Videogames apathy or how do I get back to gaming ?

[Fakto]

I used to play for hours on end when I was in my teens and twenties, but now, near my 40s I lost the craving.
I have docens of good games intalled, but after playing them for a couple of hours, I leave them for months ...
I still crave new games all the time, but I can't get pass the first chapters.
Last game I played and finished (multiple times) was Hades, nothing else from this list:

I do have time to play, I do still enjoy playing, but I loose interest fast.
Why ?! How do I get back into it ? How do I start finishing games that I actually enjoy ?

 

[Deleted member 56803]

Take a break for a while, this is normal. Try another interest and come back in a few months.

 

[Zojirushi]

You played and finished a very recent game multiple times so you are way ahead of me at least

 

[Darkstorne]

Happens to me when I'm not doing anything productive with my life. I find time spent gaming needs to be in addition to time spent doing something productive/creative, or I lose interest fast with a "what's the point?" feeling.

 

[Duck Sauce]

You can't. It's best to start a new hobby. Have you considered crochet?

 

[Weiss]

I went through this from mid September to late December. You just have to wait it out with a different hobby.

 

[Richter1887]

Take a break from games. Heck, I recommend deleting every game other than one or two. When you do feel like playing games play those and it might get you back.

 

[Animus Vox]

Hades

Click to shrink...

See there's your answer lol. For a while Hades was the only game I was playing.

But kidding aside, I hear you. I'm around the same age as you. I picked up a few of the titles you have there and even the highly anticipated Cyberpunk and barely have the motivation to go through them. I've found myself liking games I can pick up for a quick 15-20 min session then putting down. This is what makes bigger story/narrative driven games difficult for me.

I slowly got back into it by really focusing on just one title. Over the holidays I picked up way too many titles and tried to start each one. Huge mistake. Maybe try to pick a smaller title and commit to it, like you did with Hades. Play a game you enjoyed or even beat before, even for a little bit. That might help get you back into it.

 

[KOfLegend]

Take a break.

 

[Ales34]

Forcing it isn't a solution.
If you are interested in a fantasy game, for example, watch a fantasy TV show or movie, to get into the mood. I find that it really helps.

 

[data west]

Do some other stuff

 

[Deleted member 10629]

Uninstall everything and just install one that catches your eye.

 

[TaterTots]

Do other things.

 

[Mendrox]

Force yourself

 

[My Blue Heaven]

gardening or bird watching are probably more productive than video games, take one of those up instead

 

[Necron]

Might recommend some shorter game... Super Hot maybe?t But yeah, sounds like a break is in order.

Had a similar feeling happen recently as well. Then I played Hitman (2016)/Hitman 2 and loved to experiment within that and just roam around the levels for a bit. Usually doing one mission per evening.

 

[Viale]

Actually going through something similar right now, but it will usually happen to me a few times a year or so. Been trying to play through a few things to see if anything catches me, but I keep bouncing.

Usually when this happens, I'll just watch shows/read books for a while until I get the mood/game I'm really looking forward to comes out and then I'll get the itch again for a bit.


Then the cycle repeats.

 

[Rodney McKay]

Taking a break has always helped for me.

Usually I'll play one game for a long time and either finish it or get burnt out and not have the urge to play anything else for a little while.

I'll sometimes comb through my backlog and try some things out to see if it sparks my interest, but if nothing clicks then I'll either go back to a game I know I love (usually something easy/mindless like Diablo 3 or Borderlands) or I'll just do something else with my time until a new game comes along or I get the urge to play something specific.

 

[J75]

I wish I had some good advice OP, but frankly, this is how gaming has always been for me, I never get too far on the vast majority of stuff and I tend to leave shit unfinished for months of forever, the games I do end up beating are always the minority.

 

[Soj]

Play Huntdown.

 

[Crayon]

Try something different. Maybe like an arcade score attack or some vr or something like that.

Window shopping sales and stuff too much can throw me off...

 

[Baked Pigeon]

I took a break from gaming for years and one day I just had the desire to play again. I think video game burnout is completely normal and you will know when the time is right to get back into gaming. Maybe take a break for a while and see how things go.

 

[nded]

Take a break. It's OK.

 

[EggmaniMN]

Uninstall everything except whatever you feel like playing next. Choice paralysis and addiction to new games is a thing.

 

[Manmademan]

You need new hobbies to break up the monotony.

You are naturally more passionate about and easily stimulated by EVERYTHING in your teens and twenties.

Its like asking how you get back to feeling about your relationship at 40 like you did at 18. You don't. Age changes your response to things.

You can enjoy the few games that really spark your interest more by branching out, trying new hobbies to expand your experience and then come back. Just trying "more games" won't do it.

 

[Christo750]

Take a break and sit on your backlog. Only play one new game you're really looking forward to.

I've found a lot of my apathy if ever I had it was because of my backlog and the pressure to play it because it was there. Ignoring it for a while and letting myself get to them as I naturally have a desire to seems to help every time.

 

[Hibiki]

You played and finished a very recent game multiple times so you are way ahead of me at least

Click to shrink...

Exactly what I was thinking

 

[Elfgore]

Take a break. Something will come along eventually that will break that feeling.

Happens to me when I'm not doing anything productive with my life. I find time spent gaming needs to be in addition to time spent doing something productive/creative, or I lose interest fast with a "what's the point?" feeling.

Click to shrink...

Hm, thinking on it, this is a thing with me too. I haven't touched a game seriously since I've been out of school for the winter. No way in hell could I imagine going back to doing nothing but video games and work again like I used to.

 

[IronicSonic]

You don't
(Take a break)

 

[monali]

I do have time to play, I do still enjoy playing, but I loose interest fast.

Click to shrink...

That means you need the right game OP, what this game though you may ask? I'm not sure to be honest, it's up to you to find the game that would click with you, I'm at least happy that the last game you enjoyed throughout wasn't that long ago, just keep searching, may I ask what games you loved recently beside Hades? people may help you find the thing you seek.

 

[Saikyo]

Watch anime instead for awhile

 

[Alek]

I think it's okay not to complete games, in the same sense that it's okay not to finish a bottle of wine. Sometimes you can experience the core gameplay loop in a matter of hours, and that's what games are, they're intersections of gameplay loops and cutscenes. Sometimes you don't need to beat a game, to feel like you have played it.

Sometimes I'll play a game for a few hours, and I'm content with that experience and I'll move on. I didn't finish it, but I don't feel like I need to either, I had a good time with my experience and I'm content moving on. Sometimes I'll stop to enjoy a game for more time, and delve deeper, but you don't have to experience games that way.

 

[Naner]

I had that from mid 2019 till late 2020. I played a few games here and there but rarely truly enjoyed them. Around the release of the new consoles I got the urge again and have played a lot of cool stuff.

Take some time off, enjoy other hobbies, play board games, spend time with friends and loved ones doing other things. It comes and goes.

 

[BakedTanooki]

Have you ever tried playing games on weed?
Always makes me feel like experiencing the game like I did when I was a child. It can bring back a certain sense of wonder. Works for me at least.

 

[Onix555]

I'm 22 with autism, motivating myself to do anything that isnt internet browsing is difficult.

That said, I really need to work on this backlog.

 

[Einbroch]

Take a break. You might come back with new passion, or maybe not. I know every 2-3 years I don't play games for 6 months or so and then dive in and play a ton.

 

[freikugeln]

Way l see it, you 're more excited at the thought of a new game than actually playing. All the overstimulation nowadays grows your apathy and shortens your attention span so you constantly look for something new to get a fix. That 's why you have people who may spend hours checking gaming sites and news but barely play anything.

As others have said, do something else instead and when/if you come back concentrate on a game at a time.

 

[Deleted member 7948]

I wonder why so many of your games are running with admin rights 🤔🤔🤔

 

[skeezx]

personally... i just gave up. made my peace that whatever game i buy i'll probably just play for less than 10 hrs and move on to whatever else, and i base my purchasing decisions around that

it's not really a big deal in the gist of things.

 

[Dogui]

You either take a break or try to discover a genre you never touched. Maybe some weird indie that you can finish in 2 hours.

I'm kind of slowly losing interest in most genres tbh, but i suddenly had the urge to play lots of Jrpgs these 3 last months, but at the same time i already finished everything i consider to be good that i have access to, so i'm pretty much just replaying games. Which is sad because there's a lot of interesting stuff on the backlog but i just have no drive to play them. But atleast it's something.

Maybe you could just find that one niche genre still not considered. Maybe a grand strategy, a point and click adventure, something like this.

 

[Lionheart]

Covid man, we aren't living balanced lives and just work and consume media. It's hard usually we don't have a lot of time for games so when we play it feels exciting and an escape. Nothing much you can do until covid is over and we can experience other things again.

 

[Tora]

Covid man, we aren't living balanced lives and just work and consume media. It's hard usually we don't have a lot of time for games so when we play it feels exciting and an escape. Nothing much you can do until covid is over and we can experience other things again.

Click to shrink...

For me it's this. Can't go to the gym, can't socialise or travel, all I can do is work and entertain myself, so even though I still enjoy playing games it doesn't hit quite as much as it used to do.

 

[Valkerion]

Take a break

Play games you like

Play/buy less games

Get a new hobby to do when you don't feel like gaming.

Even with Covid and more time at home I've still beat the same handful of games I usually beat in a year. More free time does not mean it has to be game time. There are other fun and interesting things to do in a day.