Game Developers (Indie, Hobbyists, Professional), how do you balance game development and playing games without getting burnt out?

[delete12345]

Just asking for some advice.

It's very hard to describe the current feeling I have right now, and I think it may have to do with career stress that can't be easily let out at home?

I work as a software engineer, so that might have to do with myself looking at LCDs for too long?

I'll read the thread in the morning, as I need to work tomorrow early morning. Good night, it's 12:03am here.

 

[Khrno]

I worked 44 hours per week at SCEE during 8 years, then on my time off I would play the games I liked for nearly 12 if not more, hours a day.

I wouldn't play after work since I'd been worn out, but we'll, days off were always for the games I liked, that and my no-life at the time helped a lot

 

[onpoint]

I just play games a lot less these days. There just aren't enough hours.

 

[Expy]

Developing games and playing games are honestly two different things.

 

[PBalfredo]

With work-from-home, I've been moving a lot of my game time from the PC to consoles just to help establish a clean break between work time and free time.

 

[Dark Ninja]

I have moved onto only really playing multiplayer games you can just jump in and out for an hour or two and be satisfied. Single player games just take too long to play consistently without forgetting how the mechanics work, controls, story, etc. I think I have started and stopped about 30 games in my library that I still need to get back to. I would also advise to not look up comments/threads/YouTube videos on the games you work on either. So many people online post negative comments just to do so that eventually it will eat at you. Even if most of the comments are positive you will focus on the negative ones.

 

[ToddBonzalez]

I definitely don't enjoy playing games as much if I used to. Hard to turn off designer brain and just enjoy something. And I feel like I need prioritize games that are in the genre I'm working on to keep up with the trends rather than just what personally appeals to me.

 

[Vark]

I usually dip into games for a couple hours, max, when they come out. That's usually enough to get the basic gist of what they're going for and see where they're going to go with the mechanics.

To that end, I'll go through a lot of games, but occasionally I'll find something that sticks for some reason and I'll play it all the way through. Some games I'll make a mental note to come back to it. (Sometimes that takes 20 years.)

Sometimes, you just need to take a break for a while. Playing games is ultimately a hobby. If you're not feeling it for a while, that's cool.

If you want to play something but feel daunted, that's when something like Uno or Picross or some other light experience where you can duck in for 30 minutes and not have to think too hard about it but still get something out of it and go back to doing something else. (See also: round based multiplayer).

 

[Darknight]

Looking at and writing code for games and actually playing them feel like such a drastic difference that it just doesn't impact my wanting to play them. It's the other day to day responsibilities that get in the way of leaving time to actually play them that is the problem.

 

[Deleted member 59126]

As an adult gamer I've found that you're going to have to make the choice of either Multiplayer or Single Player games and not the other. Which one depends on you of course. Once you make the choice, don't look back and limit your time obviously.

 

[GameDev]

An unexpected side effect of working in the game industry is that you no longer have time to play video games. Crunch eats into your spare time and can barely leave you with enough time outside of work to do the things you need to be a functioning adult ie laundry, groceries, and gym if you want to prevent getting crunch gut.

Even if you find a studio with decent management and work/life balance, you have to keep researching on the side to stay competitive in the industry. Time spending playing video games is valuable time you can spend learning Vulkan, Kubernetes, doing lifedrawing, getting acquainted with unreal engine, practicing animated with Maya, or whatever skills you need to beef up on.

So many people at industry social events talk about playing the video games like it's a distant memory.

 

[Praglik]

I think gamers nowadays have two types of games: their Main Game which is usually some sort of competitive PVP they sink thousands of hours into, and a myriad of side-games like Last of Us, God of War, they just play-through once and mostly when their friends are not available for PVP.

As a developer I completely stopped playing PVP or competitive games, when I go home I need to relax and not have people scream at me because my performance is "sub-par". I don't need this kind of stress. I really loved Battlefield because your performance is not so visible in 64 players matches, so you can have fun and set your own goals. But nowadays I just fire Minecraft, Factorio, Anno or Satisfactory and lose myself in it for hours, having the pleasant feeling that I accomplished nothing and nothing was required of me.
But at least it took my mind off work for a bit, and I get to appreciate the craftmanship and optimization that went into those games, which I would never have the patience to build myself but thoroughly enjoy playing.

That said when I was working on Rainbow Six:Siege I was playing it for fun every single day. I guess it's very different if you enjoy the game you're making.

 

[Deleted member 36578]

My friends and I made our indie game over the course of two years but I was an avid gamer throughout the whole process. I just never get burnt out I suppose, but over those years I just loved working on the game so much it never felt like actual work. The entire process was just fun and felt like we were hanging out while doing a project together. We'd even take breaks to play other games at times. The thing was we weren't obligated to finish anything, it wasn't our job, it wasn't a make or break scenario, it was all in good fun. I think it's very different if your pay check is on the line and you have goals with a time frame attached. In that case it's a drag and maybe you're burnt out. Hopefully you can give yourself space away from work and just enjoy other things.

 

[KernelC]

I have noticed I play significantly less. Depending on the day, I can sneak in two hours of gaming before going to bed. But developing games and playing games is very different IMO. However, I have lost all interest I had in multiplayer titles, interestingly enough

 

[Łazy]

As an adult gamer I've found that you're going to have to make the choice of either Multiplayer or Single Player games and not the other. Which one depends on you of course. Once you make the choice, don't look back and limit your time obviously.

Click to shrink...

I don't understand the logic.
I play a bit with a friend in multi coop, play a lot of solo games and had a good amount of Splatoon before.

Let's say you have 5 hours a week. You can 3 hours solo 2 hours multi.

 

[Trickytoon]

I don't understand the logic.
I play a bit with a friend in multi coop, play a lot of solo games and had a good amount of Splatoon before.

Let's say you have 5 hours a week. You can 3 hours solo 2 hours multi.

Click to shrink...

I think the assumption is playing a multiplayer game with mechanics you're already familiar with - eg a Battlefield / FIFA / COD which has had fairly consistent mechanics thru the years - vs a single player game where you have to learn new systems, follow the lore, remember which mission youre on etc.

I absolutely relate to this - my brain has minimal capacity after a full day of work and all the post-work responsibilities that I've accumulated in my adult years. If I can play a few FIFA games and catch up with friends via voice chat that's a good, relaxing gaming session for me and a nice way of spending my free time. Struggling to remember what quest Im on and how magic works in some niche single player JRPG I last played 3 months ago is not going to be very fulfilling.

I do still play single player games but I have to clear consecutive days in my calendar to play them, or resign myself to never completing them.

 

[Łazy]

I think the assumption is playing a multiplayer game with mechanics you're already familiar with - eg a Battlefield / FIFA / COD which has had fairly consistent mechanics thru the years - vs a single player game where you have to learn new systems, follow the lore, remember which mission youre on etc.

I absolutely relate to this - my brain has minimal capacity after a full day of work and all the post-work responsibilities that I've accumulated in my adult years. If I can play a few FIFA games and catch up with friends via voice chat that's a good, relaxing gaming session for me and a nice way of spending my free time. Struggling to remember what quest Im on and how magic works in some niche single player JRPG I last played 3 months ago is not going to be very fulfilling.

I do still play single player games but I have to clear consecutive days in my calendar to play them, or resign myself to never completing them.

Click to shrink...

I see.

There an enormous amount of single player games with the same gameplay that you don't have to learn much new (and it can easily tie with multiplayer games gameplay sometimes too).
And with indies, the learning is sometimes counterbalanced by a short length (with or without replayability) which can help.

I certainly understand the part about not remembering details about that RPG we were playing months ago. That's quite true.

 

[FrakEarth]

edit: sorry I posted in the wrong thread

 

[HandsomeCharles]

Moi: Animation programmer - (Been working in Gamedev for 7 years)

I tend to play fewer games now than I used to, but I think that's more to do with getting older and my life priorities changing. I'll still have a good old binge when a major title that I'm really hyped up about launches, but day to day I find myself watching streaming services in my "down time" more than actually playing anything.

Don't worry about it if you can't find the time, just focus on a few titles you're really interested in and play those for a few hours a week. Your wallet will thank you too!

FrakEarth Did you mean to post that in the development thread? :P

 

[FrakEarth]

I did indeed! 😰🤭

 

[Troast]

I play the big AAA games, marvel at the design, art and programming and then try to incorporate that ethic into my own work. Recently inspired by TLOU 2 and its incredible world.

 

[Keits]

Unlike the hilarious ads, game dev is actually nothing like game playing for the vast majority of your work week.

I don't find the two of them hard to balance at all. At work I move numbers around in spreadsheets and time out animation so they feel like nice attacks and do all kinds of tedious and boring things. At home I load up a finished game someone else made and actually play it for fun.

 

[Hallucinations]

There was this interview with developer Greg Kasavin (creative lead?) at Supergiant Games (Bastion, Transistor) and fyi former Gamespot editor in chief too saying something along the lines of "I'm surprised how many people in the games development ... just don't play games. There's a lot of them."

He didn't really have a reason other than people were tired, or had other things to do, but himself thought it was particularly funny.

 

[platypotamus]

I have been burnt out for years but what are ya gonna do

 

[Renard]

~3 years in indie game dev, and my personal playing time has fallen off a cliff. Still love games, but with 12+ hour days 6-7 days a week, it burns you out on screens!😓 I find myself checking out games for an hour to two here and there to stay abreast of what's coming out, but rarely finishing anything (I've finished a whopping three games in as many years). I have been spending a heck of a lot more time reading, though!

 

[Gay Bowser]

You don't.

 

[Dusk Golem]

I have to specifically make the time or I play games in-between my projects. Given I make much smaller games than some others (I release 2-3 games per year), so I can afford some downtime inbetween (but a big crunch period leading up to release meaning no time to play games).

For not getting burnt out, you dont have to worry. Making games and playing games tap into completely different sides of yourself.

 

[Deleted member 12009]

Depends on the state of the project. I still find time to socialize and play multiplayer games, but single player games are now chipped away at rather than binged through. But as the deadlines near and I'm working longer hours, gaming comes to a halt.

Otherwise, I don't drink much or watch a ton of TV, so when I'm not working I'm playing usually.

 

[Zeenbor]

I've been in game dev for almost 20 years. I don't play games at home anymore as I often work late into the night when the wife goes to bed.

There might be a big game that I might binge once or twice a year for short periods, but I try to avoid addictive games with a heavy reward loop. I try to play at least 5 hours a week during my lunch at work and most of that is research.

Otherwise, I keep up with games by watching streams and reading industry news.

 

[yyr]

You don't.

Click to shrink...

It's basically this for me.

Since my day job is unrelated, I have to split my remaining free time between developing my own games and playing. If I'm doing one, I can't focus on the other, so usually what happens is I have days/weeks where I focus on one, and then spend some time on the other. Having the chance to do both in one day is virtually impossible for me.

 

[anaa]

Just asking for some advice.

It's very hard to describe the current feeling I have right now, and I think it may have to do with career stress that can't be easily let out at home?

I work as a software engineer, so that might have to do with myself looking at LCDs for too long?

I'll read the thread in the morning, as I need to work tomorrow early morning. Good night, it's 12:03am here.

Click to shrink...

jokes aside, I don't know it's possible to not experience some amount of burnout.

 

[RailWays]

I honestly couldn't, which played a role in why I decided to work in another industry (though it was mostly work/life balance).
It sucked because during that time I really didn't want to touch games after I got home.

 

[Keits]

I think the problem is crunch, not game dev itself. I'm blessed to work at a studio that doesn't crunch and I have plenty of time for gaming normally.

 

[Mike Armbrust]

I play a lot of games to study them. Like right now I'm working on animations so I focus on them while playing. Been a long time since I fully turned off my brain and just played for fun.

 

[machinaea]

For me I think part has been (7 years and counting):
- having the luxury of working with great teams with a good work/life balance (not that game dev isn't really stressful regardless, but great environment and off-time helps massively)
- most gaming I leave for weekends, in relaxed bursts where it almost feels rewarding after a week and even allows really to draw myself away from thinking about work
- to some degree I try to keep the analysis of said games on the lighter-side, and instead just try to enjoy the experience
- during weekdays, I mostly only play multiplayer games and it's more socializing than anything
- trying best to have other hobbies too (especially sports), means gaming time feels like finite thing and appreciate it more

I can definitely see that I'm not getting too much into the zone with gaming on weekdays (even if the available time is there), so not pushing against it seems to help (unless really hooked into a game or it's on the lighter side).

 

[N64Controller]

Been a dev professionally for about 8 years now. The only times where I felt burnt out was during crunch. Ever since I just refuse to participate in it (end of 2015), it never really happens.

I just love playing games. Sometimes I just consume them as a player, sometimes I just look at them as a way of looking at what's going on currently in game dev. Gaming is what I do in my spare time, when I work it's not the same thing at all.

Not everyone is the same, some people just can't shut their "work brain" off. I happen to be able to when I give myself the tools to do so. Like :

- When I leave the office, I'm unreachable. No Teams, no Outlook, no Slack, no nothing. If I'm not working, don't contact me.
- No remote setup at home. I won't work from home, don't expect me to.
- No "Limited access to my emails" messages when I leave for vacation. If I leave for 3 weeks, it's 3 weeks without any contact from or to me.

Obviously, as you can see with my second point, the pandemic has made it harder for me. Because I'm "forced" to work from home. So I had to establish ground rules for myself because I was starting to slip (opening Teams sometimes at night to see what was going on, reading my emails, etc). Had to stop myself from doing that. It took a while but I made it better over time. And days off, vacation, holidays, whatever, it's always 100% off.

You don't.

Click to shrink...

Yes, please speak for everyone.

 

[Gay Bowser]

Yes, please speak for everyone.

Click to shrink...

...do...do we really need to put "THIS IS MY OWN OPINION AND MAY NOT BE YOURS" warnings in front of our posts now?

 

[JeffG]

I either do one or the other. Goes in bursts. Since I do it in my off hours, I usually do not have time for both.

It is almost always based on how I feel about the game development. If I am feeling creative...I work on the game. When I get burnt out, I play video games. There has not been a new game for a while that has pulled me away from doing indie development.

 

[Timeaisis]

I think the problem is crunch, not game dev itself. I'm blessed to work at a studio that doesn't crunch and I have plenty of time for gaming normally.

Click to shrink...

I dunno I have plenty of work-life balance but I barely balance it out at all lol. I think it might be just age, not because I'm a designer, though. I just have less time for them. I do play a lot of games, though. I just don't finish many. :P

That being said games frustrate me more than they used to because I see issues more readily. But on the other hand, I understand the context of decisions a little better so I respect choices more. It's a weird position to be in.

EDIT: I guess, for context, I'm a designer at bioware and have been in the industry for about 7 years.

 

[Efejota]

I have seen several kickstarter developers say that they haven't had any time for playing new releases.

 

[werezompire]

I don't really get this - making a game is so drastically different than playing a game that I don't feel like the two affect each other. However, I do have a friend who works at Nintendo who said that he plays a lot fewer games for fun than he did before when he didn't work in the industry.

 

[Septimus Prime]

Outside of work, I generally don't play the games I work on. That I think really helps to separate working and gaming.

 

[WildLuckAlexandrite]

Between full-time day job, trying to develop a game, and trying to play games... I try to work a bit on my game every day and squeeze an hour or two of playing something else into my day when possible. Some days I just don't have it in me to keep working after I get home from the office, and end up just playing something instead. I never, ever, ever feel like I have enough hours in the day.

When I wasn't working full-time, typically I would play something for the first few hours of my day before sitting down and getting to work.

 

[Keits]

EDIT: I guess, for context, I'm a designer at bioware and have been in the industry for about 7 years.

Click to shrink...

I'm at IG and I've been at it 8 or 9 years now. I'm 38, have a wife but no kids. And I definitely am more critical about what I play, but I still play a lot.

And I agree with Septimus, I rarely play the games I personally worked on outside work.