Seem to have lost my joy of gaming

[Nuckerbockers]

I'm 35 now and remember playing on the NES when I was 5. My mom would wake me up at night at 5-7 years old to beat Mario levels for her. I now play with my kids when they show the interest. It has always been a source of joy for me up until the last couple years.

I figured initially this would be like many other times in the past when I'd fall off for a couple months and something would pull me back in. But over the last few years nothing has really done it. There's no reason I didn't like God of War or Gears 5 or Control or YOUR FAVORITE RECENT GAME over the last bit but invariably I'd put 3-4 hours in to essentially everything I tried and bounce off never to return. It's certainly not due to lack of interest. Despite playing less and less I continue to listen to hours of gaming podcasts a week and stay within the gaming milieu. Perhaps it's as simple as a lack of time and energy as life has gotten busier.

I guess my question is does/has anyone else felt this way? Did something eventually bring you back or are there others here who like me barely game anymore but remain embroiled within the community?

 

[takriel]

Have you tried Dark Souls or Bloodborne or Sekiro?

 

[Lucentto]

Take a break or try some games outside of your comfort zone.

 

[Mekanos]

Around I wanna say, 2013-2016 I was getting pretty burnt out on gaming as a whole, but the Switch (and being a late PS4 adopter) brought me back into the fold in 2017. I'm a bit younger than you though, so maybe when I hit your age I'll feel the same.

As I get older I do have a harder time finishing games because of more entertainment options and adult obligations but when I do find a really terrific game to sink my teeth into, it's all worth it.

 

[Deleted member 39144]

Just take a break from gaming entirely. You'll find in six months or so, something will grab your attention and you'll be back into it in a big way. Same thing happened to me a couple of years ago.

 

[Deleted member 37917]

I lost interest in gaming in 2012, just when I moved to Japan. Then in 2017, the switch happened and rekindled my interest, as I could take my games along during intercontinental flights (I travel a lot).
Now, I'm getting frustrated with Nintendo's release schedule, and my interest has been slowly but surely declining again. I'm thinking of selling my switch and just stop playing, but we'll see after summer.

 

[Derachi]

Had this happen to me. Then Yakuza 0 happened and I was right back in.

 

[Fishsnot]

I lost interest in gaming in 2012, just when I moved to Japan. Then in 2017, the switch happened and rekindled my interest, as I could take my games along during intercontinental flights (I travel a lot).
Now, I'm getting frustrated with Nintendo's release schedule, and my interest has been slowly but surely declining again. I'm thinking of selling my switch and just stop playing, but we'll see after summer.

Click to shrink...

Why not try a laptop with Steam running in offline mode.
Works for me when flying between countries from Japan.

 

[100%TrophyMaster]

Well what type of games do you typically enjoy? I'm sure in a community like this someone could lead you to something you would like.

 

[Falus]

It's all a matter of finding the good compelling game.

 

[Dartastic]

35. Losing my joy in a lot of things. I'm sure the pandemic situation is adding to that effect. Sometimes you gotta mix things up I guess, ya know?

 

[Nuckerbockers]

Have you tried Dark Souls or Bloodborne or Sekiro?

Click to shrink...

I platinumed Bloodborne at release and Sekiro was another game I put a few hours into and bounced from.

 

[Oreoleo]

Play more indie games/games that more closely resemble the NES games of your youth. So many AAA games these days can feel cut from the same cloth from a gameplay perspective that they aren't stimulating the way something more unique might be.

 

[Armoredgoomba]

When I'm feeling uninterested and burnt out on the current games I like to go back and play my all time favorites from older gens. Good way to remind yourself what you value/appreciate out of games overall.

 

[Fat4all]

stella, you need to get your groove back

 

[catvonpee]

It's not just you. I have this same problem. But every once in a while I do find something I really enjoy and have the urge to completely play through. I've bought and started and shelved an umpteen number of games. But I only ever finished a couple (Links Awakening and Far Cry New Dawn most recently).

 

[Kwigo]

The same kinda happened to me. Yakuza 0, Persona 5 and Nier Automata in 2017 pulled me in HARD.

 

[Phendrana]

I take it you've tried Breath of the Wild? I've heard similar takes from people who said that it was the game to bring them back. And while not to the same degree, it definitely revitalized my love of gaming as well.

 

[SkoomaBlade]

I'd suggest maybe trying out games that are more gameplay and multiplayer focused? Stuff that you can play in small bits whenever you feel like without have to feel committed to finishing off a story campaign?

I don't have the disinterested in games you describe OP but as a married 31 year old with a job and about to start grad school, free time is limited. I feel myself lately gravitating towards games I can just pick up and play whenever like CoD, Hearthstone, and World of Tanks. I still play single player stuff but it's usually over a long period of time.

 

[takriel]

I platinumed Bloodborne at release and Sekiro was another game I put a few hours into and bounced from.

Click to shrink...

Okay then. Hollow Knight? Breath of the Wild?

 

[Community Forum]

Nothing is more interesting to me than being able to play a TON of games I've never played all at once... like a PSN Now subscription, or Xbox Game Pass, or a Humble Bundle, or any of the multitude of mini-consoles that come preloaded with tons of games (I'm SUPER excited for the TurboGrafx this Tuesday). I've gotten in a funk before, but anytime I am presented with virtually unlimited options that I can bebop between, I discover a gem or three that makes me really appreciate gaming as an entertainment medium that I enjoyed growing up with. Much like a new console launch, it gets me exited.

 

[Rosebud]

Have you tried to play a genre you never touched? GOW/Gears/Control are great, but maybe something totally random like Terraria, Ace Attorney, Tetris Effect, Obra Dinn or Fire Emblem could bring your joy back.

 

[Doctor_Thomas]

I'm nearly 34 and definitely find it hard to care sometimes, so take a break from it. It's a way to pass time, not something you need to dedicate your life to. You'll jump back in when you're interested.

 

[Dezzy]

Get away from the AAA games that are more flash than substance and try something new and different.

I can enjoy a good AAA game, but I spend a lot more of my time playing indie games or creative/sim/management style games. Stuff that engages your brain rather than just your eyes.

 

[MizziPizzi]

I have the same feeling OP! 31, wife, three kids and full time job makes it hard for me to enjoy gaming anymore. I mean I still love it, I follow the news and such but every time I start a new game I have a hard time getting immersed in it! I recently completed Assassins creed origins and it took me almost 1 year to do it!
The last games I actually enjoyed playing were Uncharted 4, LL and TLOU...

 

[Deleted member 49535]

Every time we have one of these threads OP only lists AAA games. I sense a pattern here.

 

[Vandova]

Same feeling. Turned out it was depression.

 

[Li bur]

That's okay, take a break man. And if the "mojo" doesn't even return after you've been away for some time, that's also okay.

Game was made to entertain you, if it no longer entertain you, then it lose it's purpose for you and that's totally okay👌. Hoping you find something (can also be games) that makes you felt like playing nes at 5 again.

 

[Genio88]

I'm also finding myself not enjoying single player games that much, lack of time and repetitive boring gameplay, that's why i play mostly online competitive games like R6 Siege, COD MW and Rocket League, you should try them out

 

[smoothj]

I feel you OP. I'm 35 with a newborn. I'm just getting my groove back.

I'd say just play a non commitment game thats easy to understand and play. Maybe like deadcells or bloodstained. Something easy you can put down whenever and be satisfied.

Also a game I enjoyed recently was Hunter Call of the Wild. A hunting game you can take your time and chill on. Also maybe try the trials bike game. All these games are pop in and out (maybe not the hunting game but still easy to put down). That's what got me back especially with a newborn. I get like 30 minute windows at the moment lol.

 

[Sheng Long]

Take a break. Sometimes you just need to take some time for other things.

 

[Jhey Cyphre]

Have you tried VR gaming?

I was kind of in a rut myself with gaming but VR has really brought me back. It's like I'm seeing games again for the first time. Just exploring new interesting areas is exciting and it feels so good to play games for the fun of it without being "enticed" with unlockables and progression and all that other modern stuff. For the longest time locations in games meant absolutely nothing to me. I barely take notice. It was all some giant corridor to me anyhow. With VR titles I'm like taking in everything.

 

[Unicorn]

I'm curious what podcasts you're listening to. Waypoint - Austin, in particular - always spins a yarn about a game that ends up taking me by surprise.

Outer Wilds last year was my GotY and the best game I remember playing since The Return of the Obra Dinn - both outliers in that they are recent releases that I would put up there in my top 10 favorite games ever.

 

[Agent_J]

Happens to me, too. I truly only get excited for a game every few years. I don't force myself to play anything, you'll naturally gravitate towards gaming once you're mentally ready.

 

[SimonSimon]

I mean, one thing that happens as you get older is that you become less interested in trying new things. It's possible that you've lost the thrill of playing every hot new game.

 

[Invoker]

I feel the same sometimes, but there's always one single game that brings me back to enjoying gaming.

The last one I can think about, was Slay the Spire. It was the type of the game that I've played for hours and didn't saw the time passing.

Most triple A games nowadays can't bring me joy.

 

[Dr Pears]

Try to spice things up. I remember getting pretty burned out by first person shooters at the tail end of last gen so I tried Metal Gear Solid 4 which was my first time playing a stealth game and was instantly hooked!

 

[smocaine]

I almost bounced off gaming in 2017/8-ish, but a few key titles (mainly indies) and trying new genres drew me back in. Rain World basically saved gaming for me. Persona 5 was refreshing.

The turning point for me was learning to ignore review scores, and instead discovering games that look genuinely interesting TO ME. I think, especially with limited time, we want to seek out 'the best of the best', 10/10's, browse Top 10 lists, etc. But after finding a streak of so-call 9's and 10's spanning from 2015-2018 merely OK, I started to feel as if maybe I was just too old or not the target audience anymore. I remember Fallout 4 getting like a 9 or even 10/10 and being completely bewildered. Whereas Rain World, which is prob my favourite media-thing ever now, has a 66 on metacritic. Also been playing a lot of The Wonderful 101 PC port recently, which got a 4/10 from a big publication...

I'll also agree with the usual 'AAA games are way too homogeneous' sentiment posted in these threads.

Also, are you a console or PC gamer? PC just has so much choice spanning decades, whole new genres and mod support. During lockdown my friends and I have been having a strategy game binge; Civ, Anno, SupCom (on the community mod FaF), World in Conflict (on community servers), etc.

 

[Mr. Keith]

I found I only had about 3 to 4 hours in me for a game every week. I started playing a lot of shorter games and that helped a lot. A low time commitment meant you could play for a hour a day and still feel like you did something significant.

It's a hobby I enjoy so feeling like I was engaged again made me feel less like bystander just observing everything.

 

[@dedmunk]

Have a break, come back later.

WoW killed everything for me a few years ago but now I'm back and better than ever.

 

[Ploid 6.0]

I like modding games, and overclocking my pc more than actually playing games. When everything is done I get bored. Games with high great build customization, stats, and frequently changing systems keeps me going (Path of Exile for example).

 

[Cats]

My solution was to just play ONLY with people I know. I hate playing games by myself, I feel alone and like I'm wasting my time almost instantly.

 

[Scruffy8642]

I kind of understand, I think at times I can be a lot more interested in following gaming news and getting hyped about stuff rather than actually playing games themselves. The experiences I've enjoyed the most in recent years have been when I revisited games I enjoyed from my childhood and that era that I hadn't played, and indie stuff. I think there's so much value in the indie space right now and it's so fresh when a lot of AAA content is samey.

 

[Devilgunman]

It's called getting old. When you get old, you have more responsibility. You prioritize your time and energy on something else. You've been gaming for 1/3 of your life now so it's common to be fatigued of it. I'm almost 40 now and I've passed your phase. I also have wife and kid now so my gaming window is even narrower than before but I still like to play games. I suggest you have another hobby to break monotony of playing video game. Other than video game I also like photography. I might play a game for a few days then leave it for a few days to do photography. Sometime I was deep into photography for a few weeks or months before coming back to play games. It's great and it makes playing games more relaxing and enjoyable.

 

[Myself]

Not sure what genre's you play but I fell out of love with gaming until the Wii came along. I was a PC gamer solely and was getting bored but the Wii just made things purely fun and silly and I had a real blast. It was made better by the fact I could include my wife in it as well - I wasn't worried about graphics power or anything like that I just had a laugh. Maybe you need to mix it up and try something you wouldn't normally try. If you play normally "serious" games, play some Super Mario or anything by Nintendo. If you are a Nintendo type gamer, play a Tomb Raider etc.

 

[Vaser]

Honestly, getting burnt out on video games and losing interest in them is not the worst thing that can happen. Yeah, they can be fun and all, but it's much more fun and rewarding to have a family or just basic human contact in general. So, the next time you find yourself lamenting your lack of enthusiasm for gaming, remember that ultimately, video games are pointless time wasters and you have much better things going on in your life.

 

[dock]

I often go through periods where I have no love for gaming. This lead me to stop playing a lot of AAA stuff, especially shooty violent stuff.

Approaches that have helped me:
- Use Steam/Epic and refund early and often. Trust your instincts. I have bailed on games within 15 minutes. Sometimes I will buy on PC, refund and buy on Switch instead.
- Get used to not finishing games.
- Find a comfort game. During recent stress I have been unable to play much but Spelunky is just familiar enough but demanding enough that I can keep coming back to it.

 

[Moist_Owlet]

Nothing wrong with taking a break.

AAA has been full of the same tired, bland garbage this entire generation

 

[Jane]

Have you tried Dark Souls or Bloodborne or Sekiro?

Click to shrink...

Lmao, this was the first thing I thought as well. OP, you might just not be playing the right games.

 

[BuBu Jenkins]

I feel little to no love for gaming anymore right now. RE3 remake was the last game i played start to finish before just losing complete interest in gaming altogether. Genres i used to love like JRPGs and FIghting games are complete shit this gen even FF7 remake failed to keep my interest after a few hours and i just can't muster any fucks to keep playing it despite the original game drawing me into the genre in the first place. Fighting games are just pure nickel and diming shit to me now with the constant cutting of characters to sell later as dlc, lame guest characters, and other trashy micro transaction shit that completely turned me off from bothering with em now. Honestly TLOU2 and Ghost of Tsushima are likely my last two announced games i have any inkling of interest in right now.