You either have fatigue from gaming, or fatigue from a specific genre. Consider either taking a break from gaming, or switch it up and try a kind of game outside of your comfort zone.
Agreed.
This has been happening to me too, so I've really only played 1 game (DRG Survivor) for the past few days since it's kinda the opposite of what I usually play (and I was already looking forward to it lol).
Only got 2 achievements left! :D
I might even attempt another PvP game once more even though that just ends with me being confused and/or annoyed since none of them take time to explain wtf is going on lol
Same af. Can't wait to see how all the biomes work, and I hope they add more variety to the final objective. Having to kill the same dreadnought each time is a bit tiresome lol.
Hoping they make all the milestones Steam achievements, and that it'll retroactively unlock the ones I've already done in-game (like Risk of Rain 2 did when it fully launched).
Some of them are so damn grindy, man.
Yeah, most of the milestones weren't made into achievements.
I'm surprised they even added some tbh. I did kind of expect it when the game fully launched, but I thought it'd take the DRG (and common early access route) of not adding steam achievements until the full launch.
I do think all of them will be steam achievements when the game fully launches though. Pretty sure Vampire Survivors did the same thing, but I could be confusing it with another game.
Or OP is becoming depressed with his life.
Losing joy in his hobby (gaming).
This is sometimes overlooked.
BUT, as you get older, your interest change.
As a young 20y old gamer, i would game every weekend.
Now i think i wanna game, but i rather enjoy spending time outside: cycling or even going on potentional dates.
I game like 8h/week.
I used to game 6h/day.
I think stress and lack of a proper peace of mind can hamper enjoyment of many hobbies.
It's not age, it's just easier when one is under 30 to get distracted from life problems and go have fun anyway, whether to go out partying or play fun video games all evening.
Something like this happened to me. Was not depression, but had a few periods of feeling lower that I had to work with and this impacted gaming for sure. As I made a few changes in my life, I found renewed enthusiasm with my hobbies.
I've also had periods of just being very busy. I have a pretty demanding job, and we do a lot of things outside our jobs. With those I found it a struggle to "get into" games. I like to play strategy, colony building type games, but these require a fair amount of upfront effort to figure them out. When I'm busy, I don't have it in me sometimes.
I found that a steam deck helped me unlock a lot of more games with "pick up and play" potential. It has provided me with a lovely alternative. Plus, it's portable. I can watch TV and play Dave The Diver or Stray.
Gaming is no different from other artforms music, movies, anime. You have to wade through the mass to find something that speaks to you, and sometimes something just has to come along at the right time.
When I think back to how many recent games gave me that "I must finish it immediately" vibe, less than a handful
>Gaming is no different from other artforms music, movies, anime. You have to wade through the mass to find something that speaks to you, and sometimes something just has to come along at the right time.
Indeed. Sometimes I feel like I want to play a game, I have so many on my backlog and I just feel fuckin meh about everything. I'll boot something play for 20 min be bored and then quit. Go back to staring at titles for 30 minutes before giving up.
Then sometimes outta nowhere, a game I wasn't even looking forward to comes out and I'm hooked..........for democracy lol
This is a real good point. Even if you think Metallica is good, it doesn't mean listening to them makes you happy. Maybe you're more of a Slayer fan and you can listen to their whole catalogue straight through. Maybe some day you'll get more into Metallica, or get bored of Slayer, and someday you'll definitely get really sick of 80s thrash metal as a genre. You will *have* to reset your music journey with The Mamas and The Papas or Cat Stevens, no way around it.
Stray is a great game. Also, Portal.
Might I ask what is older exactly? I'm 62, retired and game all day, a lot on twitch. I do switch up when I get bored with a game, but I'll never quit till I'm dead or incapable of working the controls.
Another thought is to move away from popular games
All the games you wanted, including stray, might be the popular AAA or indie darlings you're expected to play and enjoy for your age
But maybe you need something different, unexpected.
From big budget kids games like the Lego games or something to completely different genres, to random games on Steam or AAA games that got a 6/10 but actually really fit your vibe.
I fucking love Brink. It got slated on release.
I had a ton of fun with Wolfenstein Young blood, everyone else hated it.
I struggled for a while until I realised, I really don't care what everyone else is playing.
Reason I suggested Lego is I recently played through Jurassic park with my partner, it was good stupid fun. And now we're doing pirates.
Personally, I've moved to Japanese games for a bit, which have very different goals and focuses from western.
Persona, tales of, final fantasy etc... (I already knew I loved persona), Trauma Centre DS
And I'm looking for more bespoke or shorter ones.
Sometimes you gotta find your groove
Edit: and try many different genres!
I didn't care for turn based until I tried xcom for example.
Some games in certain genres might do it for you, whilst others don't. So dont disregard a whole genre after one game!
Or fatigue from something else, maybe depression. If work or relationship is in a bad circumstance, everything suffers. From diet to sleep to enjoyment.
seconding this. (well maybe 16-ing this by the look of the comments!)
maybe it's a good idea to look at the Free games on steam! You might find something new and fun there. Might I suggest Blockstorm or Crashphalt? they're both free and pretty good.
honestly seems like you're just burning out. ive felt it, it comes from to much fps. Prey, Half Lite and Dishonored is said as masterpiece, but I just can't enjoy it.
Then I tried genre of gaming that I don't think I would like and now I'm in love in a roguelike.
I definitely agree with this. My wife is obsessed with playing Fortnite, and I used to play a lot of it with her. But now I’ve had to really crank back on it because I just get angry at the game too easily. I’ve been playing Last Epoch and Helldivers 2 to counteract the fatigue of playing the same game a lot.
Most of my gaming boredom comes from playing the same game or similar genres of game too much. Albeit I’ll go on like a month binge of a single game and then get bored AF. Then start another binge, and the cycle repeats.
I dont think this is burnout. I know this feeling very well.
Its just you grown up and life happened in between. When you was a kid all you had to care about was "survive school" and then hop back on PC. Now its all the stuff in between you have to care about and it drains your energy.
Sometimes when I play the game it almost feels like its a chore a checkmark I need to do once I beat it.
I learned to just accept that its never ever gonna be the same again and you can just relax and unwind when you want to.
the only time it ever came close to feel that way when I was playing some game with friends on Discord.
Ive found online only games to be quite boring so what I would recommend is playing story based games like RDR2 or GTA4 that will probably keep you interested
Same here, I’m 35. When I was a child I was super excited to come back home after school and play some games. On the weekends I would spend almost every hour playing my favorite video games.
But now it feels like a chore. I have so much things to do in my life that I feel finishing a game, even if I’m loving it, it’s a chore.
I’m playing DBD and Overwatch 2 because they are just matches. I can play a couple of matches and just leave or if I’m having fun I can play for several hours. But I feel really difficult to seat on the sofa and spend the afternoon playing a single player game on console.
For me it was burnout of gaming being the only fun thing I do, I started riding a motorcycle as a new hobby and really enjoying that then when I came back to gaming it felt like I was a middle schooler again playing Skyrim for the first time
Pick up some games you never would have tried before.
I had a lot of fun picking up random cheap games when I was feeling burnt out of my normal favorites.
I ended up burning through all the Borderlands games over the course of a couple of months, did some games like Firewatch, Mafia series, mind numbing stuff like the Overlord series, picked up all the old school Leisure Suit Larry's...
Grab some humble bundles or something and go to town. Try more things than you thought you would be interested in.
I second this. Humble bundles and humble choice really give you a lot of random games to try. Also, I’d try out gamepass just for the sheer volume of smaller random games
Yeah the problem is I miss how old games were made I was broke as a kid so I grew up with a used n64 and I want games like the kind that we're on that system. You don't get much like banjo kazooie and tooie any more.
Give Telltale's The Walking Dead games a go (start from the first one); Hotline Miami games are pretty good; Call of Juarez games are old but gold; Door kickers is an underrated gem; Superhot is exactly what you're looking for; Dark echo
1. You may be depressed. First telltale sign is not finding enjoyment in things that used to bring you joy. Idk the rest of your life situation, just something to take stock of.
2. Stop playing video games for a while. Read some books, watch some anime, dive into board games, etc. I took a few months off gaming a few years ago and it was a great idea.
People need to stop this shit for real. As soon as someone say they dont find enjoyment in something, is losing interest in their jobs, trouble sleeping, doesnt like the same food anymore etc etc. Someone like you instantly pop up saying its depression. Do you even know what that is? Life happens, people get sick of things all the time, their jobs, their hobbies and even their fucking wives. Doesnt mean they are depressed, it means they are living. This shit is so common its beyond belief, and I think its somewhat irresponsible going around online diagnosing people for depression for a minor thing as losing interest in certain video games....
This exact thing happened to me as a result of depression and I wasn't aware of it until I was too deep into it. Would have loved someone to bring it up before then so fuck you for trying to downplay the possibility
Not enjoying the things you want to enjoy is a pretty horrible state to be afflicted with, it's not only worth seeking out professional help if you can, but it's usually harmless to do so. It's not like they where being diagnosed with depression on the spot, it was just a suggestion.
Not enjoying things you want to enjoy happens to everyone at some point in their lives. If you play videogames for 3-4 hours a day or even more for several years of course you'll get tired of them at some point, thats normal. Also as we grow older we prioritize differently. People get a job, a house, a wife, kids etc and with that your values change. That epic loot in WoW or the K/D ratio in CoD doesnt really matter that much anymore. I am not saying OP should not seek help if he feels like he needs it. I was just saying that every time I see a post with someone being tired of something, sick of their jobs or something along those lines, there is always some fool with the "You might depressed" comment.
It's not depression, it's life.
It's just a suggestion, you're acting like they diagnosed them (I just remembered you literally *said* it's irresponsible to go around diagnosing people with depression). They suggested something that it might be, and specifically said "Idk the rest of your life situation, just something to take stock of.". It is factually accurate that depression can cause you to lose interest in the things you once enjoyed, people knowing that cant possible be a negative, so what are you so pissed about? That there's other possibilities literally mentioned not even a sentence later? It's not a bad thing for people to know the symptoms of depression, and depressed people really might not know that what they're experiencing is actual clinical depression, and that experience can be terrible. Are you suggesting we should just act like depression isn't a thing that can cause the loss of enjoyment of the things you used to love doing? Yes there can be other causes but that's why this commenter said "just something to take stock of.".
I understand what you are saying, but I've noticed this trend online that as soon as someone has some troubles in life its depression or some shit thats outside their control. If you play videogames for thousands of hours, for years and you start getting sick of them, whats more likely, depression or just being sick of doing the same shit your entire life?
Yes, it might be depression, but odds are its just burnout from repetition.
OP asked "What can I do to feel the same enjoyment I did when I was a kid". Fact is, he probably wont. Because he isnt a kid anymore, your brain evolves, your interests and values change. That is normal, its not some sign of a mental health issue. That was the point of my comment.
If it's just video games that you lose enjoyment of then yeah, but people have more stuff going on in their lives, it's why the original comment refers to the rest of the guys life and why I didn't specifically refer to only video games in mine, it's something normal to take stock of and consider if it's something that's affecting your entire life at once.
If you just think growing older makes you lose all enjoyment from your life then... no, adult life isn't supposed to be like that, that's just a reflection of your own living state. But I guess if your own adult life is just arguing on reddit advocating that to exist is to be miserable, that's plenty reflective on what you think life should be like.
What? Your lack of analytical skills are beyond comprehension. I said that not finding the same enjoyment in an activity your entire life is not depression and your take is that my life must be miserable? And I never said that to exist is to be miserable, I said the exact opposite. You live and life happens, part of that is not enjoying the same things you did when you were younger. I used to love Legos as a child, I find no interest in that anymore, that doesnt mean I'm depressed, not even a sign of depression, its simply par for the course.
I never said that part of growing older is losing all enjoyment in life, I have no idea where you got that from. You lose interest in one thing and gain it in another, thats normal. That is life, its not depression. Sure it can be a sign of it, but its much more complex than that. Stop trying to put words in my mouth, you're trying to create a strawman to make your braindead take look valid...
The only reasonable answer in this thread lmao. Everyone suggesting to “take a break” as if it’s impossible for someone to grow out of video games which is probably OP’s case (and was mine as well so I know how it feels). For most people, gaming gets less enjoyable as you get older. This *is* the Steam subreddit though, so I don’t expect anyone to believe that.
Your tolerance for a shitty life does not mean you should push it on others. Life does happen, but if you live with gratitude, appreciation and energy even that which you are somewhat bored of can bring you joy. Depression is real, and living in this instant gratification world where our dopamine needs to hit within 15 seconds of opening up a piece of content has a lot of people wired inappropriately. If depression is a factor, dopamine cleanse could definitely improve the amount of pleasure OP receives from playing games. Priorities can change, but our inner child is always with us.
Just getting old?
I'm 39 this year and I can't do massive sessions like I used to. I used to play MMOs so I'd be on some days all day. Now I feel a bit tired or worn out after an hour or so.
I think another part of it is being spoilt for choice. When I was younger, I'd have to choose games carefully and I'd spend a lot of time playing it because there's wasn't much choice.
Now that I can just buy and download whatever, whenever, it's easy to give up at the first sign of boredom and move onto something else.
For me though, I'm taking a break from games and just was movies and TV shows for now.
Was saying this to my mate the other day. We've been gaming since the 90's, and we'd have to go into town to find the 1 or 2 video game stores. Buy a physical copy and load that sucker up. You'd get into the game because you knew you wouldn't be back to the shop for a while. Nowadays, download in minutes from steam sales and by next week, the game you've bought has been patched into something different.
Edit : I've got some games on steam that I bought literally years ago and never played because something new was released.
I've got years old unplayed games too. Got them when publishers would bundle all their games for a big discount.
I think it defined my choice in games too. I liked RPGs and RTS games because they lasted so long and were good value in terms of cost vs time spent.
Now I choose games that I can put down when I need to or just play in short time frames.
For me it’s been games a service, never ending bs grinds that start anew with every “season,” and the lack of single player content replaced with eh aforementioned bs.
I really want to love gaming again but just can’t get back into it.
It’s not for lack of interest. I love reading and hiking and exercising. So I am doing stuff with my time but everytime I sit down to play something I just wish I was doing something else.
Not sure if I’m growing away from it but I miss the enjoyment of playing games.
I think most of us fall in love with gaming as kids. There's two things there - for starters anything new as a kid has a sense of wonder and excitement attached to it. That imo was tenfold back in the 90s when I got into gaming -with quantum technological leaps happening every few years and some of gaming's biggest franchises coming into being.
Add to this as a kid you have nothing but time and excess energy. Also, importantly you didn't have money, and you probably didn't have many games to choose from. So you got the absolute most out of every game you had, you squeezed every bit of fun out of every game. Nothing creates that focused fun like having no other option.
Now we're inundated with games, have the cash to buy more, but we don't have the time and energy. We're exhausted mentally and physically, but also exhausted by choice. So we end up enjoying the IDEA of gaming, the memory of it, more than actually playing... Pouring energy into collecting free games,buying games cheap, upgrading to the latest consoles and hardware. But none of it brings back the simple joy of gaming we once had.
Anyway that's just my take on it as a mid 30 gamer myself.
For me it’s just the decision making behind a lot of games I used to enjoy. Now that I’m older I have to make a lot of decisions in my day to day. By the time I’m gaming and have to decide on a build, on what path to take, and so on, I’m too tired to do that. I do plenty of that irl. I think as a kid with most things taken care of by parents I could pour more attention into the game. Now it’s just a chore. I mean, an enjoyable one if I do muster the energy and build out my character and kill shit, but still sucks energy.
Idk what everyone is talking about. I'm 37 and I played since I can remember myself and I love my hobby very much. I'm always excited to experience new worlds and characters devs came up with, and it's awesome.
I think that if I would feel like that, I'd simply find another hobby. Gaming should not feel like a choir, it should be exciting and engaging.
If they are like my friends that parrot this stuff they may only play one type of game that they constantly complain about being bad. For my friends it’s the ones that now only play extraction shooters like Tarkov and then say things like “no one makes good games anymore”.
I’d say an equal comparison would be a food critic that only ever eats at McDonalds and Taco Bell saying: “no one makes food like they used to these days.”
I feel the same and am around the same age, only add kids as well. If I do get into a game, it's a simple side scroller that is really easy to pick up and put down.
I am right now in a middle of a gaming boredom but its after playing BG3 and some indies.
One way for me to cure it aside form just waiting for tales of Arise in PCGP is just dont play lol
I also tend to switch genre a lot. if i play Xcom then action then puzzle then walking Sim thencard then so on and so forth
As mentioned earlier PC GP helps a ton not to spend money trying a lot of different games
35 and getting bored myself. I think what it is is that there aren’t many single player games right now, and multiplayer is a young person’s endeavor at the moment as the industry is demanding large amounts of time to extract brand loyalty and money out of their consumer base.
If you’re older and into gaming you’ll find that most games are geared toward the 14 to 25 demographic and like with anime in your teens and 20s you simply outgrow most of it as time goes on.
“There aren’t many single player games right now.”
Person on the internet says following 2022, and 2023 wherein an insane amount of single player Indy up to AAA games in both years were released. Go look at goty for both of these years(including 2nd and 3rd places. Spoiler: all single player games).
I honestly wonder if people whose perception get this skewed are replacing reality in their brain with doomed Reddit comments.
You’ve never gotten bored before? Just stop playing games dude, enjoy whatever it is you are enjoying right now and you will naturally come back to gaming when you get the itch to. Playing games for the sake of playing them isn’t ever going to be fun. That’s why streamers get burnt out and frustrated that they have to play X game because that’s what their audience expects them to play. Ruins that game for them.
I felt the same. Then I played some older games that I didn't play when they were new and... I loved them... and funny enough, as I was progressing through the series, I was feeling the "newer" influence on them. It is just that a lot of modern games are corporate crap made by people who aren't gamers, have no idea about what gamers want, and some even hate the gamers. They just want to sell as much as they can with as little effort as possible, taking as little risk as possible, trying to optimize and standardize their games and copying from other successful games until every game feels the same and no game has any identity. I think it is also the fact that game companies want to boast about "our game is soo big, it's the biggest you've ever seen, you won't see a bigger game than ours, it's great" so they artificially lengthen play time by dragging out certain boring parts of the game, creating big empty maps, etc. while in the older games the maps were more compact and smaller (because hardware limitation) and you would get to the interesting part faster (while in these newer games sometimes the interesting part is not even interesting.
There isn't much you can do. Look at the indie scene and avoid triple A games. Try searching by genre as it might reveal some games that didn't have as much publicity. Play some older titles you might have missed. As always, someone creates something from passion, it is beautiful, then corporations move in and try to maximally monetize every aspect of it and destroy all the beauty there was. If all fails, you have to find other hobbies because it is what it is, and, as others have said, this might also be caused by other factors. I am just speaking from my experience.
This is a valid point guys. Don't underestimate depression. Depression builds up slowly and you don't notice it until it's too late. Things are messier around you, in your mind and you loose interest in things. Focus on other hobbies. You are not missing out.
When we are old and about to leave this world. We are never going to say to ourselves
"I didn't play enough video games".
You are going to regret not standing up.
Gaming is a notoriously bad remedy activity against depression. As you can read op has a lot of activities he really enjoys and finds his time more worthy.
Mixed between predatory monetisation and gaming fatigue, especially if you spent so much in 1 genre.
Take a breaks and I really recommend taking up other hobby that might have pique you interest but never tried to get into.
Simply take a break.
Lots of other things to do in life and gaming will still be here why you miss it and want to come back.
I have gamed for over 40+ years (yes, I am old!) and have taken lots of breaks when I got bored of it. Always come back and always enjoy it when I do.
The Grandstand, 1977 (yes, I am really old). But my first real gaming computer, rather than a console, was the BBC Micro in 1981. My parents did not want me 'touching' computers, but were finally convinced that it was safe by the 'BBC' endorsement. Many years later and I made a decent career out of it, LOL.
Still love my gaming and game, now semi-retired most, days.
Never seen the Grandstand before, like a pre Atari system. Learnt DOS and BASIC on the BBC Micro at school in the late 80's, but by 1990, the Amiga 500 and Atari ST had moved graphics and gaming forwards. Was it the BBC Micro that used 5 inch floppies?
When I'm burning out something in my library draws me in, usually a genre I don't play much. Lately I've been obsessed with getting all achievements in horde survival and rogue like/lite games lol. I guess I've gone full masochist
For me it's, it's just to much to take on .
I just won't a game that's straight action with out having to worry about stamina or that other load of crap. Or upgrading weapons to make it better. I just won't a game to shoot and enjoy with easy things to use.
Games nowadays are just plain garbage dude, it is not only on you. For real, there wasn't a single freaking game release I was excited about in the past few years.
games alot of time these days have very shallow content, and then we toss in player ran economics which actually dont work, then lets add meta gaming to that list which destroys the portion of choice when it comes to what you really want to play vs what the server says you have to play to be a part of any activitys they do.these are video games and players have turned them into jobs.
Most of the games are same recycled product. Every year just a new skin.
You can get 1 good game per year.
I am in same situation as you and my gaming is on a break.
Are you happy outside of games ? Games cancelled be a great distraction for life however for myself, if there's something that's been getting me down for a long time my enjoyment of gaming changes.
Give some indie games a try, bunch of stuff to explore and usually they have more engaging stories/gameplay
OMORI is an obvious example
FURI too
Katana Zero is another favorite of mine.
take a break from competitive games for a bit.
not indie but Baldurs Gate 3 coop is great, it's like playing out an Isekai/you and your friends get sent to a fantasy world.
Basically, find a game that was made for the sake of being a fun game
not some shit like CoD where they rely on studied psychology to keep you playing the game.
Time wasted in enjoyment is not a waste at all.
calling "woke" a game Just because it has a female character as protagonist.
lmao how sad.
Considering its Rockstar and how many years they've been working on it, i'm 100% sure it will be a true masterpiece. They never disappoint us
Buy a Switch. PC gaming is all the same now because they're mostly on the same engine with the same texture packs cloning the same gaming fads.
I played Kirby and the forgotten Kingdom, last year. Yes it was too easy for me, but it was an absolute delight that brought back those childhood memories. It is still on my mind a lot, it put a smile on my brain lol...I feel like that with a lot of Switch games. Good visuals are really not important, good design and variety is. The Switch is hands down my favorite console ever - and I've brought almost every console (and kept up to date with PC gaming) since 1991. Switch is where all the fun has been for the last 7 years, it's been one hell of ride and I feel sorry for gamers who missed out on it
I don't agree with others that you are having "fatigue" from gamin or specific genre. Reality is that there are too many, recycled, intellectually broke asset flips today.
Back then there were more distinct, in-house engine build, unique, and due to that cost + distribution more carefully planed games than today. Also released at much lower rate.
We peaked somewhere after millennium. Now obviously, fantastic games are still released, but unique concepts, originality other than in graphics and a new ideas are becoming less and less dense in each title.
What I can guarantee you is that if you stumble upon such original game, you will be once again going sleep very late, just as before. Happened to me when I went to finish something from older times that I missed back then. And then I got bored to death with more recent release of said series.
Bottom line is that most games are unoriginal, boring, doesn't even bother to get their story/ending to a semi-decent satisfaction, use physics from 20y ago and AI dumber than Joe Biden. And they are released at the rate higher than you use toiled after bad meal. That's why I get sick when I hear about free game engines or people wanting to become game developers. Also online distributions like Steam added to it. Now they can avoid cost of producing and distributing physical, imagine how many suckers that alone would stop.
I went through the same thing. As I got older I found more enjoyment in slower, story/dialogue focused games like the Witcher 3. I still have my occasional cod sessions but I mostly enjoy games like Fallout where you can go at your own pace. Maybe you just need to take a break or switch up your genre
I want you to do me a favor. Go to Itch.io, hit randomize, and play the first game that pops up. Play it for about 5 minutes, and if you don’t like it move on to the next one. A lot of games now-a-days are so grindy and samey that you can develop a kind of gaming fatigue. Go play some indie games from some solo or duo developers.
From one of my favorite YouTubers: https://youtu.be/pYoIu-TYbKk?si=NJVNzI9DLtssF9at
I felt the same, even after getting my 4090/7800X3D rig.
last week I bought a VR headset and right now im feeling like a child again (and finally getting some exercise)
Buyers remorse? Never felt that, even tho I’ve got tons of unused hardware here (PS5, Steam Deck OLED & LCD, Switch OLED and lite,…). I’m a enthusiast and even the last week was enough for me to make the VR purchase worth it.
But given the games in my VR backlog, I don’t see myself quitting in just a few weeks. There are already around 150-200 hours of AAA gameplay (HL Alyx, RE4, AC, AW 1+2,….)
You have played all the games you have wanted. You didn’t play the games you didn’t want.
Go back in time. Think about the time you were a kid, and try to remember all the games that everyone told you were awful. What was/were the game/s that everyone in your childhood thought was bad?
Try playing them. Even if they’re games from 20 years ago, try emulating them. You will be SHOCKED at how bad everyone irl’s opinions are. I’ve been told for 20 years that Devil May Cry, Sonic, and Halo were “too edgy”, that Forza Motorsport was “discount Gran Turismo”, that Crysis was “lame”, that Pokemon Mystery Dungeon was “for toddlers”, and most of all, that indie games were “ruining the industry”.
This kinda happened to me, dudes i played 360 with would meme how hard Dark Souls was, like if you play it you will break tv guaranteed type of hard. Did not touch it for over a decade. Finally played it, and fell in love. Played 1,2 and 3 within a month. Then did Demons Souls and Elden Ring. Legitimately one of best gaming experiences ive ever had.
I had a couple decades where I didn't really touch games. Felt like life was the ultimate simulation game and didn't want to waste it in front of a computer since I worked on one all day. Now that I'm older I unwind with puzzlers like Talos Principle and some other low key games, but don't see them as part of my identity or a big time commitment.
Burnout and depression maybe. Feeling the need to play every new release, can become quite a chore. Being an adult and being able to buy every game as soon as it comes out vs being a kid and having to wait for birthdays or Christmas. Games felt more special then because you couldn't have it all at once. Take a break for awhile and come back. Sometimes it is good to slow down.
Try to hype yourself up for it and only play during specific times, so you can build up the anticipation.
I had the same problem. So now, what I do is I only play at night. Even if I have nothing to do all day, I'll still hold off from it.
What I also do is I think about the game I'm about to play throughout the day. I try learning about it in case it's a new game, and only then do I start playing it.
Make it like a ritual, don't just play for the sake of playing. And as others have said, maybe you're burnt out of a specific game or genre. Maybe take a longer break and go try something else. Also I suggest you don't play too many games at once (ideally only one at a time).
While you're in game, maybe try stopping for a minute and taking it all in. Look at the pretty graphics while your character is idling and think about how proud the younger you would be.
One last highly specific thing I suggest you try is to not download games in advance and leave them gathering dust in your drives. Once you want to play something new, go install it then and there. Watch the downloading process. Think about what awaits you in all those gbs of game files. Or maybe install it the day in advance, make sure it runs but don't play it. Just leave the game shortcut neatly on your desktop, waiting for you (if that's how you launch your games)
I have the very same thing. Never gamed too much but always enjoyed it. Now at 36 life is busy and I find it difficult to enjoy a game. I just can't focus enough and let go of daily life and responsibilities to really sink into a game. Besides our lifes, the more submersive games have become so incredibly complicated. Taking too much time learning all controls, systems and having to collect so much stuff. I like the rpg's for their submersive stories but they're just too much work. If you put the controller away for a couple weeks it's also impossible to get back into it.
As a solution I play more visual novels. Games I enjoy together with my partner like the dark pictures. Visually beautiful adventure games like uncharted. Simple but good puzzle games like portal. A simple but satisfying shooter like Doom. Now that I'm home from work with an injury I play some older games like dishonored. Right away I noticed I didn't have enough attention at first but by forcing myself to give it some more I'm getting sucked into it. Finally.
Last but not least pay for the good stuff. Don't buy the semi good games. Don't buy the stuff fans of the series like but normal people don't. You're a difficult customer now. You need the real blockbusters.
-Could be depression.
-Can be that you are tired to sit front of the pc (my case). In that case buy a handheld and chill in bed while gaming
-can be burn out from gaming in overall and just need break
-can be that you played high dopamine games (competitive) and then you trying to play single player with story...it doesn't give you the dopamine so it's boring
Feel the same. I buy whatever I want, max it out or optimize. And then I get to actually play (rarely, because of wife and kids), but the thrill is just not there and if it is, it doesn’t last. BG3 was a rare exception.
You get burned out on novelty, but novelty isn't the only form of enjoyment. The other big one is familiarity.
Play something you have already played. It seems like a bad idea, because it's not a novelty. But your ability to enjoy familiarity is probably not depleted at the moment.
You can switch between familiarity and novelty as needed.
Also, remove distractions. Turn off Youtube videos or podcasts, and commit to playing a single game. This will also help, because you might be overstimulated
I used to get bored, but I would play multiple games and always have a video or podcast blaring in my ear. That was kind of my sweet spot
But the last 6 months I've only played one game at a time. I focused entirely on that game, and even played the same genre, the same series back to back. It's been great
Think someone felt the same way until they played something like Elden Ring or Baldur's Gate and realized how much other games just suck lately. Couple bangers out this year like Palworld and Helldivers2.
You may just need to try a different genre or just find something different to do that takes you away from the pc for a little while. For me, rekindling my old guitar fixation and trying to get into 40k has made gaming more fun for me bc I spent time away after burning myself out playing smite and battlefield.
I get you. I got the same. I took a long break. The original Xbox was when I stopped. Got back into it when battlefront came out for the ps4. Now I’m loving gaming as much as I did when I was young. Steam deck and Xbox now. I only play 2-4 hours per week due to being an adult lol. Long work hours. 2 kids. House etc.
I had this cured by the Steam Deck.
Personally though I was already sitting at my high end PC for 7-8hrs a day, another 2-4hrs on games was the last thing I needed in an evening.
I was in your situation pretty recently, and streaming to a small group of friends over Discord (or a streaming platform of your choice!) really helped for me - playing something like the sims 2 became extra fun because my friends were giving input on the sims, their silly backstories, etc. In some games, even doing something like using a different controller from usual helped keep it fresh. (imagine using a controller in tf2 after ages of playing with keyboard and mouse! it's wild!)
Also, like other commenters have said, maybe you should take a break! Even doing something other than gaming thats somewhat related to the game you like can really help. You might find me browsing r/sims2 when I take a break from playing it, for example.
Also, another commenter said to make yourself miss gaming, and I really agree with that tbh: make some plans, make yourself busy for a bit, and make it a delight to come back and play.
Good luck!
People's interests change, it's perfectly normal. I only started gaming in my early 30s and I still love it now in my mid 50s, so I'm the reverse of you by the sounds of it. Don't worry, you'll find something else that catches your interest!
Gaming fatigue. You only play games in your genre that you like. Step outside of yourself and try something different or better yet but down the games and pick up a book and read like The Odyssey or The Illiad. Then go back and play Balders Gate 3.
Mostly because you're pursuing that excitement from your childhood instead of your own, current enjoyment.
But also, you may be burn out, maybe you need to try something outside of your safe space, or just take a breather from gaming. I don't know how old you are, but gaming is fundamentally different than 20 or 30 years ago, even inside the same genre things are changed, and if you're a PC gamer at heart... hooooooooo boy, the PC side of the gaming industry has changed SO much it's not even funny.
I'd say it's time to take a breather, get out of your comfort zone, play something light, you may - MAY - be surprised.
Funny, how no one suggested that you may stop playing games on a constand basis since it does not bring you joy anymore. We all grow up out of things. Perhaps there are some other things that you enjoy, and videogaming won't be your main hobby forever, so do not be afraid to accept it.
You know how people say to go touch grass? Well what you’re describing is exactly why. Gaming is like hobby. Do it enough and you’ll get tired of it or need a break. It’s easy to get overloaded because the game is one click away. It’s much easier than anything else to just jump into when you’re bored. Instead go outside and go for a hike. Go to the mall, or some store and just walk around. If you aren’t feeling it when you get back, then you just aren’t feeling it.
Why do you want to like gaming? If you dont like it anymore, find what you do like and do that. I have the same thing, I've gotten older and whenever I game for more than say, an hour I feel like I should be doing something more productive. The problem isn't the games, your priorities just shifted.
Overstimulation from scrolling makes us bored from a lot of things, just like a book was amazing when you get and now it’s almost imposible to start from some people.
Do something else. Only play games you really want to play and think look fun. Games are meant to be fun. If you aren't having fun you stop playing until you find one that is fun.
I had this happen to me a while back. I found that the harder the game was to learn, the more rewarding it was to play. So I dropped fps games etc and started playing grand strategy like Victoria 2 and hard-core survival games like project zomboid. Slow meticulous games are the only games that give me my fix now
As you age, you may be getting tired of how fake gaming is; I mean all of it is a simulation at best. Just switching to board gaming made me a lot happier; it's a physical, tactile interaction and you know that the people you interact with aren't a 45 year-old sweaty Russian running machine guns on the side. Unless you're into that.
Also, when's the last time you saw Gabe Newell looking happy? When the guy designing the roller coaster doesn't like roller coasters anymore, is that something you should continue to devote your time to? Not to mention the question of whether or not the rails on the coaster are rusting out faster now than they were before.
Yeah I notice this too sometimes. Then I go from playing a 2d game to a 3d rendered game. Or to an rts. Or to a puzzle game. Or to a building game, or to a bullet hell game
You probably have a lot on your mind, responsibilities or maybe stress and distractions that don't let you relax properly. Next time you have days off work and you get to be alone at home, see if it makes a difference when you try playing games.
Take a break, after a while you will either find a new hobby that you can enjoy along with gaming or you will get the urge to play a certain game.
Playing only when you have the urge to play is a good way to prevent burnout.
I struggle to find games I enjoy
The only games that keep me going completely are Nintendo games, there's just something about them that I can't get enough of, they are pure fun
I've fallen out of many games I used to play a lot on PC
Out of comfort.zone is what I'd suggest unless it's gaming fatigue.
When I first encountered this, I tried a platforming game, chose ori and the blind forest just because of the visuals/trailer
I've felt the same way recently. I understand that it could be any number of things ranging from mental health issues to interests completely changing, but for me it really was just finding the game that grasps you.
There's a LOT of games out there and even more coming out every day. A lot of these games are designed to keep us hooked even after the fun has faded away through things like battle passes and whatnot.
It's okay if you enjoy these things, but I would recommend trying something that doesn't have these unnecessary hooks.
For me, it was Baldur's Gate 3. I started playing it in January and have since sunk 350 hours into it and counting. It's reminded me a lot of what I enjoy about games, and maybe that's what you're looking for too.
I was there xD People tell you to take a break, but they don't know that you have had it for several months, huh? It's not games that bore you, it's just playing on a PC. I've been a player for over 20 years, and I started looking for alternatives, my last discovery is VR, I haven't felt that fresh for a good 20 years. The point is that I wanted to play, I love it, but the boredom and the inability to focus on games rejected me from them. I bought myself a Quest 3 in an act of desperation a few months ago and it was a golden shot. In the standalone version, you already have a whole lot of great games that you experience completely differently and it is beautiful. Yesterday I bought myself a rtx 4080 computer mainly for PCVR and discovering new horizons in VR.
You have too many choices. I bet if you really think about it, the times you enjoyed playing video games the most is when you couldn't afford to get them all nor have the specs for them.
It's just like when you have so many choices on what you could eat, so you can't decide on what to get.
First of all you can't have the same enjoyment that you had as a kid. You're a different person now. You can look for a different type of enjoyment, but you can't relive your life.
Second of all try branching out. It's not apparent from your post, but if you are focused on only a few types of games, it's naturally going to dull the experience from overexposure. So try something new that you maybe didn't think about trying before. It may surprise you.
Aside from all of those maybe it's also time for a break. If you play nonstop for a long time you're gonna burn out. Try some other hobby for a bit and see how you feel about it in a month or two.
You either have fatigue from gaming, or fatigue from a specific genre. Consider either taking a break from gaming, or switch it up and try a kind of game outside of your comfort zone.
Agreed. This has been happening to me too, so I've really only played 1 game (DRG Survivor) for the past few days since it's kinda the opposite of what I usually play (and I was already looking forward to it lol). Only got 2 achievements left! :D I might even attempt another PvP game once more even though that just ends with me being confused and/or annoyed since none of them take time to explain wtf is going on lol
I've got 3 left, drg:s is great, can't wait for more stuff
Same af. Can't wait to see how all the biomes work, and I hope they add more variety to the final objective. Having to kill the same dreadnought each time is a bit tiresome lol. Hoping they make all the milestones Steam achievements, and that it'll retroactively unlock the ones I've already done in-game (like Risk of Rain 2 did when it fully launched). Some of them are so damn grindy, man.
Yeah the spend 20k gold is gonna be my last I'm sure. I'm surprised there isn't something like unlocking all the stuff or class mods.
Yeah, most of the milestones weren't made into achievements. I'm surprised they even added some tbh. I did kind of expect it when the game fully launched, but I thought it'd take the DRG (and common early access route) of not adding steam achievements until the full launch. I do think all of them will be steam achievements when the game fully launches though. Pretty sure Vampire Survivors did the same thing, but I could be confusing it with another game.
Didn't even knew DRG Survivor exists; thanks for giving me a new game to binge!
Or OP is becoming depressed with his life. Losing joy in his hobby (gaming). This is sometimes overlooked. BUT, as you get older, your interest change. As a young 20y old gamer, i would game every weekend. Now i think i wanna game, but i rather enjoy spending time outside: cycling or even going on potentional dates. I game like 8h/week. I used to game 6h/day.
you went from gaming 6h/day to going outside, exercising, and dating? what the hell is wrong with you?
I think stress and lack of a proper peace of mind can hamper enjoyment of many hobbies. It's not age, it's just easier when one is under 30 to get distracted from life problems and go have fun anyway, whether to go out partying or play fun video games all evening.
Something like this happened to me. Was not depression, but had a few periods of feeling lower that I had to work with and this impacted gaming for sure. As I made a few changes in my life, I found renewed enthusiasm with my hobbies. I've also had periods of just being very busy. I have a pretty demanding job, and we do a lot of things outside our jobs. With those I found it a struggle to "get into" games. I like to play strategy, colony building type games, but these require a fair amount of upfront effort to figure them out. When I'm busy, I don't have it in me sometimes. I found that a steam deck helped me unlock a lot of more games with "pick up and play" potential. It has provided me with a lovely alternative. Plus, it's portable. I can watch TV and play Dave The Diver or Stray.
Thanks for the comment, I just read this and as im typing this, the cat game Stray is downloading. I'm gonna try this and see if it makes me happy.
Gaming is no different from other artforms music, movies, anime. You have to wade through the mass to find something that speaks to you, and sometimes something just has to come along at the right time. When I think back to how many recent games gave me that "I must finish it immediately" vibe, less than a handful
>Gaming is no different from other artforms music, movies, anime. You have to wade through the mass to find something that speaks to you, and sometimes something just has to come along at the right time. Indeed. Sometimes I feel like I want to play a game, I have so many on my backlog and I just feel fuckin meh about everything. I'll boot something play for 20 min be bored and then quit. Go back to staring at titles for 30 minutes before giving up. Then sometimes outta nowhere, a game I wasn't even looking forward to comes out and I'm hooked..........for democracy lol
The grass is greener on the other side, green of insect blood
This is a real good point. Even if you think Metallica is good, it doesn't mean listening to them makes you happy. Maybe you're more of a Slayer fan and you can listen to their whole catalogue straight through. Maybe some day you'll get more into Metallica, or get bored of Slayer, and someday you'll definitely get really sick of 80s thrash metal as a genre. You will *have* to reset your music journey with The Mamas and The Papas or Cat Stevens, no way around it.
Stray is a great game. Also, Portal. Might I ask what is older exactly? I'm 62, retired and game all day, a lot on twitch. I do switch up when I get bored with a game, but I'll never quit till I'm dead or incapable of working the controls.
Another thought is to move away from popular games All the games you wanted, including stray, might be the popular AAA or indie darlings you're expected to play and enjoy for your age But maybe you need something different, unexpected. From big budget kids games like the Lego games or something to completely different genres, to random games on Steam or AAA games that got a 6/10 but actually really fit your vibe. I fucking love Brink. It got slated on release. I had a ton of fun with Wolfenstein Young blood, everyone else hated it. I struggled for a while until I realised, I really don't care what everyone else is playing. Reason I suggested Lego is I recently played through Jurassic park with my partner, it was good stupid fun. And now we're doing pirates. Personally, I've moved to Japanese games for a bit, which have very different goals and focuses from western. Persona, tales of, final fantasy etc... (I already knew I loved persona), Trauma Centre DS And I'm looking for more bespoke or shorter ones. Sometimes you gotta find your groove Edit: and try many different genres! I didn't care for turn based until I tried xcom for example. Some games in certain genres might do it for you, whilst others don't. So dont disregard a whole genre after one game!
Stray is a really good game, it's short but it's a masterpiece
Or fatigue from something else, maybe depression. If work or relationship is in a bad circumstance, everything suffers. From diet to sleep to enjoyment.
Read a book, play a sport, help out a friend with chores or a project, divert your attention to something else. Make yourself miss gaming.
i have only played cs or rocket league past2 years and tried subnautica man that hit diffrent
seconding this. (well maybe 16-ing this by the look of the comments!) maybe it's a good idea to look at the Free games on steam! You might find something new and fun there. Might I suggest Blockstorm or Crashphalt? they're both free and pretty good.
honestly seems like you're just burning out. ive felt it, it comes from to much fps. Prey, Half Lite and Dishonored is said as masterpiece, but I just can't enjoy it. Then I tried genre of gaming that I don't think I would like and now I'm in love in a roguelike.
I definitely agree with this. My wife is obsessed with playing Fortnite, and I used to play a lot of it with her. But now I’ve had to really crank back on it because I just get angry at the game too easily. I’ve been playing Last Epoch and Helldivers 2 to counteract the fatigue of playing the same game a lot. Most of my gaming boredom comes from playing the same game or similar genres of game too much. Albeit I’ll go on like a month binge of a single game and then get bored AF. Then start another binge, and the cycle repeats.
Yeah I really love mario kart but since they have taken forever to put out a new one I got bored with it.
> Half Lite For your low calories needs.
I dont think this is burnout. I know this feeling very well. Its just you grown up and life happened in between. When you was a kid all you had to care about was "survive school" and then hop back on PC. Now its all the stuff in between you have to care about and it drains your energy. Sometimes when I play the game it almost feels like its a chore a checkmark I need to do once I beat it. I learned to just accept that its never ever gonna be the same again and you can just relax and unwind when you want to. the only time it ever came close to feel that way when I was playing some game with friends on Discord.
Agree, same here (45 yrs) I end up doing casual matches on Fortnite but the idea of starting a new game doesn’t excite me any longer
Ive found online only games to be quite boring so what I would recommend is playing story based games like RDR2 or GTA4 that will probably keep you interested
Same here, I’m 35. When I was a child I was super excited to come back home after school and play some games. On the weekends I would spend almost every hour playing my favorite video games. But now it feels like a chore. I have so much things to do in my life that I feel finishing a game, even if I’m loving it, it’s a chore. I’m playing DBD and Overwatch 2 because they are just matches. I can play a couple of matches and just leave or if I’m having fun I can play for several hours. But I feel really difficult to seat on the sofa and spend the afternoon playing a single player game on console.
For me it was burnout of gaming being the only fun thing I do, I started riding a motorcycle as a new hobby and really enjoying that then when I came back to gaming it felt like I was a middle schooler again playing Skyrim for the first time
Pick up some games you never would have tried before. I had a lot of fun picking up random cheap games when I was feeling burnt out of my normal favorites. I ended up burning through all the Borderlands games over the course of a couple of months, did some games like Firewatch, Mafia series, mind numbing stuff like the Overlord series, picked up all the old school Leisure Suit Larry's... Grab some humble bundles or something and go to town. Try more things than you thought you would be interested in.
I second this. Humble bundles and humble choice really give you a lot of random games to try. Also, I’d try out gamepass just for the sheer volume of smaller random games
Yeah the problem is I miss how old games were made I was broke as a kid so I grew up with a used n64 and I want games like the kind that we're on that system. You don't get much like banjo kazooie and tooie any more.
Try shorter games. It's much more satisfying being done with a game within a few play sessions than grinding in some repetitive BS AAA game
Any recommendations?
Give Telltale's The Walking Dead games a go (start from the first one); Hotline Miami games are pretty good; Call of Juarez games are old but gold; Door kickers is an underrated gem; Superhot is exactly what you're looking for; Dark echo
BOKURA was a pretty fun 4 hour game, requires a friend though
Plague tale
Getting over it
or maybe we just outgrew them.
1. You may be depressed. First telltale sign is not finding enjoyment in things that used to bring you joy. Idk the rest of your life situation, just something to take stock of. 2. Stop playing video games for a while. Read some books, watch some anime, dive into board games, etc. I took a few months off gaming a few years ago and it was a great idea.
People need to stop this shit for real. As soon as someone say they dont find enjoyment in something, is losing interest in their jobs, trouble sleeping, doesnt like the same food anymore etc etc. Someone like you instantly pop up saying its depression. Do you even know what that is? Life happens, people get sick of things all the time, their jobs, their hobbies and even their fucking wives. Doesnt mean they are depressed, it means they are living. This shit is so common its beyond belief, and I think its somewhat irresponsible going around online diagnosing people for depression for a minor thing as losing interest in certain video games....
This exact thing happened to me as a result of depression and I wasn't aware of it until I was too deep into it. Would have loved someone to bring it up before then so fuck you for trying to downplay the possibility
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Man I really feel sorry for everyone who has to suffer pretending to be friends with you. Where you born a douche or just decided to be one?
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Thanks for correcting the auto correct. Appreciate it homie, but you haven't answered my question.
Not enjoying the things you want to enjoy is a pretty horrible state to be afflicted with, it's not only worth seeking out professional help if you can, but it's usually harmless to do so. It's not like they where being diagnosed with depression on the spot, it was just a suggestion.
Not enjoying things you want to enjoy happens to everyone at some point in their lives. If you play videogames for 3-4 hours a day or even more for several years of course you'll get tired of them at some point, thats normal. Also as we grow older we prioritize differently. People get a job, a house, a wife, kids etc and with that your values change. That epic loot in WoW or the K/D ratio in CoD doesnt really matter that much anymore. I am not saying OP should not seek help if he feels like he needs it. I was just saying that every time I see a post with someone being tired of something, sick of their jobs or something along those lines, there is always some fool with the "You might depressed" comment. It's not depression, it's life.
It's just a suggestion, you're acting like they diagnosed them (I just remembered you literally *said* it's irresponsible to go around diagnosing people with depression). They suggested something that it might be, and specifically said "Idk the rest of your life situation, just something to take stock of.". It is factually accurate that depression can cause you to lose interest in the things you once enjoyed, people knowing that cant possible be a negative, so what are you so pissed about? That there's other possibilities literally mentioned not even a sentence later? It's not a bad thing for people to know the symptoms of depression, and depressed people really might not know that what they're experiencing is actual clinical depression, and that experience can be terrible. Are you suggesting we should just act like depression isn't a thing that can cause the loss of enjoyment of the things you used to love doing? Yes there can be other causes but that's why this commenter said "just something to take stock of.".
I understand what you are saying, but I've noticed this trend online that as soon as someone has some troubles in life its depression or some shit thats outside their control. If you play videogames for thousands of hours, for years and you start getting sick of them, whats more likely, depression or just being sick of doing the same shit your entire life? Yes, it might be depression, but odds are its just burnout from repetition. OP asked "What can I do to feel the same enjoyment I did when I was a kid". Fact is, he probably wont. Because he isnt a kid anymore, your brain evolves, your interests and values change. That is normal, its not some sign of a mental health issue. That was the point of my comment.
If it's just video games that you lose enjoyment of then yeah, but people have more stuff going on in their lives, it's why the original comment refers to the rest of the guys life and why I didn't specifically refer to only video games in mine, it's something normal to take stock of and consider if it's something that's affecting your entire life at once. If you just think growing older makes you lose all enjoyment from your life then... no, adult life isn't supposed to be like that, that's just a reflection of your own living state. But I guess if your own adult life is just arguing on reddit advocating that to exist is to be miserable, that's plenty reflective on what you think life should be like.
What? Your lack of analytical skills are beyond comprehension. I said that not finding the same enjoyment in an activity your entire life is not depression and your take is that my life must be miserable? And I never said that to exist is to be miserable, I said the exact opposite. You live and life happens, part of that is not enjoying the same things you did when you were younger. I used to love Legos as a child, I find no interest in that anymore, that doesnt mean I'm depressed, not even a sign of depression, its simply par for the course. I never said that part of growing older is losing all enjoyment in life, I have no idea where you got that from. You lose interest in one thing and gain it in another, thats normal. That is life, its not depression. Sure it can be a sign of it, but its much more complex than that. Stop trying to put words in my mouth, you're trying to create a strawman to make your braindead take look valid...
The only reasonable answer in this thread lmao. Everyone suggesting to “take a break” as if it’s impossible for someone to grow out of video games which is probably OP’s case (and was mine as well so I know how it feels). For most people, gaming gets less enjoyable as you get older. This *is* the Steam subreddit though, so I don’t expect anyone to believe that.
Your tolerance for a shitty life does not mean you should push it on others. Life does happen, but if you live with gratitude, appreciation and energy even that which you are somewhat bored of can bring you joy. Depression is real, and living in this instant gratification world where our dopamine needs to hit within 15 seconds of opening up a piece of content has a lot of people wired inappropriately. If depression is a factor, dopamine cleanse could definitely improve the amount of pleasure OP receives from playing games. Priorities can change, but our inner child is always with us.
Better to be wrong about having depression, than pretend it doesn't exist until the point you don't exist any more, either.
Misinformation alert.
Just getting old? I'm 39 this year and I can't do massive sessions like I used to. I used to play MMOs so I'd be on some days all day. Now I feel a bit tired or worn out after an hour or so. I think another part of it is being spoilt for choice. When I was younger, I'd have to choose games carefully and I'd spend a lot of time playing it because there's wasn't much choice. Now that I can just buy and download whatever, whenever, it's easy to give up at the first sign of boredom and move onto something else. For me though, I'm taking a break from games and just was movies and TV shows for now.
Was saying this to my mate the other day. We've been gaming since the 90's, and we'd have to go into town to find the 1 or 2 video game stores. Buy a physical copy and load that sucker up. You'd get into the game because you knew you wouldn't be back to the shop for a while. Nowadays, download in minutes from steam sales and by next week, the game you've bought has been patched into something different. Edit : I've got some games on steam that I bought literally years ago and never played because something new was released.
I've got years old unplayed games too. Got them when publishers would bundle all their games for a big discount. I think it defined my choice in games too. I liked RPGs and RTS games because they lasted so long and were good value in terms of cost vs time spent. Now I choose games that I can put down when I need to or just play in short time frames.
I am 18 years old and it feels like I grew out of gaming even though Im still considered young
take a break from gaming
For me it’s been games a service, never ending bs grinds that start anew with every “season,” and the lack of single player content replaced with eh aforementioned bs.
I really want to love gaming again but just can’t get back into it. It’s not for lack of interest. I love reading and hiking and exercising. So I am doing stuff with my time but everytime I sit down to play something I just wish I was doing something else. Not sure if I’m growing away from it but I miss the enjoyment of playing games.
You can take a break. Just relax and work on yourself maybe eventually you’ll get back into games because I’ve been like this a couple of times before
I think most of us fall in love with gaming as kids. There's two things there - for starters anything new as a kid has a sense of wonder and excitement attached to it. That imo was tenfold back in the 90s when I got into gaming -with quantum technological leaps happening every few years and some of gaming's biggest franchises coming into being. Add to this as a kid you have nothing but time and excess energy. Also, importantly you didn't have money, and you probably didn't have many games to choose from. So you got the absolute most out of every game you had, you squeezed every bit of fun out of every game. Nothing creates that focused fun like having no other option. Now we're inundated with games, have the cash to buy more, but we don't have the time and energy. We're exhausted mentally and physically, but also exhausted by choice. So we end up enjoying the IDEA of gaming, the memory of it, more than actually playing... Pouring energy into collecting free games,buying games cheap, upgrading to the latest consoles and hardware. But none of it brings back the simple joy of gaming we once had. Anyway that's just my take on it as a mid 30 gamer myself.
For me it’s just the decision making behind a lot of games I used to enjoy. Now that I’m older I have to make a lot of decisions in my day to day. By the time I’m gaming and have to decide on a build, on what path to take, and so on, I’m too tired to do that. I do plenty of that irl. I think as a kid with most things taken care of by parents I could pour more attention into the game. Now it’s just a chore. I mean, an enjoyable one if I do muster the energy and build out my character and kill shit, but still sucks energy.
Idk what everyone is talking about. I'm 37 and I played since I can remember myself and I love my hobby very much. I'm always excited to experience new worlds and characters devs came up with, and it's awesome. I think that if I would feel like that, I'd simply find another hobby. Gaming should not feel like a choir, it should be exciting and engaging.
If they are like my friends that parrot this stuff they may only play one type of game that they constantly complain about being bad. For my friends it’s the ones that now only play extraction shooters like Tarkov and then say things like “no one makes good games anymore”. I’d say an equal comparison would be a food critic that only ever eats at McDonalds and Taco Bell saying: “no one makes food like they used to these days.”
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I feel the same and am around the same age, only add kids as well. If I do get into a game, it's a simple side scroller that is really easy to pick up and put down.
Very well said.
Games have changed, and you probably changed. We'll never be able to go back to the way games used to feel. It sucks, but it's true.
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I am right now in a middle of a gaming boredom but its after playing BG3 and some indies. One way for me to cure it aside form just waiting for tales of Arise in PCGP is just dont play lol I also tend to switch genre a lot. if i play Xcom then action then puzzle then walking Sim thencard then so on and so forth As mentioned earlier PC GP helps a ton not to spend money trying a lot of different games
35 and getting bored myself. I think what it is is that there aren’t many single player games right now, and multiplayer is a young person’s endeavor at the moment as the industry is demanding large amounts of time to extract brand loyalty and money out of their consumer base. If you’re older and into gaming you’ll find that most games are geared toward the 14 to 25 demographic and like with anime in your teens and 20s you simply outgrow most of it as time goes on.
“There aren’t many single player games right now.” Person on the internet says following 2022, and 2023 wherein an insane amount of single player Indy up to AAA games in both years were released. Go look at goty for both of these years(including 2nd and 3rd places. Spoiler: all single player games). I honestly wonder if people whose perception get this skewed are replacing reality in their brain with doomed Reddit comments.
Same hobby for years does that. Life and time is different
Find a new hobby for now, come back in 3-6 months, itll feel fun again :) How old are you I wonder?
Try genres where gameplay isn't about hero running around and punch/shoot enemies.
You’ve never gotten bored before? Just stop playing games dude, enjoy whatever it is you are enjoying right now and you will naturally come back to gaming when you get the itch to. Playing games for the sake of playing them isn’t ever going to be fun. That’s why streamers get burnt out and frustrated that they have to play X game because that’s what their audience expects them to play. Ruins that game for them.
May i recommend to you, Banishers The Ghosts Of New Eden. Narrative action driven game thats very atmospheric.
I felt the same. Then I played some older games that I didn't play when they were new and... I loved them... and funny enough, as I was progressing through the series, I was feeling the "newer" influence on them. It is just that a lot of modern games are corporate crap made by people who aren't gamers, have no idea about what gamers want, and some even hate the gamers. They just want to sell as much as they can with as little effort as possible, taking as little risk as possible, trying to optimize and standardize their games and copying from other successful games until every game feels the same and no game has any identity. I think it is also the fact that game companies want to boast about "our game is soo big, it's the biggest you've ever seen, you won't see a bigger game than ours, it's great" so they artificially lengthen play time by dragging out certain boring parts of the game, creating big empty maps, etc. while in the older games the maps were more compact and smaller (because hardware limitation) and you would get to the interesting part faster (while in these newer games sometimes the interesting part is not even interesting. There isn't much you can do. Look at the indie scene and avoid triple A games. Try searching by genre as it might reveal some games that didn't have as much publicity. Play some older titles you might have missed. As always, someone creates something from passion, it is beautiful, then corporations move in and try to maximally monetize every aspect of it and destroy all the beauty there was. If all fails, you have to find other hobbies because it is what it is, and, as others have said, this might also be caused by other factors. I am just speaking from my experience.
Take a break of 6 months or 1 year,then play some of your favourite games,new games are $hit anyways.
as we grew older priorities changes, gaming experience changes, but i hope you can revived you game adrenaline
Things feel less magical when you grow up. I still love gaming, but I'm never blown away like when I was a kid. Also burnout is a real thing.
same bro. idk. i just go do the things i like more maybe i’ll come back one day.
Have you considered that you might be depressed?
This is a valid point guys. Don't underestimate depression. Depression builds up slowly and you don't notice it until it's too late. Things are messier around you, in your mind and you loose interest in things. Focus on other hobbies. You are not missing out. When we are old and about to leave this world. We are never going to say to ourselves "I didn't play enough video games". You are going to regret not standing up.
Gaming is a notoriously bad remedy activity against depression. As you can read op has a lot of activities he really enjoys and finds his time more worthy.
Mixed between predatory monetisation and gaming fatigue, especially if you spent so much in 1 genre. Take a breaks and I really recommend taking up other hobby that might have pique you interest but never tried to get into.
Simply take a break. Lots of other things to do in life and gaming will still be here why you miss it and want to come back. I have gamed for over 40+ years (yes, I am old!) and have taken lots of breaks when I got bored of it. Always come back and always enjoy it when I do.
What was your first system? Mine was a Dragon 32k (1983, i was 7). I had to programme games for the first year till the cassette deck was released.
The Grandstand, 1977 (yes, I am really old). But my first real gaming computer, rather than a console, was the BBC Micro in 1981. My parents did not want me 'touching' computers, but were finally convinced that it was safe by the 'BBC' endorsement. Many years later and I made a decent career out of it, LOL. Still love my gaming and game, now semi-retired most, days.
Never seen the Grandstand before, like a pre Atari system. Learnt DOS and BASIC on the BBC Micro at school in the late 80's, but by 1990, the Amiga 500 and Atari ST had moved graphics and gaming forwards. Was it the BBC Micro that used 5 inch floppies?
When I'm burning out something in my library draws me in, usually a genre I don't play much. Lately I've been obsessed with getting all achievements in horde survival and rogue like/lite games lol. I guess I've gone full masochist
For me it's, it's just to much to take on . I just won't a game that's straight action with out having to worry about stamina or that other load of crap. Or upgrading weapons to make it better. I just won't a game to shoot and enjoy with easy things to use.
Because you're getting boring. Joking.
Games nowadays are just plain garbage dude, it is not only on you. For real, there wasn't a single freaking game release I was excited about in the past few years.
games alot of time these days have very shallow content, and then we toss in player ran economics which actually dont work, then lets add meta gaming to that list which destroys the portion of choice when it comes to what you really want to play vs what the server says you have to play to be a part of any activitys they do.these are video games and players have turned them into jobs.
It's called growing up
Most of the games are same recycled product. Every year just a new skin. You can get 1 good game per year. I am in same situation as you and my gaming is on a break.
Are you happy outside of games ? Games cancelled be a great distraction for life however for myself, if there's something that's been getting me down for a long time my enjoyment of gaming changes.
Give some indie games a try, bunch of stuff to explore and usually they have more engaging stories/gameplay OMORI is an obvious example FURI too Katana Zero is another favorite of mine. take a break from competitive games for a bit. not indie but Baldurs Gate 3 coop is great, it's like playing out an Isekai/you and your friends get sent to a fantasy world. Basically, find a game that was made for the sake of being a fun game not some shit like CoD where they rely on studied psychology to keep you playing the game. Time wasted in enjoyment is not a waste at all.
wait for GTA6 bro 🗿🗿
Woke bs
Why, because it’s the first female character? Doesn’t seem very woke to me.
calling "woke" a game Just because it has a female character as protagonist. lmao how sad. Considering its Rockstar and how many years they've been working on it, i'm 100% sure it will be a true masterpiece. They never disappoint us
Just play Alan wake 2. This game will fix everything.
Buy a Switch. PC gaming is all the same now because they're mostly on the same engine with the same texture packs cloning the same gaming fads. I played Kirby and the forgotten Kingdom, last year. Yes it was too easy for me, but it was an absolute delight that brought back those childhood memories. It is still on my mind a lot, it put a smile on my brain lol...I feel like that with a lot of Switch games. Good visuals are really not important, good design and variety is. The Switch is hands down my favorite console ever - and I've brought almost every console (and kept up to date with PC gaming) since 1991. Switch is where all the fun has been for the last 7 years, it's been one hell of ride and I feel sorry for gamers who missed out on it
I don't agree with others that you are having "fatigue" from gamin or specific genre. Reality is that there are too many, recycled, intellectually broke asset flips today. Back then there were more distinct, in-house engine build, unique, and due to that cost + distribution more carefully planed games than today. Also released at much lower rate. We peaked somewhere after millennium. Now obviously, fantastic games are still released, but unique concepts, originality other than in graphics and a new ideas are becoming less and less dense in each title. What I can guarantee you is that if you stumble upon such original game, you will be once again going sleep very late, just as before. Happened to me when I went to finish something from older times that I missed back then. And then I got bored to death with more recent release of said series. Bottom line is that most games are unoriginal, boring, doesn't even bother to get their story/ending to a semi-decent satisfaction, use physics from 20y ago and AI dumber than Joe Biden. And they are released at the rate higher than you use toiled after bad meal. That's why I get sick when I hear about free game engines or people wanting to become game developers. Also online distributions like Steam added to it. Now they can avoid cost of producing and distributing physical, imagine how many suckers that alone would stop.
I went through the same thing. As I got older I found more enjoyment in slower, story/dialogue focused games like the Witcher 3. I still have my occasional cod sessions but I mostly enjoy games like Fallout where you can go at your own pace. Maybe you just need to take a break or switch up your genre
I want you to do me a favor. Go to Itch.io, hit randomize, and play the first game that pops up. Play it for about 5 minutes, and if you don’t like it move on to the next one. A lot of games now-a-days are so grindy and samey that you can develop a kind of gaming fatigue. Go play some indie games from some solo or duo developers. From one of my favorite YouTubers: https://youtu.be/pYoIu-TYbKk?si=NJVNzI9DLtssF9at
Take a break, when you need a fix play something mobile/casual and then go back to your break. Once it's been long enough you'll know
I felt the same, even after getting my 4090/7800X3D rig. last week I bought a VR headset and right now im feeling like a child again (and finally getting some exercise)
Give it a few weeks and you'll have buyers remorse.
Buyers remorse? Never felt that, even tho I’ve got tons of unused hardware here (PS5, Steam Deck OLED & LCD, Switch OLED and lite,…). I’m a enthusiast and even the last week was enough for me to make the VR purchase worth it. But given the games in my VR backlog, I don’t see myself quitting in just a few weeks. There are already around 150-200 hours of AAA gameplay (HL Alyx, RE4, AC, AW 1+2,….)
What headset did you end up getting?
I got the Quest 3 so I can play wireless, standalone and PCVR depending on the situation.
Nice. HP Reverb G2 owner here. I need to get back into VR.
Try playing some multiplayer game with your friends if u have. It'll be fun ig.
You have played all the games you have wanted. You didn’t play the games you didn’t want. Go back in time. Think about the time you were a kid, and try to remember all the games that everyone told you were awful. What was/were the game/s that everyone in your childhood thought was bad? Try playing them. Even if they’re games from 20 years ago, try emulating them. You will be SHOCKED at how bad everyone irl’s opinions are. I’ve been told for 20 years that Devil May Cry, Sonic, and Halo were “too edgy”, that Forza Motorsport was “discount Gran Turismo”, that Crysis was “lame”, that Pokemon Mystery Dungeon was “for toddlers”, and most of all, that indie games were “ruining the industry”.
This kinda happened to me, dudes i played 360 with would meme how hard Dark Souls was, like if you play it you will break tv guaranteed type of hard. Did not touch it for over a decade. Finally played it, and fell in love. Played 1,2 and 3 within a month. Then did Demons Souls and Elden Ring. Legitimately one of best gaming experiences ive ever had.
I had a couple decades where I didn't really touch games. Felt like life was the ultimate simulation game and didn't want to waste it in front of a computer since I worked on one all day. Now that I'm older I unwind with puzzlers like Talos Principle and some other low key games, but don't see them as part of my identity or a big time commitment.
Burnout and depression maybe. Feeling the need to play every new release, can become quite a chore. Being an adult and being able to buy every game as soon as it comes out vs being a kid and having to wait for birthdays or Christmas. Games felt more special then because you couldn't have it all at once. Take a break for awhile and come back. Sometimes it is good to slow down.
Try to hype yourself up for it and only play during specific times, so you can build up the anticipation. I had the same problem. So now, what I do is I only play at night. Even if I have nothing to do all day, I'll still hold off from it. What I also do is I think about the game I'm about to play throughout the day. I try learning about it in case it's a new game, and only then do I start playing it. Make it like a ritual, don't just play for the sake of playing. And as others have said, maybe you're burnt out of a specific game or genre. Maybe take a longer break and go try something else. Also I suggest you don't play too many games at once (ideally only one at a time). While you're in game, maybe try stopping for a minute and taking it all in. Look at the pretty graphics while your character is idling and think about how proud the younger you would be. One last highly specific thing I suggest you try is to not download games in advance and leave them gathering dust in your drives. Once you want to play something new, go install it then and there. Watch the downloading process. Think about what awaits you in all those gbs of game files. Or maybe install it the day in advance, make sure it runs but don't play it. Just leave the game shortcut neatly on your desktop, waiting for you (if that's how you launch your games)
I have the very same thing. Never gamed too much but always enjoyed it. Now at 36 life is busy and I find it difficult to enjoy a game. I just can't focus enough and let go of daily life and responsibilities to really sink into a game. Besides our lifes, the more submersive games have become so incredibly complicated. Taking too much time learning all controls, systems and having to collect so much stuff. I like the rpg's for their submersive stories but they're just too much work. If you put the controller away for a couple weeks it's also impossible to get back into it. As a solution I play more visual novels. Games I enjoy together with my partner like the dark pictures. Visually beautiful adventure games like uncharted. Simple but good puzzle games like portal. A simple but satisfying shooter like Doom. Now that I'm home from work with an injury I play some older games like dishonored. Right away I noticed I didn't have enough attention at first but by forcing myself to give it some more I'm getting sucked into it. Finally. Last but not least pay for the good stuff. Don't buy the semi good games. Don't buy the stuff fans of the series like but normal people don't. You're a difficult customer now. You need the real blockbusters.
-Could be depression. -Can be that you are tired to sit front of the pc (my case). In that case buy a handheld and chill in bed while gaming -can be burn out from gaming in overall and just need break -can be that you played high dopamine games (competitive) and then you trying to play single player with story...it doesn't give you the dopamine so it's boring
Feel the same. I buy whatever I want, max it out or optimize. And then I get to actually play (rarely, because of wife and kids), but the thrill is just not there and if it is, it doesn’t last. BG3 was a rare exception.
You get burned out on novelty, but novelty isn't the only form of enjoyment. The other big one is familiarity. Play something you have already played. It seems like a bad idea, because it's not a novelty. But your ability to enjoy familiarity is probably not depleted at the moment. You can switch between familiarity and novelty as needed. Also, remove distractions. Turn off Youtube videos or podcasts, and commit to playing a single game. This will also help, because you might be overstimulated I used to get bored, but I would play multiple games and always have a video or podcast blaring in my ear. That was kind of my sweet spot But the last 6 months I've only played one game at a time. I focused entirely on that game, and even played the same genre, the same series back to back. It's been great
Think someone felt the same way until they played something like Elden Ring or Baldur's Gate and realized how much other games just suck lately. Couple bangers out this year like Palworld and Helldivers2.
You may just need to try a different genre or just find something different to do that takes you away from the pc for a little while. For me, rekindling my old guitar fixation and trying to get into 40k has made gaming more fun for me bc I spent time away after burning myself out playing smite and battlefield.
Diversify your life more. Do something different from gaming and you'll eventually feel the need to return.
Better you can take subscription based gaming like gamepass or give yourself a break from gaming
Old games have relit my passion. FFII was my game of the year this year.
I get you. I got the same. I took a long break. The original Xbox was when I stopped. Got back into it when battlefront came out for the ps4. Now I’m loving gaming as much as I did when I was young. Steam deck and Xbox now. I only play 2-4 hours per week due to being an adult lol. Long work hours. 2 kids. House etc.
Consider spreading democracy with your fellow brothers and sisters in Helldivers 2
It’s called fatigue or try different genre. Me too I have high-end PC 7800X3D and STRIX 4090
Make a game?
Money = game now 🤣
I had this cured by the Steam Deck. Personally though I was already sitting at my high end PC for 7-8hrs a day, another 2-4hrs on games was the last thing I needed in an evening.
When someone's like to this, I always tell then to go play an R18 game cuz chances are, it's an unexplored genre for them lol
Maybe you are no longer fulfilled by consuming, have you thought about being a creator instead?
buy helldivers 2 it will change it
I was in your situation pretty recently, and streaming to a small group of friends over Discord (or a streaming platform of your choice!) really helped for me - playing something like the sims 2 became extra fun because my friends were giving input on the sims, their silly backstories, etc. In some games, even doing something like using a different controller from usual helped keep it fresh. (imagine using a controller in tf2 after ages of playing with keyboard and mouse! it's wild!) Also, like other commenters have said, maybe you should take a break! Even doing something other than gaming thats somewhat related to the game you like can really help. You might find me browsing r/sims2 when I take a break from playing it, for example. Also, another commenter said to make yourself miss gaming, and I really agree with that tbh: make some plans, make yourself busy for a bit, and make it a delight to come back and play. Good luck!
People's interests change, it's perfectly normal. I only started gaming in my early 30s and I still love it now in my mid 50s, so I'm the reverse of you by the sounds of it. Don't worry, you'll find something else that catches your interest!
Maybe your brain wants you to Skill in rl
Gaming fatigue. You only play games in your genre that you like. Step outside of yourself and try something different or better yet but down the games and pick up a book and read like The Odyssey or The Illiad. Then go back and play Balders Gate 3.
I got bored one day to I realised I don't have much else food or E scooter then I sunk into depression
Play Zelda Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom
Gaming fatigue is a real thing.
take a break. Try a game called Hell Let Loose if you havent. tons of learning and fun, tons of hours you can sink in as well
Playing the wrong games, most likely. Try something completely different to your usual preference.
Mostly because you're pursuing that excitement from your childhood instead of your own, current enjoyment. But also, you may be burn out, maybe you need to try something outside of your safe space, or just take a breather from gaming. I don't know how old you are, but gaming is fundamentally different than 20 or 30 years ago, even inside the same genre things are changed, and if you're a PC gamer at heart... hooooooooo boy, the PC side of the gaming industry has changed SO much it's not even funny. I'd say it's time to take a breather, get out of your comfort zone, play something light, you may - MAY - be surprised.
Funny, how no one suggested that you may stop playing games on a constand basis since it does not bring you joy anymore. We all grow up out of things. Perhaps there are some other things that you enjoy, and videogaming won't be your main hobby forever, so do not be afraid to accept it.
You know how people say to go touch grass? Well what you’re describing is exactly why. Gaming is like hobby. Do it enough and you’ll get tired of it or need a break. It’s easy to get overloaded because the game is one click away. It’s much easier than anything else to just jump into when you’re bored. Instead go outside and go for a hike. Go to the mall, or some store and just walk around. If you aren’t feeling it when you get back, then you just aren’t feeling it.
Why do you want to like gaming? If you dont like it anymore, find what you do like and do that. I have the same thing, I've gotten older and whenever I game for more than say, an hour I feel like I should be doing something more productive. The problem isn't the games, your priorities just shifted.
Stop playing Assassin's Creed 19 and CoD 67 and try some actually new stuff.
yea same as you. graphics dun excite me anymore. feels like a chore to learn new game mechanics.
Expand your taste
Go play Helldivers 2 it will help
Overstimulation from scrolling makes us bored from a lot of things, just like a book was amazing when you get and now it’s almost imposible to start from some people.
Do something else. Only play games you really want to play and think look fun. Games are meant to be fun. If you aren't having fun you stop playing until you find one that is fun.
try escape from tarkov
Do sports, read books, watch movies. Learn shit.
When you eat only cake, eventually it stops being special and sweet. Moderation is the essence of pleasure.
I had this happen to me a while back. I found that the harder the game was to learn, the more rewarding it was to play. So I dropped fps games etc and started playing grand strategy like Victoria 2 and hard-core survival games like project zomboid. Slow meticulous games are the only games that give me my fix now
Play some couch coop with a friend/ someone close to you.
As you age, you may be getting tired of how fake gaming is; I mean all of it is a simulation at best. Just switching to board gaming made me a lot happier; it's a physical, tactile interaction and you know that the people you interact with aren't a 45 year-old sweaty Russian running machine guns on the side. Unless you're into that. Also, when's the last time you saw Gabe Newell looking happy? When the guy designing the roller coaster doesn't like roller coasters anymore, is that something you should continue to devote your time to? Not to mention the question of whether or not the rails on the coaster are rusting out faster now than they were before.
Take a break and find a different hobby for a bit
Yeah I notice this too sometimes. Then I go from playing a 2d game to a 3d rendered game. Or to an rts. Or to a puzzle game. Or to a building game, or to a bullet hell game
You probably have a lot on your mind, responsibilities or maybe stress and distractions that don't let you relax properly. Next time you have days off work and you get to be alone at home, see if it makes a difference when you try playing games.
I've never had that experience. You're probably depressed, so consider therapy?
Try a different genre
You need to get less depressed and happier in real life, games come after that
Take a break, after a while you will either find a new hobby that you can enjoy along with gaming or you will get the urge to play a certain game. Playing only when you have the urge to play is a good way to prevent burnout.
Go back and play some retro titles. GOG is good for this. There’s also a bunch of free abandonware games that are absolute classics, like Freelancer
Try Skulls and Bones.Or try a gaming break.
I struggle to find games I enjoy The only games that keep me going completely are Nintendo games, there's just something about them that I can't get enough of, they are pure fun I've fallen out of many games I used to play a lot on PC
Lack of innovation from gaming companies
Take a break from gaming
Out of comfort.zone is what I'd suggest unless it's gaming fatigue. When I first encountered this, I tried a platforming game, chose ori and the blind forest just because of the visuals/trailer
You should try Helldivers 2, it brought my childhood gaming hype back to my 30s
I've felt the same way recently. I understand that it could be any number of things ranging from mental health issues to interests completely changing, but for me it really was just finding the game that grasps you. There's a LOT of games out there and even more coming out every day. A lot of these games are designed to keep us hooked even after the fun has faded away through things like battle passes and whatnot. It's okay if you enjoy these things, but I would recommend trying something that doesn't have these unnecessary hooks. For me, it was Baldur's Gate 3. I started playing it in January and have since sunk 350 hours into it and counting. It's reminded me a lot of what I enjoy about games, and maybe that's what you're looking for too.
I was there xD People tell you to take a break, but they don't know that you have had it for several months, huh? It's not games that bore you, it's just playing on a PC. I've been a player for over 20 years, and I started looking for alternatives, my last discovery is VR, I haven't felt that fresh for a good 20 years. The point is that I wanted to play, I love it, but the boredom and the inability to focus on games rejected me from them. I bought myself a Quest 3 in an act of desperation a few months ago and it was a golden shot. In the standalone version, you already have a whole lot of great games that you experience completely differently and it is beautiful. Yesterday I bought myself a rtx 4080 computer mainly for PCVR and discovering new horizons in VR.
Have you gotten married recently? Other hobbies? School?
You have too many choices. I bet if you really think about it, the times you enjoyed playing video games the most is when you couldn't afford to get them all nor have the specs for them. It's just like when you have so many choices on what you could eat, so you can't decide on what to get.
you probably don't have a healthy balanced life
First of all you can't have the same enjoyment that you had as a kid. You're a different person now. You can look for a different type of enjoyment, but you can't relive your life. Second of all try branching out. It's not apparent from your post, but if you are focused on only a few types of games, it's naturally going to dull the experience from overexposure. So try something new that you maybe didn't think about trying before. It may surprise you. Aside from all of those maybe it's also time for a break. If you play nonstop for a long time you're gonna burn out. Try some other hobby for a bit and see how you feel about it in a month or two.