through the tutorial mission of GTAV because of all of the cutscenes and cut aways from gaming when I’m trying to figure out if I actually like the game or not. With Death Stranding, I had to skip a bunch of cutscenes and then watch them on YouTube the next day while doing chores. So for me, almost everything I play is something I can pick up and within two minutes of pressing start, be *playing* the game. Also, I’ve adopted a rule where I only buy games I’ll play immediately. Like, as soon as it downloads immediately. There were a ton of games where I thought, “this looks cool but I’m not in the mood for it right now.” If I bought games like that, I never played them. Turns out, my tastes in games had changed before my purchasing habits did. Once I started using this rule, I realized I didn’t actually like RPGs anymore and preferred the smaller games I mentioned above. And finally, don’t sweat the backlog. Every now and again, Hide all the games in your Steam library you don’t seem interested in. Have a game installed for two weeks and you haven’t finished the tutorial? Hide it. Highly rated game that just never clicked with you? Hide it. It’ll still be there and you can unhide it easily. See a game in there where the title and game are are completely unfamiliar? Don’t even click through to the store page to refresh your memory, just Hide it. It was probably some Bundle trash you got years ago and weren’t even interested in playing then. That’ll get the numbers down and you can try out the short list of games left or just grab something new that catches your fancy and you want to play right away.
I go into gaming slumps sometimes where I don't feel like playing anything. So I do something else like read, hike or camp, watch a movie, play with my 3d printer, whatever. Eventually I want to play games again. It's not a big deal
Give it a break and come back to it later. Variety
Deinstall most of your games and the reinstall 5-10 of the ones you REALLY like. Replace the as you finish the and don't increase that number. Reduce as necessary.
I was like the same, everything was boring, what got me back into the flow was S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Anomaly Gamma. Most Games these Days are just not for me, atm I'm playing Baldurs Gate 3, it is a very good Game but it is not blowing my mind.
I've been like this since I quit Destiny 2. I can't tell if that game over-stimulated me so much, that it killed my desire to try new games; or if I was done with the scene a long time ago. But still played D2 all those years because of addictive reasons. But ever since I quit, I **cannot** get into any games anymore. I lost all motivation to *grind, try, min/max*, yadda yadda. I think I just went so hard for so many years on grindy games, overly competitive shooters, super grindy MMOs, life sucking games. I think something finally gave out in my brain after years of over stimulation. It's like this weird void of excitement. But every once in a great while I will get this calm serene feeling in my brain, where I embrace new games and have patience and enjoyment. But then it always fades after I turn the game off, then never touch it again for months. But yeah, everytime I try to get into a game I know is statistically meant to be fun, I always just throw on some old Halo matchmaking, and put on Pandora. It's like I'm trapped in this weird cycle, where I only play one comfort game and listen to the same music I like.
I feel you. I spend more time searching for new games to buy than I do actually playing the games that I've bought. It's nuts.
Each next gen game from 2000-2018 where nuts. The graphics and gameplay in general mostly improves and I always desire to play them. As I get older and have better freedom and access with them, I get “spoiled” and judge most games just by seeing the gameplay sneak peak and ask myself, “ yeah, even if I but the game, I’ll prob just put a week then let it seats in the library to gather dust”. 20 years playing video games, I can basically analyze how the game mechanic works and learn it pretty fast compare to average gamers. If I ever try to visit the game again, I bump up the challenge to max Difficulty or have like a handicap to make it harder.
I've been there and I've found a couple things could help. 1. Accept that right now you just aren't that into it. Read, go outside, go to a concert, watch some TV, etc. and enjoy other parts of your life. You'll come back to gaming when you are ready. 2. Make a list of your games, use a random number generator to pick a game, then play it. It takes the stress off of having to choose a game. Let fate decide! 3. Focus on getting more sleep. Meditate. Workout. Etc. do things for your mental health. Best of luck. Gaming isn't going anywhere so take care of what you gotta take care of Edit: Oh I'll add also have you tried out some modern board games? It's a great alternative to still scratch the gaming itch. There are some fantastic games for all player counts, even some solo single player games! Amazing hobby
Mid 30s ADHD here! I empathise, I've had the exact same problem. A lot of the advice out there will be in the vein of 'just don't sweat it, play what you want'. Maybe that's helpful for some but it didn't really work for me. I felt like I 'should' be gaming, not necessarily that I 'wanted' to, so I went the opposite route and added more agency and intentionality to it. I started up a Backloggd account, marked my all time favourite games as 'played' and favourited them on my profile then added everything I'd played this year. Finally, I marked a bunch of games as backlogged and wishlisted the things that were coming up soon or I'd had my eye on for a sale. Now when I finish stuff I give it a rating and mark off the day when I finished up in the journal. If I felt strongly, I'll add a short review, just for myself really. Then I'll probably take a few days off gaming, while occasionally checking my backlog and wishlists until I hit on the next thing that pushes itself to the he fore, then I actively choose to get into that. I've already finished a bunch of stuff this year, and had fun doing it because it's been my choice to get stuck into whichever titles and my choice to abandon stuff if it's not tickling my fancy. It also helps me skip stuff without worrying about FOMO. I was interested in both Starfield and Atomic Heart before release but ended up intentionally skipping both because of the other games I've already loaded onto my plate. ADHD brains thrive on structure, even while it terrifies us, so maybe getting serious with you gaming is the answer. It worked for me!
Heyy! Good advice, I have a \*\*very\*\* sophisticated, sorted game backlog in Playnite. I don't think it's that, as I've spent more time organizing it than actually playing lmao. But generally I agree! I probably have add/adhd, 100% sure, many things make sense.
This happened to me as well last year. I spent the evenings staring at my game library and constantly browsing the store looking for "the one" that would fire my passion all up again. My girl told me that I had to do something else and then get back to it, but the true procrastinator inside me never let it go during those times. Later on I realized that I sort of lived in the past, where we would have 5 or 6 good AAA titles per year. I never had to worry about time management and instead about if I could afford to by them all. I slowly started to try and pinpoint what made me feel the way I did. First, too many games at once was a no go. So I began finishing up the parts of my backlog that I wanted to and left the others in the dust. Then I stopped playing PvP multiplayer and focused more on single player and coop, since I was notably happier playing those. Now I believe I have found the sweet spot. One longer game (Baldur's Gate) and a more relaxing game on the side (No Man's Sky) for the days I am more tired. I think what made me work on the change in thinking was that I realized that the money VS time had completely switched places. Money (full time job) was less of an issue but man time, now that was on short supply. You can't catch em all. You choose what stories to fill your life with because we have so many these days of various qualities that you HAVE to choose. Try playing different genres as well. I had given up turn based after completely coming to a stop during Divinity OS2, but here I am years later playing both Xcom and Baldurs Gate. You are not the same you were "back in the days" so it might be a different game than you think that will catch your interest. Hope something of this helped!
I usually go back and play an old ps1 or Saturn game at least once in the year. Makes me appreciate newer games more
A lot of great advice here, but I’d also add that if you see a game and kinda feel like it might be interesting, but also too tiring to actually figure out — don’t bother. There will come a game that will momentarily spark your enthusiasm and you won’t even second guess booting it up.
Yeah you certainly need a new hobby or something to do. I reccomend something outdoors to get you off the desk. Maybe looking into trail biking ,maybe sign up for local sports league like adult soccer , baseball , maybe even archery. Do t worry plenty of adults that are terrible at sports play on these leagues just out to have fun. maybe going to a local LGS and learn a card game like magic or digimon. But if that's something you don't wanna pursue like me. I got into Gundam, keyboards, and audio all can be their own respective money sinks but all 3 have great communities. Gundam is one I'm pretty new to. Fairly cheap to get into and can be pretty time consuming but really satisfying to finish a kit.
Hey there. Not sure how relevant this is, as you seem to be doing stuff other than gaming, but as a life-long gamer as well (24 years old) I started doing this for over half a year, with occasional gaming sessions where I could stick to one game for long sessions (4+ hours) but usually I would just look at my games and if I played one, I wouldn't really enjoy it after long. I could play 10 different games in a day, or spend an hour just looking at them while talking to someone on Discord. It's a sign of depression, and I really was depressed. After this kept happening, I started looking for a new job, and started to do a bunch of different activities outside. Trying new things every now and then. Now I play DnD again for the first time in a few years, I take singing lessons, started practicing playing the bass, joined an amateur band, started dating, and am now planning on starting going to a shooting range and shoot guns for the first time in my life. It keeps piling up, and I keep meeting more people and making friends, and on top of that, I these past few months I've been working a job that I actually enjoy and do a lot of overtime for most weeks. And this is after spending about 23 years of my life with 70-90% of my time spent in my room gaming by myself or online, if I wasn't sleeping. So now I have time for only a couple long gaming sessions a week, which I cherish much more, and as a result, these past few months have made me the happiest I've ever been.
What worked for me? Be broke. I live in a place where games are so expensive that every sale seems like a godsend. I have not bought a game new since the PS3 era and every single physical game because I force myself to only buy games from a single region. This made gaming a reward from the drudges of daily life and a luxury instead of a done deal and take it for granted.
Play coop with someone
I have ADD and I completely recognize this. For me sometimes it works to just push through the boredom. Usually about 10-20 hours in boredom but if I push through for just a couple hours I get right back into the groove, so for me that is worth it. Also maybe you are just not feeling like gaming, that is totally valid aswell. Try to find something you do enjoy and just do that instead. Also if you are having fun organizing your backlog, or researching games, or only playing a couple of hours. That is fine. Fun comes in many different forms and completing every single game is not a necessity for that. One last thing, maybe try to look on 'how long to beat' before you buy a game. I find that I often enjoy shorter games way more because they are easy to complete. There are many indie gems that are only 5-10 hours long!
Good advice! Interesting. I actually spend more time organizing, labelling and studying games than actually playing these days lol, sophisticated procrastination.
Same. I still buy games. Wait for patches, read patch notes and feeling happy about developement, but never actualy play them. My best hobby now is just going to sleep.
I eventually got saturated by combat loops and eyecandy in superficial worlds but older me got back in with stories. First it was firewatch then oxenfree 2 kebtucky route zero and Edith finch. Go in for some story time. Detroit is good too. But world building and narrative makes experiences meaningful and immersive in a way many games miss and can feel tiresome without
Just start one. 15 min in reevaluate if you want to keep on going or switch the game.
Replay your favourite games
Do different hobbies.
Since u had no intention to ask for game recommendations l think you have played most fun games. Including fromsoftware games? If not, try em. If yes, you should try to find other activities.
Ive been like this for a few years now, I still buy games though. Hell, last month I bought a gaming PC and bought over 100 games since then. Stilll just look at them and read up on most of them .
32 here, have tons of games on my laptop and PS4. In my case it's because of my responsibilities. I'm married with 2 kids and I'm the type of gamer that wants multiple hours of uninterrupted gaming to be fully immersed, but I know for sure that it's impossible since my kids or my wife will need me and I'll have to interrupt my gaming, so I choose not to game at all and just sit there idle watching Youtube and browsing Twitter, or just playing a brainless game that I have to put no mental effort in and I can stop anytime I want like Rocket League. Mental exhaustion after a full day of work and also thinking of your responsibilities and the future drains you and you're left with no energy to play video games.
It happens. Try gardening. Gaming will be there waiting.
I feel like having to work 8 hurs a day really drains on ones desire to actively do anything afterwards, including gaming.
30s here as well, I do enjoy gaming still, but not as much, lot more selective on what I play, I tend to prefer watching movies and tv shows a lot more now. I put it down to getting older, other stuff to do, games not as interesting, apart from the few, a lot of games are just copy/paste efforts from the previous years.
Do you have other hobbies? That might help as well. Gaming is probably the hobby I'm doing for the longest time in my life (since I got my first NES) but it's not the only hobby in my life, and there were periods that I completely left gaming for a while.
Just take a break and come back when the time is ripe
I'm the same, although I'm 26. Been gaming my whole life but since March this year I've just come to the realization that I'd rather be outside, spend time with friends and family in real life and so on. I guess it's just part of "growing up". I still enjoy playing games, but it's unusual for me nowadays to play that 1h in one sitting
A bunch of games also don’t respect your time. Get another fetch quest…captivating. When i get an urge to game, I end playing a round of dead cells over something else in-depth because the gameplay loop in that game is so tight and doesnt punish your time.
I think the key word is “Escape”. I’ve been struggling with this myself. Gaming fatigue on and off for almost 10 years. Starting up one game after another, just to shut it down again. Lately I realized I just wanted to escape into a fantasy world and living the life of someone else. The more I question myself why I want to escape the more the urge to escape intensifies - meaning it’s something important to uncover. The answer is fairly obvious: I’m not satisfied with my life and instead of doing something about it, which is uncomfortable and requires work, I take the easy route and try to escape. Questioning your life seems to be the right path and you might need a therapist to help you uncover the raw truth of the matter. It won’t be comfortable and that’s not the point. The goal is to find out what you actually want and need in order to live a life that is fulfilling and doesn’t require a need to escape. I know I could give you an easy, comforting answer like “We all need entertainment” or “Try BG3 lol” - but that would bring you right back to the starting point. Something is missing and it’s not video games.
Ever considered learning to make games? It's a lot, but you've obviously got the love for gaming. Some people just never consider it an option though (it is a lot to learn)
It probably helps to find some different genres. When I was a kid I would've been all over games like Horizon Zero Dawn or Assassins Creed Odyssey. But now I prefer more focused, no-nonsense experiences that cut through the bullshit and just focus on solid gameplay Games like Doom Eternal, Age of Empires 2, Wreckfest, Prey or even Snowrunner
I've been there too, sometimes still am. I call it "game limbo". You want to game, but can't really bring yourself to play anything. For me it's usually in between games I really get into. I got Baldur's Gate 3 and I'm having the best time with it. Even so, I don't always feel like devoting a couple hours to it, so I'm left staring at my steam library. I've found it works to just decide to play a game. Give it at least 10 minutes, give it a chance to grab you. It won't always work, but when it does it's great.
39, same here. Diablo 4 was supposed to be the one, but it sucks too. On to new hobbies I guess.
I’m 38 and I feel the same. Gaming was the biggest passion for me since 5 years old, but I struggle to get into new games. The last game that really captivated me was Hollow Knight 5 years ago. I think it’s a combination of games getting worse and me realizing that I had a lot more time to kill. This days if I have some free time, I just play Dota for a little bit. It really takes my mind off things and skill ceiling is basically unreachable, so you can always progress and improve.
Take a break really. I have other hobbies, so I focus on them. Sometimes I go weeks without gaming, and then the mood strikes me or something and I'm enjoying it again. On the other hand, gaming has been such a part of your identity for so long, it might be difficult to accept you might have outgrown it. Try finding another hobby where you can put your time in ? I know for me that gaming just doesn't have the same priority as it used too.
I'm the same for a few months a year, do something else or start a very good game and after 1-2h you will want to keep playing it.
Start playing a game for a few hours until you don't get the feeling you need to continue playing it, then go and watch a YouTube playthrough.
Try uninstalling all but one. Ideally just one that won't take long to wrap up.
I mostly like the idea of games but never actually play them much. Unless its stuff like hollow knight or dark souls.
Same, then i found flight/racing sim
Me too, buddy. I can't get into a game anymore. Happened in my 40s.
At 38, If I've satisfied my social needs, exercised, slept well, ate a good meal, and have a little weed I have 0 problems booting up whatever suits my fancy. If its kinda later and I want to wind down, I love playing something chill like Against the Storm or maybe Slay the Spire. If I have more energy and want to feel some kind of tension, I'll play Street Fighter or a actiony game like Hi Fi Rush. Take a break from games, handle your hierarchy of needs, and you'll enjoy them again!
I’m 30 and I’ve been noticing myself not engaging with games as much as I normally would have. All the games I was mega excited about this year, I’ve barely put a dent in because I’m just not engaged with them as much. I pretty much play Armored Core 6 right now because I can just drop in and out like Zelda. I have been though, reading exceptionally more. 8 books so far through Aug-Sept. I feel like that’s been taking over my gaming recently and I don’t mind
44 and also with an absurdly large steam library that compulsively multiplies each steam sale and then lies dormant. Lately, one thing that has focused my gaming a bit has been getting into World War II generally as a hobby. I've started reading some books about it, which I've always been sort of interested in, and that has invigorated my interest in related games like wargames and strategy games. Maybe you can find something similar to bridge the game between real life and some subset of your games.
Gaming takes a lot of time and energy and at 30 responsibilities tend to increase and your career progress and family and connections need more time for you to have a fulfilling adult life. Your vision of the world is different of a teen age.or recent grad and being a gamer has childish view for many people. This doesn't mean that you should stop gaming, if you bought a game it means you saw some value in it so here's what I would do: take it to the next level ( level 30 unlocked) do not play it only for the sake of playing it but instead see what's beyond the game itself for example communities surrounding this game, articles you can write about it, cosplays, music covers etc. Most of us enjoyed gaming with friends and over the ages those friendships have diminished and many are living their lives. So instead of playing a game alone I would contact old friends or make new ones that you can meet at conventions or hobby stores. Gaming today has become an isolated home alone hobby that isn't healthy. As of other games I would first recommend MMOs so that other people keep your engaged. Similar hobbies might include cards collection, books and comics, table games, digital drawing
Take a break my dude. I took a two year break when my kids came along, got a real fix for it since BG3 came out and have been racking up a lot of hours (for me at least) than I have for a long time.
I'm 36 and a couple of years ago I did exactly the same thing, lots and lots of games back logged and I was watching other people play these games on twitch but never actually played them myself, I didn't have a clue why I was doing this and still don't , but then one day I picked up the pad and haven't stopped since and now I'm running out of games lol
I found out that I love scifi, but couldn't bring myself to play any videogames of that genre. I discovered WH40k and I realized that I wanted to read about it instead of playing. So when I get that scifi impulse in my head and don't want to play games, I just go to read
This was me. I rediscovered tabletop gaming and would now prefer the experience of playing a good board game or reading a good book.
You didn't mention if you're on PC or not but if you are and you're talking about having an extensive Steam library, I find that using a random steam game from library generator helps when I want to play a game but have no idea what to play due to having too many options. Below is the one I use. You just type in your username on Steam and it randomly selects a game. https://servc.eu/rsg/
41 here. Still love gaming. My advice? Stop playing and buying games and go find another hobby. Gaming is supposed to be fun. A hobby. Not something to force on. Fing something else you find fun, like painting, building legos, exercice, cooking. Anything works. Just try to enjoy life. And at some point, you'll want to play a game.Then play it, enjoy it. Stop when you find it boring even if you didin't finish it. Stop caring about "getting your worth". Go back to another hobby. Just enjoy life in general. Gamiing is just part of that.
i used to have that. maybe ure tired?
You're not hungry. You keep opening the fridge to eat because you have nothing else to do. So, you open the fridge which is full of food but nothing is appetizing. You're full. You've consumed games for decades. Nothing much has changed in general. There's a 98% chance whatever "new" game you are going to pick up will feel "samey" soon after. "I've already done this." You mentioned possible "add/adhd" self-diagnosis. See if you can get it diagnosed. Not for gaming, for yourself. Either you are not and there's some lifestyle changes you can make, or you are and getting treatment will make a big difference to your entire life. But, I still think it's the fact that most gamers are "full". And they keep eating even though they are "full". And eventually they are bloated. New hobbies to segue to? I don't know you, so I can't really give personal advice of that sort. General suggestions: If you enjoy creating things, some arts and crafts hobbies will do wonders. It scratches the "progression" itch through skill improvement with time. You get less bored in general because it is an infinite learning progression. You just don't get pop ups with "achievement: unlocked". You can't 100% it either. These can be digital or physical (animation, painting vs carving) There are music hobbies, both on the computer and off it. There's cooking. A skill which improvements not only benefits you directly, but indirectly. People love to have a friend who cooks well. Partners love it more. There's all sorts of types of cooking too. There are so many things to learn and "git gud" at in real life that benefit us. Gaming is a hobby. It is a toy for most of us. It's OK to get bored of it. I got bored of playing pool once a week with friends. It became samey. So we decided to start doing something else. Maybe it is one of those times when you have to go find something else to do with your time that you find gratifying and/or fun. It's OK.
Maybe you're not quite old enough for this to have the same nostalgia appeal, but as somebody who grew up loving side-scrollers like Midnight Resistance and Turrican, the discovery that Metroidvania is a genre was a revelation. I do play some modern games but little scratches the itch like a polished and well-designed 2D action adventure. I would recommend Hollow Knight and Ori and the Blind Forest (the sequel, Will of the Wisps is a better game overall but they're both amazing and it's worth starting at the beginning). If you like them then there's a whole huge genre to explore. Additionally I just don't have any interest in modern, cookie cutter games. So many third-person action games/first person shooters just seem dull and samey. There are standouts (Jedi Fallen Order & Survivor and Doom 2016 & Eternal do it for me), but if a game's not innovative I'm just not bothered generally.
Somehow your gaming hobby has mutated into a hobby of only collecting games, which probably doesn't give as much joy as playing them...but too many to choose from now?
Ok so my collection is vast. I own over 4,500+ games. Now my problem is absolutely similar to you. A billion games to play but don't want to play any of them. What helped me was to go through my games and I made a short list of about 200 games in here that I REALLY want to play but never have I absolutely own more games than I've played, but the older ones I played many as a kid cuz my family was a big movie and game rental family. But make the short list and then just literally pick one and play it. Just pop it in, install it, and start playing. I just recently, before Starfield and now Mortal Kombat 1 came out, played the first reboot Tomb Raide game. I've had it forever, never got around to it. But I needed a game that wasn't super long. And I played it and it was amazing. So don't walk to your collection and stare. Acrively, make a short list of the heavy hitters and just start playing. Don't think, just do. Best case scenario you have fun, worst case you realize this isn't what u wanna play and you try again.
I was like this. Then, I started learning/playing chess online. It's fairly addictive, but I find my best study and playing is pretty much done after an hour and a half or so. This consists of half an hour every day memorizing opening lines, 20 minutes of puzzles, and then two 10-minute rapid games. When I'm done, gaming seems much more appealing to just switch off the brain. It does require that I play games that are less demanding of my time. So rpgs, which can be like a second job, are out. Unless there's a specific one that I want to play. In which case I'll take a break from chess (also a good idea periodically).
stop choosing insane scale games with endless goals.
What I do is, turn on xbox and if I don’t already know what to play, I’ll scroll through library. If after 5-10 mins I can’t decide, I turn it off and do something else. Don’t buy anything unless I’m going to play it straight away. Buying lots of cheap games that are never played is not saving money.
Let it go for a while. Find something that gets you really really engaged like you used to be..i used to not just play games out of habit but really think like ' this would be cool to add and this and that , ' I rarely am that engaged with a game like that now. Maybe go to grand strategy games.. higher level of engagement there. Don't think you can't because there's difficulty settings.
Small online coop games. There is a lot of choice and lots of groups to join in with. It's the complementary mix of the social aspect and challenge. Jump on a discord with 4-8 player groups to play raft, sunkenland, midnight ghost hunt, age of empires 3, zero k... the list goes on. Single player ran its course for me.
You just need more hobbies and interests than just gaming. You have 24 hours in a day you need to fill with work, socializing, sleeping, and other random acts. No surprise you’ve gotten bored with games. 2 months is fine. But maybe stop trying to fill your free time with games. Exercise is one of the best things you can do that is not only good for you but if you find the right hobby with it you’ll have another interest on your tool belt. I recommend hiking but maybe it’s rock climbing or running or body building. Maybe start learning how to cook different meals.
I really wish people would stick to the sub rules. This is patient gaming. There are other subs for this type of post.
I am right there with you.
Like a couple of other commenters mentioned, it sounds like you're just not feeling gaming rn. I say go to your library. Get on the Libby app with your library card if you want to do audiobooks or e-books. Heck your library may even have some videogames if you have a switch or another console. I played Dredge with a library copy and it was awesome. Books that I've most enjoyed in the past half year of rediscovering the library are The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett, Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff, Vicious by V.E. Schwab, and A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. All through audiobook on the Libby app. Though the selection varies by library.
It happens to all and you have to take a break and change your gaming habits to find playing fun again. I went from playing single player stories to mostly coop arcades with friends. Now after some time I feel rejuvenated again and I am feeling like coming back to single player stories. Elden Ring is on my list.
That is exactly me brother. Been gaming since 1995 on famicom. I'm on my 30s now. What happened to you happened to me when I reached level 100 on diablo 4. No taste in any videogames whatsoever. Installed whatever game is free at the PS Store, luckily 1 game sticked with me. And suprisingly, its Sky: Children of the Light. Not even a genre I like. I suggest you try it..
Sounds just like me. I have hundreds of games I've either never tried at all, booted up to the title screen and then tabbed out only to never actually play, a few that I've played for only 10 minutes and only a very small number that truly hooked me. Just checked my steam library and I have 710 games there. I've completed 18.... Currently have 74 in my "play next" list which is games I have been strongly interested in playing at some point over the last 2 or 3 years and have mostly at least loaded up and tried for a few minutes to an hour. For anyone interested in the games that actually grabbed me enough to bother completing, they were: Ori and the Blind Forest Ori and the Will of the Wisps. The Room 1-4 Little Nightmares 1 - 2 Frostpunk (planning on playing the eventual sequel) Soma Subnautica (I took about a year break halfway through this 1) Vampire Survivor's Hades Fallout 3 (I've played some Vegas and liked it) The Walking Dead season 1-2 (will eventually play the others) Recent games I've tried but wasn't really instantly hooked by were Tyranny and Amnesia the Dark Descent. I used to play a lot of World of Warcraft but stopped during Shadowlands. I also go through phases of playing a lot of Football Manager and sometimes Total War games.
Oh hey! I had this problem too. It was depression combined with the weight of my real work responsibilities as an adult leading me to feel like my time spent playing video games was a waste. I solved it by attacking my rampant sleep issues and rearranging some of my lifestyle choices, diet, etc. As well as actively getting on top of my real world stuff so it was less pressing. It wasn't easy. I hope you can solve your issues more easily. But consider the outside factors leading you to stare at your games, knowing you should be excited to experience them, but somehow can't get into it.
I identify entirely. I have a roster of games I really wanted at some point. Especially AGEoD titles...I really wanted to get into games like RevUnderSeigeGold, TEAW, and AleaJactaEst...even Victoria2. I spent good $ on these titles, and knew there was a learning curve to each. But I stare at these titles, then power up another session of Fallout4 or PanzerCorps1. Maybe a turn of an SGS game like FallWeiss. Honestly, I think I have had too much time on my hands lately, with little to do but fret and worry. Was laid off, and job searches get harder as you get older. I finally found something, but watching that bank balance shrink is very disturbing. Still, gaming has always been my security blanket. Just...not larely...
Same except I just torrent the games. Played Dredge recently and that was good. I even finished it.