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Ever since this pandemic started I've been finding it very difficult to actually play a game

Wise

Wise

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,228
I don't know why. Maybe it is because I'm stuck In the house 24/7, can't go to the gym or anything and everyday is basically a never ending Sunday. I bought animal crossing and doom eternal on ps4 and I've been playing Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Switch and trails of cold steel too and feel like I'm just doing the same thing every single day. I can't concentrate when playing anything. I play for like 20min then use my phone and repeat. I'm buying a bunch of games but nothing is gaining my attention anymore. Is it just me?
 

Deleted member 12790

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
24,537
been playing half life alyx for days now and my legs are screaming because I've done virtually all of it using room scale tracking. I must have walked several miles over the course of the game by now, been standing for dozens of hours.
 
Lant_War

Lant_War

Classic Anus Game
The Fallen
Jul 14, 2018
23,577
I've been playing mobile games because of their quick arcadey nature. Not really enjoying sitting and playing through a long game right now.

Video Games Are Dumb said:
Sounds like you need a sense of mastery! Go learn an instrument or start paining. You got this!
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This is accurate though. Getting your hands on an instrument right now can be hard but it'll be 1000 times more rewarding than finishing a game.
 
Ivory Samoan

Ivory Samoan

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,468
New Zealand
The gym being closed is making life the hardest for me. Still, absolutely loving it at the moment: got 10 hours in yesterday on Pillars of Eternity, it's rainy and cold in NZ at the moment too...perfect for an RPG.

Maybe try an escapist type game?
 
Fisty

Fisty

Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,221
I feel similarly, I constantly feel like I could be laid off (probably wont be, but still) so it's kinda stressful and I end up working (from home) too much and worrying so much it's hard to unwind.
 
pswii60

pswii60

Member
Oct 27, 2017
26,673
The Milky Way
Can't you go for a run to clear your head?

Make yourself an hourly schedule for each day of things to do around the house/garden etc. And implement some gaming time in there.

Can't say I have any sympathy, you should try social distancing when both you and your wife still need to work from home and you have to look after a stir crazy toddler at the same time. No time to be worrying about gaming until everyone's gone to bed.
 
AllMight1

AllMight1

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,719
everybody is stressed, for one thing or the other, it's normal, just clear your mind i think that was the best advice already mentioned.
I'd suggest exercise at home, jumping rope, or guided meditation.
 
carlsojo

carlsojo

Member
Oct 28, 2017
33,827
San Francisco
Same. I dropped off of Wow almost completely even with the double exp thing they're running.

I played Doom Eternal and it held my interest for a while but I just don't feel like playing anymore.

This damn weather doesn't help it just sucks the energy right out of me.
 
Jag

Jag

Member
Oct 26, 2017
11,671
First week I couldn't even think about gaming because my son was showing all the signs of COVID19 and we were just terrified with worry for him and ourselves. I'm still waiting for test results (5-7 business days I was told) and a week has gone by and symptoms have improved. I bought myself RDR2 and fell into that rabbit hole. It's been a good way to take my mind off things.
 
Diarrhea Day-Lewis

Diarrhea Day-Lewis

Member
Oct 27, 2017
20,761
Take a break and let yourself relax. I know it's hard to not worry but take time with those games. Let them sink in. Don't be bothered if they don't immediately grab you in 20 mins. Give them space and time. If they're good you'll forget your concerns eventually

I mean, your phone is just going to be endless scrolling of COVID news, so if you can get an escape through gaming at Least it's exercising your brain and motor skills a hit. Do some light working out at home if that makes you feel better, go for a run in the neighborhood or a park (if you aren't you know, quarantined) and then get home and let yourself enjoy anything you want to do. There's literally no rush right Now
 
Rox

Rox

Member
Dec 13, 2017
210
Having the same issue here too....have Doom and animal crossing not to mention a shit load of backlog and haven't managed to play much of anything :/
 

Sprat

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,684
England
Jag said:
First week I couldn't even think about gaming because my son was showing all the signs of COVID19 and we were just terrified with worry for him and ourselves. I'm still waiting for test results (5-7 business days I was told) and a week has gone by and symptoms have improved. I bought myself RDR2 and fell into that rabbit hole. It's been a good way to take my mind off things.
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That's a long time for results! Where are you? It's 24 hours here.
 
Devilgunman

Devilgunman

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,454
It's been extra tough with young kid. Me and my wife need to keep him occupied all day and I also need to be productive with my job remotely so they won't fire me, all of this while being extra anxious about the virus since I have high BP and on medication. Gaming has been an afterthought for me.
 
Samiya

Samiya

Alt Account
Banned
Nov 30, 2019
4,811
Don't worry, you're not alone in this. For lots of people, this isn't "free time" or "forced vacation", but a harrowing loss of their employment and social security.
 
fox

fox

Member
Oct 25, 2017
159
Zipzoom said:
And where can you buy an instrument right now?
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8OWS6SC.gif
 
Ryuelli

Ryuelli

Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,209
Opposite for me. I've probably played more games in the past 3 weeks than I have the past 3 years.
 
Damn Silly

Damn Silly

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,194
Yeah, I've found it difficult to play through anything that I haven't played before. I've been trying to play Jedi Fallen Order and was enjoying it before, but it's been difficult to pay attention to it recently (no disrespect meant to Respawn) but playing XCOM 2 for whatever number playthrough has been fine.

I've been watching more quiz shows (Only Connect, House of Games etc) as they can have my attention focus on answers and the like.
 
Mentalist

Mentalist

Member
Mar 14, 2019
18,007
I'm saving money on commuting and getting extra sleep (for same reason), because I used to work at a desk an hour and a half away from home, and now my laptop has remote access, and I'm doing same things at home as I did at work before.

Despite this, I sometimes feel more burned out because I lack the commute time when I normally wind down and de-stress while standing in a crowded subway.

The fact that pools are closed and my footy league is on hold doesn't help either. I try to get out of the house for an hour-or-so-long walk every other day, weather permitting, but it's increasingly difficult to force myself to exercise at home.

Sometimes I just don't feel like turning on my desktop and gaming after this.

So I just take a nap to some music, or curl up with a book instead.

It's important to completely disrupt whatever is going on in your mind in order to actually get some relief. That's key.
 
Yerffej

Yerffej

Prophet of Regret
Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,535
I started out unable to focus on anything gaming. But it's been that way for the better part of a year for me. Then I tried Warzone with a buddy and it all kinda clicked. I wasn't worrying, I wanted to keep playing. Played 5 hours straight of Ori as well. I haven't gamed like that since GoW. I guess it took a pandemic to gert me back in...
 
Alavard

Alavard

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
5,314
I've been feeling similarly, but the trick I've used is to play games where things are broken into small chunks. Short Knockout matches in Dota Underlords. Individual dungeon runs in Darkest Dungeon. Overwatch matches. I play a couple of some of those and then take a break, then come back. Longer games with no or unpredictable delineation aren't working for me right now, but these are.
 
GamingRobioto

GamingRobioto

Member
May 18, 2018
1,350
Exeter, UK
Me too, until tonight when I decided to start my comfort blanket, The Witcher 3, for the 3rd time and for the first time in the lockdown I managed to lose myself in a game for a long stretch. Such a great game.

I know the feeling though TC, I've access to hundreds of games and I've just not been in the right frame of mind to play...
 

Syril

Member
Oct 26, 2017
5,895
I realized that all the low-intensity games I were playing were action games and I needed something different so I got Animal Crossing.
 
Chopchop

Chopchop

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,171
I'm a bit like that right now. The general stress is leaving me pretty tired at the end of the day, so there's very little energy left to do anything that I'd otherwise want to do. It's similar to feeling burnt out.

I'm still slowly getting through Doom Eternal. I'm enjoying it, but I can tell I don't have the energy to really get into it the way I otherwise would. I just have a much lower tolerance these days.
 
chimpsteaks

chimpsteaks

â–˛ Legend â–˛
Member
Sep 12, 2019
1,170
When my free time feels like a really limited resource, time goes so fast. Now that I have it in abundance, the time goes so slow. Also, I've been drinking to pass the time and I'm too woozy to be good at games yet alone have the attention span to play
 
HardRojo

HardRojo

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,123
Peru
If I weren't doing home office I'd probably be playing more regularly, there are still a few games I want to finish.
 
smurfx

smurfx

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
10,578
i've been in a slump for a while now. last game i played was ni no kuni 1 and i haven't felt like playing another game. i have a bunch of games reserved and i'm hoping they pull me out of it. i think resident evil 3 is the one coming out the soonest.
 

Deleted member 61326

User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 12, 2019
614
I work from home and I'm very used to it. Some days I don't leave the house. I find that I feel best on those days I go for a 1-2 hour run. You say gym is closed, but why not a run?
 
Benzychenz

Benzychenz

One Winged Slayer
Member
Nov 1, 2017
15,389
Australia
I've basically been waiting for this much free time for years.
2 days off so far and already got the Crash 2 plat, now on to 3. Alongside New Horizons of course.
 
HBK

HBK

Member
Oct 30, 2017
7,980
Mercador said:
When it is forced free time, it isn't.
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Couldn't have said it better.

That being said, even if it's an unusual situation for me, I'm working from home, so it's still kinda the usual day at work with play time in the evening.

But the whole situation kinda diminishes my desire to play games. Thankfully I still have a ton of games I wanna play :p
 
Augemitbutter

Augemitbutter

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,290
keep looking until you find something to play. Watch a movie, read a book in between. Play Nioh 2. Good game.
 

reKon

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,736
I wish I wasn't so fucking busy with work right now.

I would love to a dent in my backlog of over 20+ excellent games (between PC, PS4, and Switch)
 

Deleted member 55164

Banned
Mar 22, 2019
811
Been home self isolating the last 2 weeks and while I agree with OP around struggling to "find" something to dig teeth into - i have used the time to eat into my backlog by trying games i've had for years...
Sofar:

1. Beaten Ashen
2. Beaten Bioshock 1
3. Started Bioshock 2
4. Beaten Ori and the Blind Forest
5. Beaten Ori and the Will of the Wisps
6. Started Doom Eternal
7. Played through around 6hrs of Hollow Knight and gave up as it was too frustrating --> backlog decreased by 1!

So use the time to figure out what you enjoy!
 
Greywaren

Greywaren

Member
Jul 16, 2019
9,926
Spain
It's the opposite for me, but I've abandoned some of my other hobbies. I don't feel like watching TV shows or reading as much as I usually do. I'm playing a lot more than usual to make time pass faster.
 
Speedlynx

Speedlynx

Member
Nov 22, 2017
827
Kind of. The days all started to blend together and I avoid reading the news entirely. Been alright since.
 
Mamont1537

Mamont1537

Member
Oct 25, 2017
80
Moscow
I've suddenly realised that a lot of games I wanted to play/finish right now have some kind of postapocalyptic (or just world going to hell) setting.
And I'm totally not in the mood to play any of that.
 
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