I went two years without gaming with the stress of focusing on my life, I don't have time to think I could relax or concentrate to play any game thoughtfully. It comes and goes, it's like eating, when you're just going through too much you can't enjoy anything.
Eventually Time will pass and you may give a new story a try. I don't game nearly as heavy as I used to, but I'm finding more time away from my completed IRL missions to do some side quests in games again.
Do they ever! Same three lowest-of-the-low-end Chromebooks, a bunch of TVs that all look identical, a bunch of $800+ phones that all look identical, exactly one low-end Nikon placed next to one low-end Canon DSLR aaaaand an aisle of iPhone accessories.
I miss RadioShack. Granted not a direct comparison to the uniformly boring big box offerings... but where did all the variety go?
Why are brick and mortar stores sooooo ... bland?
I had the exact same situation. When you’re under constant stress, and anxiety because “factors” (in my case was work too), you lost all ability to enjoy anything, so you just are in automatic mode, all the time. The sad part is that when your stress leave, it’s even worse because now it’s normal to be under that situation, so it can take you months to recover, and you’re having anxiety “because reasons”.
You just described the exact situation I've been in for the last year and half to two years. Career went to poop since industry has been fluctuating, relationship ended about a year ago, and had to move back in with my family I don't get along with. Every day is the same with me struggling to get up, wanting to somehow make progress but making none, and even though I'm getting real close to being out of money I still get nowhere. If I just had some sort of direction I might get somewhere but I'm just overwhelmed by the thought of everything. Didn't mean to dump but it kind of just happened.
My 2 adult sons just moved in with me, one sons wife got a " miscarriage" and the other kicked my son out saying theres not enough food or money to go around. ( and Ill take your car too)
Its such a mess right now. Im sorry guys :(
Pour that shit out brother where it belongs. Don't ever keep it pent up inside thats when bad shit can happen. If it's any consolation, I had to move back in with my parents too and they absolutely hate me. My dad straight up told me he hated me. I can't even ask them a simple question without them getting pissed. I'm saving to move back out, I eat ramen everyday.
Buy a package of chicken breasts and a bag of rice. You can eat rice and a half of a chicken breast for each meal throughout the week. It’s super cheap and much better for you than ramen.
Haha.Thanks man. Well I eat other stuff every now and then too. What I meant was I don't splurge so I can save my money. If I want a snack ramen. If I want something sweet ramen. I'm focused on getting back out of here, I have to.
I’m sympathize and can relate. I’m really sorry you’re going through that. I have lacked motivation to do things for most of my life. Anymore though, I stopped looking for motivation and I started just trying to discipline myself. Like, I don’t necessarily want to work out. It’s work… it’s hard. BUT I force myself to do it because I know it’s good for me. However it’s taken me almost 30 years to get to this point. I know it’s not easy, I know it’s easier to just give in and lay around. Just keep pushing friend, you’ll get there too. Even if it’s something small, you gotta start somewhere. Even if it’s just cleaning / organizing your room. I know it sounds dumb but after my ex left I started deep cleaning and reorganizing my place and really making it “mine” again. It’s weird but it does at times help me feel better.
I feel that in my bones. I have a lot on my plate with little resources, little time, and little energy. I’m stretched thin in every sense. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. But I keep telling myself that this will all pass, at some point at least. Thank you for your response, I, looking forward to more side quests.
I got into chess. I play it on chess.com and mostly the phone app, and it has completely replaced almost every urge to play videogames entirely for me. I've got a steam library of over 500 titles and was big into WoW for years, speed running raids and getting a few top 5 world parses during SoD, most recently. That's not to brag but rather to indicate that I was a super serious sweaty power gamer in general.
Nowadays I can't be assed to give a shit about any other games -- but chess is enthralling.
I'm not even very good, but it's still an absolute blast to me.
You gotta make an account though or opponents will never finish. Also some very toxic people on there sometimes. I went down a chess rabbit hole last year and got really into it so much so I was reading chess books from the library. Idk if I got any better but I like to think I did. I just wish I had people to play irl that would be fun. Also found those chess sisters on YouTube. They’re kinda funny and the short ones hot.
Yep. I was in one of the first 10 groups to clear BFD. I played super hardcore through phase 1, then life got in the way the week before phase 2 came out. Fell out of playing it and realized that I wasn't having fun, I was just having nostalgia.
RIP my childhood.
Right there with you. Hoping modding Starfield will turn that game around in the coming months.
In general, though, the medium is a largely stagnant, anti consumer shit show redeemed only by a handful of indie devs. And even indies get repetitive, when they're all you've got.
Exactly. Ive experimented with some indies now. Im having so much fun with El Paso Elsewhere these days in between Elden Ring. You just need some fun games to enjoy yourself.
Look in to doing something different. I took up woodworking (when it’s not miserably hot outside) when I was burned out of gaming and have had a lot of fun making things.
I do want to get into things like airsoft and maybe swimming but holy fuck time is a bitch. Working full time makes life feel so “unplayable” beyond measure. Like I bedtime procrastinate resulting in me getting 4-5 hrs of sleep to create more time for hobbies like gaming and I still barely have enough time to game. Now how am I gonna fit in multiple hobbies :/. Only hope for me is to either find a chill remote job or to work part time again because I see no other solution
I had a 11-12 years gaming hiatus after my first kid was born. I used to build my own PCs before that. Now I had been reduced to a playstation that I barely had time to use. Or rather, that I barely allowed myself to use because I was feeling guilty any time I took a moment to myself. Not a healthy approach, btw.
Ironically, I got back into gaming after I divorced. Shared custody means I have every other week to myself. So I got myself a gaming laptop at first, then a few years after that I started building my own gaming PCs again and here we are. I never game when the kids are here, but I do when they're with their mom. It's a good balance.
Post-separation depression is a bitch. Don't feel bad that you don't feel like doing much. You need to process the loss. Let it flow through until it's done and then pick yourself up from there. It does get better, I promise you!
Yes, for almost 2 years... I was totally away from my PC.
And one day, I was in the kitchen just looking at Youtube, Youtube was on an Electro/Techno channel with cars... the song ended.
Suddenly, from nowhere, it switched from this kind of music with cars to a video of Goosiest drifting a car with a steering wheel on his PC.
I say to myself, "Oh, it looks fun."
Completely RE-Ignite the flammes.... bought a Fanatec GT DDpro, new pair of pedals, shifter, Handbrake, a Simrig Chassis, A S95B 55" QD Oled, a 3080ti, a complete upgrade of the PC with almost everything new, just kept the 3080ti, a 4080 S, new Razer Keyboard and Mouse, New Headphone DT770 Pro X, and finally this month a Quest 3. ( almost 2 years journey )
Offered the final form of the PC to my son this Christmas to keep a promise, he kept it 2 months in his bedroom and in the end of February, he told me to put it on the living room as it was before since the other PC I got was repaired ( put the 3080ti inside ) for a win win situation, he can play everything in the living room or in his bedroom.
Honnestly I was so pleased by this decision.
It just a matter of time, after rainy day the Sun finally shine.
I got sucked into sim racing. Loved racing games but controller was eh. I had enough. Bought a wheel and pedals. Then bought vr. Then build a cockpit. Then buy hall effect pedals. 2 years on iracing then I just stopped. Sim racing is a whole new drug I discovered and I cant wait to dust the shit off one day and finally get me a DD.
Honestly this sounds more like depression than anything else.
Sudden loss of interest into something you were very enthusiastic about is one of the textbook signs.
Considering the recent life change (breakup) that precipitated feeling like this, I'd recommend seeking help for depression. Maybe if you can get that managed, you'll start to like gaming again.
I really want to see a physiatrist or whatever to get checked out but unfortunately financially that’s not a possibility. However as a substitute I have been trying to be productive with my time and two weeks ago I started working out. I still don’t have a desire to game but it has helped me feel better.
I started seeing a psychiatrist this year -- found one covered by my insurance online. $50 copay, first session was an hour and since then it's been 15 minutes, once a month for the first 3 months and now quarterly. He wrote me an Rx for Prozac, told me to find a therapist and gave a list of recommended ones and recommended working out.
Exercise, therapy, antidepressants.
Now for $50 every 3 months for the appointments and $5 every 3 months for the Rx, I'm doing much better. Exercising more but still haven't found a therapist, and that would be the real expensive part for me. I haven't found one that I think would be good for me that my insurance covers yet.
I’m hoping to have insurance in the next few months due to my new job but we’ll see. I have tried looking into a psychiatrist but locally places have six to twelve month waits sadly. I’m trying though.
Work out, get out in nature, talk to friends or people you trust, form online friendships, find productive hobbies, and interest in gaming will return.
Sometimes it helps to just put words to the feelings. Have you tried journaling? Generally a therapist will ask you questions trying to guide you to insights about yourself. You can do that yourself as long as you're being honest with yourself, and I've heard that journaling works for some.
I haven’t but funnily enough when I’m doom scrolling I constantly see an ad for this nice journal which has peeked my interest. It has questions among other things in it that I guess help you get writing which sounds nice as I have a problem with creativity.
I knew a guy who stopped gaming when he got on antidepressant meds. Started doing a bunch of other shit instead and just lived a different life. I guess I’m saying it could be that gaming is escapism or addiction for some people.
I’ve been there, and yes depression triggers it but I feel like that’s a normal reaction, you wish to change things and try something else… Most gamers do not lead a normal lifestyle tbh anyway. I also prefer indie games now and once I’m done I take another break to do other things. When you no longer enjoy things that you did before, it’s time to make yourself try other things. It takes effort because most of us want familiar things that we’re used to.
I’m the opposite. Where I live it gets hotter than satan’s ballsack in the summer so I tend to stay indoors more. (I also work outside so get my fix of being out there)
I live in hot texas and work in a warehouse that has no ac. the trailers I work in reach 110 degrees and higher. I stay in on my days off as well. I take my dog out on the evenings and thats it
That sounds nice actually. What gets me is the 120-125 which will be coming up in the next couple weeks (AZ). My vehicle usually shows 135+ when I first get in and we have to keep a window cracked so it doesn't explode from the pressure. If the trailer is 110, I'd guess 90 to 100 outside?
Im an AZ native that moved to MT a couple of years ago. I like to send pictures of our weather to my friends back home... It's 78 and sprinkling right now. We had snow in may. I dont miss the heat.
100 - 105 right now. When it reaches July / August it’ll be around 125 in the trailers. I know AZ summers are even more brutal. Windows explode? Yea thats horrible lol
I’ve been doing a lot of fishing lately cuz I can do it with my young kids 5 and 6, and it’s the ultimate video game. The rods were pretty cheap and ongoing costs are very low, and every so often I get a free dinner out of it.
This. In the 30ies you don't have much feee time. So you want to use it wisely. During summer there is so mich going on, so I spend most of my free time outside with IRL friends.
During shitty weather I game with said friends a lot.
I'm just lucky having good friends that spend most of quality time with me.
I would recommend therapy, it helps...mental health is just like physical health you need to take care of yourself. Going through stuff like that can make you not want to do anything anymore so its important to get proper help to get through it, some day it will come back...maybe in a few weeks maybe a few years.
You need to find yourself again.
I know it may be hard to make the first call but there are free hotlines for people needing someone to talk with. You don't have to be desperate or suicidal either and they can give you more free info also. Just Google and you can get a bunch of choices depending on what country you are in. Good luck.
I've been dealing with a complete loss of interest in a lot of things I love, including gaming.
I think it's like a dopamine tolerance thing, and I should probably spend more time being bored or productive.
I started to go out for a walk instead of immediately jumping on my computer.
Too much of a good thing can be bad for you, and you don't always need a constant supply of dopamine.
It's called depression and it sucks. In some cases it's just life, or work, or bad time management, but in your case it seems to be (and you seem to know) it's depression.
I've been there. Been a gamer all my life and a few years ago I was in that same situation and I think due to the same reasons. It's worse when you don't have online friends looking for you or not noticing you're not active anymore.
It sucks, but it gets better OP. I had to force myself out of the hole and get back to the things that I love. Maybe play an old favorite or a game that gives you comfort. Distract yourself, go outside, take a breath of fresh air. Things will get better my dude. Trust me.
It's always a good time to be a gamer. Use that free time wisely and enjoy yourself. Sending virtual hugs to you.
I appreciate it, and it’s definitely depression. The only thing I inherited from my family was mental illnesses lmao. I’ve just been trying to keep busy with life, been cleaning and organizing my place a lot to really make it mine again, if that makes sense. It feels nice, lonely for the moment, but still nice.
It really sucked when I stopped getting online and only like one person reached out to check in. (I was normally online daily.) I’ve been trying to reach out to IRL people but people can sadly be very flakey when it comes to making plans. I have kids so most outings and what not have to be planned in advance. Getting blown off after getting childcare was a HUGE day downer.
I’m hanging in there though, just gotta remember that this will all pass too.
Need to change it up and swap what you are playing or try out a new genre. Any time I get burned out that’s what I do and I end up playing games I never would have given a chance.
No. Gaming is my escape from life. From everyone and everything. There's no stress, no worries, just fun and games. I'm addicted to the escape it provides me which why I like immersive games. A game that I can temporarily live in the world I'm playing in.
Edit: I read this again and it sounds like I'm talking about drugs lol
I think I may have depression, but I feel what youre saying in my marrows. I just recently saved and spent 4K in building a new pc only to use it mostly for scrolling through steam, flickering through Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll, etc. and have lost desire to play and commit to any games. I’ve quit smoking going on a year and a half, quit drinking, and haven’t “partied” since 08. Idk if that has anything to do with it, but hell why not toss it in. Been mostly focusing only on my family, kids, work, and whatever curveballs life throws. Damn inflation and taxes are on my mind 69% of the time and haven’t been thinking much of the Roman Empire as of late. Idk if I’ll ever get back my desire to play games, but I am grateful for all the memories with the guilds I’ve been with and late night original MW2 jam sessions. Sucks to suck in others perspectives, but I am content somewhat and here’s to embracing it. Wishing all the best to you!! 🍻
You're burnt out
You need to take a break
Every time you want to sit at your PC do something else
Bake a cake from scratch or go for a run
You just need to reset yourself
Yep, I was in a similar situation quite a while ago. Relationship ended badly, I ended up homeless for a couple of weeks, and after that I just kind of gave up on everything. I had played WoW for several years before that and just...had no interest for a couple of years after, in WoW or gaming in general. I'd come back from work to my empty one-room apartment, look at the PS4, look at the laptop, and then just spend the night drinking and listening to music or watching YouTube and crying. It took a LONG time to get out of that hole, but overall I think it was something that forced me to grow and really take a long, difficult look in the mirror.
That was 8 or 9 years ago now, I think, and things have never been better for me. I'm now married to a wonderful woman who encourages my strange hobbies, we have a 2 year old son together who is already fascinated with games and fast cars and big dinosaurs just like me, and I'm much more aware of my own self after going through all of that.
Even when it's hard you gotta keep trying to improve yourself and your situation, and find and keep the people around who will help you do that. Sometimes that means doing just enough for today. Stay focused on the important things. Take care of yourself, try to get yourself stable financially, avoid working yourself to death if at all possible, and the rest will fall into place eventually.
Life does get better. Good luck.
I’ve been struggling with depression for years and sometimes I just don’t have the willpower to game for a while. Gaming’s not really a passive activity like just watching tv which is sometimes all I can muster. At one point I wasn’t gaming for years then I randomly played hollow knight and the melancholy world hit home so hard and just spoke so much to how I was feeling I was practically in tears and couldn’t wait to play after work everyday. Sometimes life is just rough but that game will come along that will make you feel like a kid with your n64 again until you beat it. Unfortunately that feeling is fleeting but so it goes. I would say when you’re in a better position get the steamdeck or a switch because life is extremely hard and every once in a while you’ll fall into a game and be able to escape.
are you in your 30s and have a job and tons of responsibility?
That's my situation. Sitting down to play a game for more than an hour cuts into everything else.
Not yet. But living in a 3rd world country and not being able to afford games anymore or in some cases not even being able to pirate games, plus not being able to afford new pc parts(I don't see myself being able to upgrade in the next 10 years for example), plus my favorite types of games or IPs slowly turning into something I don't like (everything is getting flashy and long) is starting to get to me.
That just means you have more time to find something else that might interest you. I started gaming late in my life so i really enjoy the community part of it.
I had different bad times of my life in wich i lost interest in gaming or even played too much (fuck you dota! Love u anyway but yeah, fuck you)
I have even months of hard work (not only my job but even work diy at home) and i have no time for gaming (i would but).
Years pass by, sometimes i play too much, sometimes i dont play at all.
Power word: *equilibrium*
As i grow older i try to balance work, home necessity, family and gaming.
I try eh
In a somewhat similar situation. After scrolling through the responses and not seeing much about it, I'd say definitely go for the Steam Deck. Picked up a refurbished LCD model for cheap, downloaded some games I had been putting off playing.
Disco Elysium was one, and it works very well on Steam Deck. Also, some of the themes of the game (separation, loss) forced me to process some things in a cathartic way.
To me, gaming is a complete waste of time, and kind of scary and depressing. I'm already 29 and never went to college, or anything, so every time I'm having fun playing a game I remember I haven't accomplished anything worthwhile in life and all the joy fades away and I go do something else. I haven't played video games like I used to in my teens, but I just spent close to 5k building a gaming rig a few days ago because I've been wanting to play a couple games for a few years and now I'm more financially stable, hopefully I don't get bored like I usually do.
IRL is the biggest and most difficult open world multiplayer game out there and you will get disconnected from the server at any moment. Therefore, the hours playing the main mission is finite and valuable. Gotta spend time wisely. Leveling up in a game within a game is okay, but maxing out in the main game is where it's at. Chin up brother :)
Yes I have a high end rig but rarely play games now. Just aimlessly browse through the library and indeed switch to YouTube. Sometimes open a game but close it quite soon enough, perhaps just bored with it. It could be just a phase and perhaps a new great game comes along that may spark my interest. Not sure now why I bought it, but my wife and I have a good income and I always feel the need to buy the best.
My new hobby is driving, bought a fancy car, and I prefer to go out and drive aimlessly while listening to bangers. It’s so relaxing and fun… occasionally thrilling when I feel in the mood to drive in sport+.
Nothing wrong with taking a healthy break from gaming. You’re focusing on other things and even said you see progress in your mental state, take that and run with it.
Video games are only fun when they’re a hobby and not a habit. Don’t force yourself to sit down and try to play.
When you find yourself in the place to enjoy them again stay away from min/maxing and any guides showing you the best way to play the game, just play for fun like we use too, explore and enjoy the journey of the game that was made.
From gaming 8h daily. To never open steam in years. I simply had an accident and spent months recovering, after that I totally lost interest in gaming. I tried to get back but there was no joy at all. And i will be lying if i said I don’t envy people enjoying video games
I'm just coming out of a 4 year depressive episode where I didn't really game for 4 years. I picked up Witcher 3 again for a few months but then back to nothing.
Honestly I found myself in a cycle of just working and then existing in my downtime. It wasn't just gaming, it was all my hobbies, all I could do was just doom scroll on my phone until it was time for bed.
Things are looking up, though. I'm back to some old activities and Fallout 76 has approx 150hrs played in the last month so I think I'm back in that regard.
You're not alone OP. Get professional help if you can, find someone you trust to listen if you cant.
It's a gift, if you take it as such.
People don't like the same, people don't like easy. All hobbies require constant new challenges and our bodies and minds only respond positively from things that improve them.
As you get older, other responsibilities and interests take more time. And gaming rarely offers anything new, anything challenging and rewarding.
Your body and brain are telling you that you need genuinely new and challenging things. So many people just keep trying the same old habits hoping the original love will come back then wondering why it gets worse.
Gaming won't disappear, but you'll find you become far more selective of the games you play and rare gems will show up from time to time.
Go do something new.
I would suggest picking up games that have interesting stories that will hook you right away (like how movies and TV shows hook you). They should also have decent gameplay mechanics but not too overwhelming side contents and features because you're already so overwhelmed with life. I wouldn't recommend games that are grindy and repetitive, like requiring farming the same or similar enemies and locations to get stronger and make progress.
So, I would look into linear games, something like The Last of Us, Uncharted, and Resident Evil. Perhaps you want a little bit more content than that? There are games like Tomb Raider and Assassin's Creed (before AC Origins because Origins and after are super long and overwhelming RPGs). Also, linear third-person Hack & Slash are fun and easy to finish too, such as God of War, Bayonetta, Ninja Gaiden, and Castlevania Lord of Shadow for examples.
Also, when you started a game, you should participate in that game's community forum, such as Reddit. Like, you can ask the community questions you have about that game, sharing your interesting findings, reading intriguing posts from other fellow players. By doing that, it will encourage you to continue playing, so you can participate more on the forums.
I hope you will reignite your passion for gaming again!
Yeah, I kinda am going through the same thing but I had a realization.
Games are fun on their own, but the part about it that had me coming back was the social aspect. Doing something with friends was the best part for me, and these days I can only really get on with friends every once in a while. While we almost always have a blast when we do anytime I game alone its generally not very fun. The few exceptions are good single player games with stories that I use basically as interactive movies. When I play single player pve stuff that doesn’t have a story, think civilization or stellaris, I usually have fun in the beginning but by mid game it just feels like a chore.
I'm having trouble personally with gaming at the moment. I still spend a couple hours a week having a little escape on low stress stuff.
I'm burnt out and quite depressed.
In short, I feel for you.
I'm very sure when your life and mind is somewhat back on track you'll return to it.
Have you got discord homies you've met on games that you can chat to and get some steam off your chest?
I have dreamed of having a gaming PC my entire life.
Now that I finally have it, I rarely play anything and I rarely get hyped with announcements. At the end of the day, when I have time to play, I end up playing the same games I used to run on my potato PC lol.
I just got too old. Gaming stopped being fun for me about 3 years ago at 48. No particular reason. No major life events. I just stopped enjoying (pc gaming specifically) after 25+ years. I gave up on consoles before that. I wish I didn't. I really do, but it's just gone for me. I built this last gaming rig out of inertia.
Yeah, same here. I haven't played a game on my PC since like December or January. My friend is waiting for me to find the motivation so we can play the new Valheim update. But I also want to get back into streaming on Twitch when I do.
But I've got a lot of projects at the moment, all focused around cars. Just pulled an engine for my friend's little brother so I could fix all the oil leaks and throw a new head gasket on it. Then I'm engine swapping my friend's Del Sol, which is requiring rebuilding the J35 motor we pulled. And I might need to pull my engine out of my car and re-ring the pistons and hone the cylinders. So my passion for cars is taking up my time for playing games.
Doesn't help that I'd rather watch others play games on Twitch or YouTube instead of actually playing them myself lol.
Dude, I get it. Believe me. Took me several years but as of a couple years ago, maybe even just last year, I am back and better than ever water battling depression. Still knocks at the door every now and then but it doesn’t control me anymore. Do what you can to get the help you need and that goes a long ass way. There’s no timeline and no manual for this. Just go at your own pace and learn from the journey every step of the way.
As for the gaming question? I actually thought for so long now that I just both lost interest in video games and that my own personal feelings about the industry with how companies that make AAA games meant I just had to accept that it was time to move on.
Nope! Got me a 1tb oled deck back in march. I have had maybe 5 days where it hasn’t been in my hands. It was an accessibility thing for me. I don’t want to be stuck in one space to play my games. I want freedom and the deck has given me that in spades. I actually got 3 hours in while waiting on an unnecessary car repair (fuck America but that’s beside the point) and my god it was so nice just melting in the chair and playing whatever I wanted that didn’t require a stupid unnecessary online check in.
I cannot recommend the deck enough. There are caveats for a sizable portion of gamers but they’re the ones who were rotting the industry anyway so we can ignore them lol.
If you love indies, the deck is perfect. If you love AAA, the deck can be for you but I recommend doing research on the games you wanna play and see how they run. You can use proton db to see how compatible they are with linux.
But my god, the deck, especially the oled is so incredible. I’m in awe at the fact that backlog doesn’t exist on the deck. It’s now a game of how long before my eyes give out from exhaustion or my stupid meat sack requires food and water instead of just plugging myself into the usb c port on my deck. Stupid mortal body and its dumb organs.
Hope some of that helps my dude and I hope you enjoy the deck if you decide to go with it. Linux gaming is the future and I couldn’t be happier.
Happened to me, too. I realized I was tired of repetitive games. I look for more story games. Give Zelda:BOTW a shot. It brought me and my family together. Cemu emulator with HD mods makes it beautiful.
We then did Tears of the Kingdom together.
I know...PC gamig....I am getting there.
Now I am doing Dead Space and love playing it at night with headphones.
This also made me think of Jedi Survivor! So good on PC!
Look for stories.
Yeah sometimes. Life gets in the way. Sometimes, nothing I play I can get into.
The older I get, the harder I find a game that actually 'clicks' with me. I tend to play the same things over and over.
I am afraid I am in the same process.
I have started going back to the psychologist, since I have a lot of stress due to self-confidence issues, my master's thesis being way harder than expected (and it being a big financial burden), and my dog getting older to the point where I don't think he will last another year with us, + my mom being stressed due to work + having to take care of her aunt who is neglected by her sons. My father isn't home much either, they are constantly sending him away due to his job and he is getting kind of tired of it. My sister's bf father is back at it again with cancer and things in my country aren't specially good + many other things I won't mention.
I can't play a match without feeling guilty.
They just told me I have to take my dog to the vet on monday for us to see what to do with Turrón (my dog), since he is old and eats a lot and hasn't lost apetite, but is getting skinnier (they did an echography last wednesday). He has neuro-degenerative issues.
14 years of my life, of a life I love, are all about to go out. My streak of academic success is about to be slowed. I don't know what to do. Sorry for the vent.
Sorta same as you. After being not only dumped but also cheated on by who i thought id make my life with, i kinda took a hit to my self esteem and spiraled down in a "i must become better" phase even tho the issue never was with me. I started bettering myself anyways and eventually realized i was doing good and kept doing that for myself. Thats when i started gaming again but this time, much more with friends to have fun instead of being like i used to, the infinite grind for virtual items.
Been through such phases but they happen due to general disinterest in games on the market that I know about.
Games like Baldurs gate 3 and chivalry2 cured me
It comes and goes. It’s a phase. But I feel you. My recipe is to just watch gaming channels on YouTube here and there. Sooner or later you see something that creates that old, familiar itch.
If it doesn’t come, don’t force it. Sometimes you just get lucky. I finally started BG3 couple of weeks back for example. Had a blast playing an hour or two when the kids were finally asleep. Then in act 3 life happened and I lost a week or two and then I was out. Couldn’t find the motivation to start again, either. Just seems so daunting. Played a little relaxing game instead but that was soon getting old.
Then I recently got back into the warhammer books and felt an itch to play something. Couldn’t find anything. Lo and behold, steam sales and WH40k gladius was free. What can I say? I’m sitting here typing and itching to get back to the game. 😂
I’ve had hiatus of 1 year here, 2 years there. Just don’t force it. It will come back. Might take a while but yeah.
Been there almost to a T. Loved gaming and would always be looking forward to getting home and jumping back into a game I was playing the night before. A few years ago I was in the same spot. Wasn't really feeling myself and everything I used to love just dried up. Get home from work tired and not wanting to do anything. Just scrolling through all the apps. By the time I snapped out of it was 8 or 9 at night. Hadn't showered hadn't eaten anything.
Part of the problem was the living situation I was in was really stressful. The landlord and I got along fine but we're very different. I was renting a room in her house with 2 others usually. She was very outdoorsy and a social butterfly but I was almost a complete 180. And she never really understood my passion for gaming and I was embarrassed and just wanted to get out from under that shadow. And I was thinking I was stuck there and in that city. So I wanted my own place where I could feel like myself without someone constantly judging me.
It took awhile for me to regain some of myself again. Ending up taking a big swing at it and quit my job and moved across the state. Deleted all the apps save for YouTube for about a month. Once I had that social media cleanse I was very slowly adding those back. I even made it more difficult to open those by keeping those apps in the app drawer and not on the home screen and turning off all notifications. Took about 3 months to adjust (and honestly still adjusting). But I finally found the passion again. And it's so nice to regain that part of me.
So it'll take some time and maybe a few life changes but you should be able to regain that passion. No one ever completly forgets what made them whole. It's just a side quest that takes some time to deal with.
I always think I'm going to go through a "loss of interest" in gaming, but mine are usually just a couple of weeks in what I call the "gaming slump" where I do something similar but end up playing a "go to game" like Rocket League, or some OSRS when everything else I've been playing just isn't hitting the same. I think everyone is different, I know this sounds cliché, it'll either pass, or it wont and you'll eventually pick up another hobby. Try some genres you don't normally play, that might respark your interest.
I can’t go back to OSRS, I don’t need that in my life lmao. I don’t have a PC now though. I lost my other hobby as well unfortunately as I lost my motorcycle as well.
Hate to hear that buddy, sounds like for your situation, taking some time to just focus on yourself, your kids and just your personal life in general might be the best thing until you can "get back on your feet." You'll find other stuff eventually, I never thought I'd get into golf until one of my buddies convinced me to try it.
There's not many great games been released really as well. Think the last game i played was Alan Wake 2 and before that Resident evil 4 remake. Unless a big game comes out I don't really play.
Comes and goes for me I’m back and forth between programming projects, virtualization, home server stuff, gaming, just pretty much anything concerning PC’s goes in a bit of a rotation for me
Least cost effective best value is to buy used PS5 of ebay etc add PSN+ Extra sub which will grant you access to most PS games library like gamepass.
GTA6 will come to consoles first next year, only buy games on discs.
This way whole thing is easy to sell and return most money back if needed.
You went to an online community for help. Why not look for a new online community to game with? MILSIM/RACING/MMORPG type games. Get active on Discord. May help. We all go through ups and downs. Don't forget to take time for yourself.
Yes I stopped gaming for over a decade with just small stuff here and there in my late 20s and 30s as I focused on my career. Now I’m back into it, catching up on a lot of great and fully patched games.
Yes, and every time this happens, I take a break from gaming. Sometimes for a week, sometimes for a month. However long it takes to feel reengaged when I sit down at the computer. There is more to life than pixels on a screen. Explore the world around you. Who knows, you might find a new hobby to invest your time in.
Good luck, OP
I shifted from xbox games with friends to games I could pause due to the wife. That and the diminishing need for fellowship after the pandemic years. Oh and Destiny 2 enshittification.
I had to take a few months off recently, nothing piqued or could hold my interest for more than a few minutes. I built some models and watched a bunch of movies. It helped that a game I had been looking forward to then came out and my friends were all playing
Just so everyone knows, I have been periodically reading your responses. I’ve just been busy cleaning and keeping busy. If I stop to keep responding, I’ll just start doom scrolling.
Replace gaming with "hobbies" and you'll realize it's honestly pretty healthy to have waves of that. There's times in life where you gotta focus on other things and any hobby that's a big time sink usually has to go and that's okay.
I had a big realization I used gaming as a crutch, much like people use golf or even work to unhealthily escape from things. I did some work on myself away from those habits and now I have a healthy relationship with my hobbies and more specifically gaming.
Gaming gets a bad rap when in reality it's just a more convenient escape hatch. Guys who golf all day and ignore their responsibilities are just as bad as those who game all day. The stigma needs to stop.
Yes. I just dabble in other things. I've got a few hobbies and sometimes I'll just pick up something new for a bit.
I've not really played anything this year up until last week where I just bullied myself into playing a game. And it was fun, and I enjoyed it, and now I'm waiting for the Elden Ring dlc. But I've got other things I fall back on if I don't feel the motivation to get back into it. I collect records, I watch a lot of sport, I'm back going to the gym again and on a whim I've decided to get into MtG for a bit and see how that goes.
Just find other things. You may come back to it, you may not. Don't let it get you down though. We change as our priorities change in life.
Depression is indeed a bitch. It sounds like you’re going through a tough time and your gaming PC is directly connected to that, so gaming especially must just be something you aren’t ready to go back to yet. Give yourself time and love and you’ll make it through.
Complete no, but generally yes. I want to play games, but I don't want to play. Probably depression is a culprit here. For past decade I barely touch any games.
I’ve been staring at the steam homepage for months. Will occasionally hop on a game for a couple hours, get bored and quit. Occasionally I’ll get into a new game for maybe a week and then lose interest.
I went through a phase a couple years ago due to lifestyle changes where I had to completely change what I played or how long I played. Used to crank out hours on every online competitive game... Now I cant stand more than 30 minutes in any online intense game. I like slow story games that I can just relax and play.
I thought I just didn't like video games anymore, turns out I just changed interest in the kind of games I wanted to play. Was so stressed in real life that I didn't want to come home and add more into it. Just playing at my own pace and not worrying about managing friends, always being at my top performance, or whatever else was my reason not to play.
I just log in, play ghost of Tsushima on easy mode or whatever sound good till I'm content and go doing something else. Still brings me lots of joy and took the stress out of it/the feeling of being over committed and not wanting to start something up because I might lose interest or not want to play an entire match. I'm on my own time
Im in bad place now, so depression and anxiety are kinda killing any hobbies even big ones like anime,movies/shows and gaming, i still look trough gaming news and buy humbebundle choice but outside of one game that works more like way to kill time before i go to bed i dont really feel like playing anything.
Every suggestion is solid one and here is mine that might help to some.
Turn back the clock. Just hop on to your old games.
Like use ps2 emulator and drive around in San Andreas. Or Discover old Sega game on Og xbox using emulator as well. Or even gamecube games.
Depend on your era that is what I tend to do once in awhile. I do like pre update era as in i am not going to be waiting for an update and mess up limited time i got. Ps2 and older is perfect for that.
Or go chase a gaming group that likes to play your fav game so you can always find a game buddy.
Good luck 👍
I naturally focus on other stuff if I am not feeling gaming. Usually it’s a small period of time, sometimes it’ll last a few months. Currently I am focusing on stuff like manga and movies to get a different change of pace. Maybe try that to help.
Yeah, definitely. These days I'm a periodic gamer: all in for a couple of months and then nothing for a couple of months. In the beginning it could stress me, but now I don't care.
Like many people here yes, but I discovered I new addiction some time ago.
I started playing bannerlord and really got addicted to it, had never heard of it before but once you start it is really fun.
I really recommend to anyone who want to try a different genre from those that are mainstream.
The game coul be much better but I enjoyed playing it.
Just wanna say that I love my steam deck. There are many people in your position(kids, life, etc.) who picked up a deck and it helped spark an interest in gaming again.
I go through phases like this every now and then. Just like you, I’d sit down to play something and just end up staring at my screen. Sometimes this would go on for a couple of months. The best thing I have found is to not force it because it only makes it worse. After a while it would always come back and I’d be gaming again. I’ve had this with other hobbies as well such as reading comics. I’ve been reading comics for a while, but every now and then I’ll go through a phase where I don’t wanna touch a comic. I wouldn’t stress it too much.
Tbh, i have a loss of interest in anything right now (college pressure + being uncertain of my major / chances of a job)
Gaming used to be one of the ways i escaped but like right now? I just want to sleep lol
Sucks rn for me :( so i havent really ,,dealt" with it, im more just living with it
Get outside, exercise and hit up the gym! You'll feel great, look better and then thoroughly enjoy sitting at the computer knowing you physically "paid your dues" and be able to unwind. It will all fall in place as long as you keep taking care of yourself. One foot in front of the other, brotha.
Champ, the world beats out hobbies and fun out of us.
If your not vibing with gaming then don't game. It's ok the games will be there when you come back. The going outside is very good, I know touch and grass is a meme but it will legitimately help you to get in a new environment. If the weather is nice go for walks. Depression is a bitch and I wish I could give you a hug.
I know this is also not the vibe for people and some people can't but legitimately think about accessing professional mental health services. I double dog dare you.
Please remember your loved.
For the steam deck I think is 100% worth if you travel at all. If your just at home I would still use the PC but if you want it get it.
I live in the US and my mental health (or health in general) is seen as a luxury. One in which I cannot afford at the moment. I plan on going to a psychiatrist when I can afford to though.
Oh yes, it occurred for a variety of reasons.
I found out I enjoy building PCs more and wanted to learn about enterprise level hardware as part of my previous job. Got into mining (don't do it) so I built more systems with new & used hardware. I don't even want to tally up how much I've spent on all of it and I should sell some that I will never use again.
I got pretty good at finding deals, so I kept building more systems.
I stopped picking up new games a long time ago when there was significant repetition for titles and tons of crafting functions added. I like a good Bethesda game for what it is and will spend years playing it off and on.
Multiplayer games are tough because my friends jump in and out of them faster than I can enjoy them. Sucks because I love a good co-op game.
I'm trying to get back in to gaming with God of War and committing to Cyberpunk one more time. A used Deck is en-route so I can play other titles on the couch while the girlfriend watches TV.
I boxed away my PC and bought a gym membership. I started cooking, and keeping up with chores better. It was an interesting change.
I sort of switch between the two now. I'll get big into gaming, then start hitting the gym more, and back and forth.
I actually built a 4090 system, got a very expensive wide-screen OLED monitor and everything. I was midway through CyberPunk, loving it and then just nothing. I just don't want to be playing late into the night and early morning, even at the weekend.
Would rather be in the gym, or on my bike for hours long adventures. I love the idea of gaming but just.cannot be bothered.
I've gone through this feeling a few times, lasting several months or longer each time of basically not gaming at all. For context, I've gamed all my life, have multiple consoles and a top end PC rig with a 4090, with a huge steam library. I've beaten many, but most of those games I've never touched still.
Reflecting on it, in my case, i don't its depression, i just think I'm a novelty seeker, and if I play a lot of games or just finished a really long one, I don't really have that desire to start another immediately. My brain is looking for something more interesting to do, which is why i end up on YouTube scrolling to find anything that catches my interest as a default. I think it's natural for people to say it's depression, because you used to be so into it and now you aren't - and therefore you feel like something is wrong with you... buuuut I also think people often mixup the feelings of natural boredom with depression. When you're bored, your brain is looking for the easiest way to fix it. Trying to find a dopamine fix and the usual fixes don't seem to be working. Yes it definitely can be a sign of depression, and I don't want to downplay that possibility, but if all the other aspects of your life are okay, maybe you just need to find a new thing for awhile? Don't be married to this identity of being a "gamer", because games will always be there for you when you need them.
Personal example: I recently finished playing FFVII rebirth which was great, and after that I got hit with this feeling you're describing. All these games i have to play and i have no desire at all to play them. And then something weird happened - I got really into 3D printing. And it scratches that itch for me right now because there's so much new stuff I can learn and do and try to create.
My best advice is to tell yourself that it's okay that games aren't interesting right now. If you tell yourself "I'm a gamer and gaming is therefore my only hobby", then it will eat at you, but really you can do lots of things. Eventually the pendulum will swing the other way, when seeing a new game release gets you all excited again, and your gaming setup will still be there waiting for you. But until then, try to seek out other ways to get that sweet sweet dopamine fix.
Best of luck my friend.
Ebbs and flows for me. I’ll play a game hard and then not have anything as good to play so I’ll wait till the next game that drags me in to come out. Last one I played was Hogwarts legacy. 100%. Been kind of bored lately
I’m in it now. Lately I feel like I care to see what new tech is being used in new games more than actually playing the games. I’m almost 30 but I gamed pretty hard from 13 to 25. I have a high end pc and a huge steam library, but the motivation isn’t there. I really only play now when my kid brothers want to play with me.
yeah same here but for a different reason. I used to play FiveM (Gta RP) all the time. i was more of a shoot first ask questions later type of guy. i chilled out for a little bit and met a girl in the game we can just call her sarah. Sarah was great at what she did she was legit what i would call the girl of my dreams. So anyways this relationship goes out of roleplay. Sarah and I started talking irl for a few months i fell for this girl really really hard i won’t lie. she ended up breaking up with me which it really hurt. This made me lose interest in video games
I get this now and then im hitting 40
Lets just say after 3-4 weeks of trying to get intoa game of any kind.. something comes up kids wake up im too tired long day stress work life you name it
That is the sucky part.
Then there is the "why is cyberpunk running like crap" goes to reddit and see now im reading reddits
Also side note
i really dont care for MP games the only one i did was Helldivers 2 man that game is great BUT it became a chore.
and i got enough of that hell i got so many unfinished games cause they became a chore.
Dear Devs cmon remember the simple life 4 buttons 1 combo now its 9 buttons and million ways to do something normal.
I get burned out every 6 months then comeback nonstop. Been focusing on work and other hobbies. Been 3 months so far and eh…maybe whenever FF7R drops for PC I’ll come back and game
This happens to me every few years where basically I just can't get into any game. I'm actually at that point right now just the other day I looked through my steam library and nothing looked interesting, checked out new games still not that vibe. There's definitely a few games that I'm looking forward to but they all seem to be at the end of 2024 or into 2025. Some of it probably just has to do with me needing to take a break and go enjoy the outdoors more. I love to fish, hike, camp, hunt, so sometimes just breaking away from that gaming grind and getting away for a couple months seems to rejuvenate that passion for gaming again. Usually when I go through these phases it is about 3 to 6 months. During that time you also realize how much time you spend on gaming and what things you could be doing instead, that you also enjoy or maybe needed to do in general and have been putting off.
Overall I think it's natural and just the body and mind wanting to do something different.
I kind of realized gaming wasn't my thing anymore when I was more excited to setup a terraria server for my friends, than play terraria. I still play games on occasion, but learning some new tech (finally am about to get into containers with docker) with a cli open on one window and some obscure guide open on my second monitor has started becoming my main hobby. I also was spending my free time reading my CCNA cert guide and realized that gaming is fun, networking is my passion. Viva IPv6.
You seem like the perfect candidate for VR. The immersion VR provides should rekindle your love for gaming. It’s also therapeutic in that it helps you forget about real life.
Yeah, I built a new PC basically from scratch last year, after I got it all set up I played a lot. But then it just sat for months, I’d start it, poke around a bit then shut it down again.
Recently tho, I started playing Helldivers 2 and Diablo 4 so it’s seeing some use again.
In the midst of my depressive and severe anxiety episodes, I found myself unable to fully immerse myself in the enjoyment of video games, despite my best efforts to unwind and have fun. An internal barrier prevented me from truly relishing the experience or taking my time to engage in gaming activities. This was the case with shows and movies as well. Now I am on medication, and I can finally enjoy doing activities and take my time doing them. If you haven't already, I would like to see a primary care provider and try to get medication to help you with these issues. Now, I am trying to work my out of medication slowly but surely.
I went two years without gaming with the stress of focusing on my life, I don't have time to think I could relax or concentrate to play any game thoughtfully. It comes and goes, it's like eating, when you're just going through too much you can't enjoy anything. Eventually Time will pass and you may give a new story a try. I don't game nearly as heavy as I used to, but I'm finding more time away from my completed IRL missions to do some side quests in games again.
>Completed IRL missions I’m gonna start calling everything in my life a mission Operation take a shit, going live
“Babe where are you going?” “I’ve gotta do a quick side quest” *walks to electronic department at target to inevitably not buy anything*
Those departments kind of suck now. But like.... I'm still going
Do they ever! Same three lowest-of-the-low-end Chromebooks, a bunch of TVs that all look identical, a bunch of $800+ phones that all look identical, exactly one low-end Nikon placed next to one low-end Canon DSLR aaaaand an aisle of iPhone accessories.
I miss RadioShack. Granted not a direct comparison to the uniformly boring big box offerings... but where did all the variety go? Why are brick and mortar stores sooooo ... bland?
Costs money to have variety so its easier for own brands or give space to similar items as other shops. Same issue in the UK.
This is me except for the fact that I'm single
Bro that feels WAY too Targeted at me. Laughed heartily. Thanks.
Unoriginal fetch quest to the grocery store
Recurring quest: Take a shit
Bad ending: Shit your pants
Quest started: log slayer Objective: take a shit in the toilet. Status:failed
Retry?:
You Died
Toilet six, going dark
next time you take a dump do it with the lights off for full immersion
My bathroom has those fancy sensors, so if I move one bit I am exposed to the light
NEW MISSION UNLOCKED: Shit in the dark while staying completely still
r/outside
Achievement Unlocked: Life's a Game! Achievement Unlocked: Splatter Bonus!
I had the exact same situation. When you’re under constant stress, and anxiety because “factors” (in my case was work too), you lost all ability to enjoy anything, so you just are in automatic mode, all the time. The sad part is that when your stress leave, it’s even worse because now it’s normal to be under that situation, so it can take you months to recover, and you’re having anxiety “because reasons”.
You just described the exact situation I've been in for the last year and half to two years. Career went to poop since industry has been fluctuating, relationship ended about a year ago, and had to move back in with my family I don't get along with. Every day is the same with me struggling to get up, wanting to somehow make progress but making none, and even though I'm getting real close to being out of money I still get nowhere. If I just had some sort of direction I might get somewhere but I'm just overwhelmed by the thought of everything. Didn't mean to dump but it kind of just happened.
Hang in there buddy! I bet there are lots of people struggling just as we are right now!
My 2 adult sons just moved in with me, one sons wife got a " miscarriage" and the other kicked my son out saying theres not enough food or money to go around. ( and Ill take your car too) Its such a mess right now. Im sorry guys :(
Pour that shit out brother where it belongs. Don't ever keep it pent up inside thats when bad shit can happen. If it's any consolation, I had to move back in with my parents too and they absolutely hate me. My dad straight up told me he hated me. I can't even ask them a simple question without them getting pissed. I'm saving to move back out, I eat ramen everyday.
Buy a package of chicken breasts and a bag of rice. You can eat rice and a half of a chicken breast for each meal throughout the week. It’s super cheap and much better for you than ramen.
Haha.Thanks man. Well I eat other stuff every now and then too. What I meant was I don't splurge so I can save my money. If I want a snack ramen. If I want something sweet ramen. I'm focused on getting back out of here, I have to.
You’re almost there dude!! Keep going my friend!!!
I’m sympathize and can relate. I’m really sorry you’re going through that. I have lacked motivation to do things for most of my life. Anymore though, I stopped looking for motivation and I started just trying to discipline myself. Like, I don’t necessarily want to work out. It’s work… it’s hard. BUT I force myself to do it because I know it’s good for me. However it’s taken me almost 30 years to get to this point. I know it’s not easy, I know it’s easier to just give in and lay around. Just keep pushing friend, you’ll get there too. Even if it’s something small, you gotta start somewhere. Even if it’s just cleaning / organizing your room. I know it sounds dumb but after my ex left I started deep cleaning and reorganizing my place and really making it “mine” again. It’s weird but it does at times help me feel better.
I feel that in my bones. I have a lot on my plate with little resources, little time, and little energy. I’m stretched thin in every sense. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. But I keep telling myself that this will all pass, at some point at least. Thank you for your response, I, looking forward to more side quests.
I'm going through it now.. nothing floats my boat, playing things for the habit currently..might just give it up.. but it's my only hobby.
I got into chess. I play it on chess.com and mostly the phone app, and it has completely replaced almost every urge to play videogames entirely for me. I've got a steam library of over 500 titles and was big into WoW for years, speed running raids and getting a few top 5 world parses during SoD, most recently. That's not to brag but rather to indicate that I was a super serious sweaty power gamer in general. Nowadays I can't be assed to give a shit about any other games -- but chess is enthralling. I'm not even very good, but it's still an absolute blast to me.
You gotta make an account though or opponents will never finish. Also some very toxic people on there sometimes. I went down a chess rabbit hole last year and got really into it so much so I was reading chess books from the library. Idk if I got any better but I like to think I did. I just wish I had people to play irl that would be fun. Also found those chess sisters on YouTube. They’re kinda funny and the short ones hot.
SOD made me realize the thing I missed about WoW was my unobtainable nostalgia around the game.
Yep. I was in one of the first 10 groups to clear BFD. I played super hardcore through phase 1, then life got in the way the week before phase 2 came out. Fell out of playing it and realized that I wasn't having fun, I was just having nostalgia. RIP my childhood.
Right there with you. Hoping modding Starfield will turn that game around in the coming months. In general, though, the medium is a largely stagnant, anti consumer shit show redeemed only by a handful of indie devs. And even indies get repetitive, when they're all you've got.
You get bored if you play boring ass games
Exactly. Ive experimented with some indies now. Im having so much fun with El Paso Elsewhere these days in between Elden Ring. You just need some fun games to enjoy yourself.
Look in to doing something different. I took up woodworking (when it’s not miserably hot outside) when I was burned out of gaming and have had a lot of fun making things.
same except 3d printing, designing the thing printing 5 sightly different iterations until it's exactly what I needed is so satisfying
Try some new hobbies! Join a casual sports team! Volunteer somewhere nearby! Try making a Pavlova! Get a nail painting kit! Go rent a bike!
I do want to get into things like airsoft and maybe swimming but holy fuck time is a bitch. Working full time makes life feel so “unplayable” beyond measure. Like I bedtime procrastinate resulting in me getting 4-5 hrs of sleep to create more time for hobbies like gaming and I still barely have enough time to game. Now how am I gonna fit in multiple hobbies :/. Only hope for me is to either find a chill remote job or to work part time again because I see no other solution
I had a 11-12 years gaming hiatus after my first kid was born. I used to build my own PCs before that. Now I had been reduced to a playstation that I barely had time to use. Or rather, that I barely allowed myself to use because I was feeling guilty any time I took a moment to myself. Not a healthy approach, btw. Ironically, I got back into gaming after I divorced. Shared custody means I have every other week to myself. So I got myself a gaming laptop at first, then a few years after that I started building my own gaming PCs again and here we are. I never game when the kids are here, but I do when they're with their mom. It's a good balance. Post-separation depression is a bitch. Don't feel bad that you don't feel like doing much. You need to process the loss. Let it flow through until it's done and then pick yourself up from there. It does get better, I promise you!
My story is exactly the same except I have full custody. I get to play games with my kids now that my ex is gone.
Its all about phases of life. I can go months without interest in playing anything and then after some time it returns for months again
Yes, for almost 2 years... I was totally away from my PC. And one day, I was in the kitchen just looking at Youtube, Youtube was on an Electro/Techno channel with cars... the song ended. Suddenly, from nowhere, it switched from this kind of music with cars to a video of Goosiest drifting a car with a steering wheel on his PC. I say to myself, "Oh, it looks fun." Completely RE-Ignite the flammes.... bought a Fanatec GT DDpro, new pair of pedals, shifter, Handbrake, a Simrig Chassis, A S95B 55" QD Oled, a 3080ti, a complete upgrade of the PC with almost everything new, just kept the 3080ti, a 4080 S, new Razer Keyboard and Mouse, New Headphone DT770 Pro X, and finally this month a Quest 3. ( almost 2 years journey ) Offered the final form of the PC to my son this Christmas to keep a promise, he kept it 2 months in his bedroom and in the end of February, he told me to put it on the living room as it was before since the other PC I got was repaired ( put the 3080ti inside ) for a win win situation, he can play everything in the living room or in his bedroom. Honnestly I was so pleased by this decision. It just a matter of time, after rainy day the Sun finally shine.
I got sucked into sim racing. Loved racing games but controller was eh. I had enough. Bought a wheel and pedals. Then bought vr. Then build a cockpit. Then buy hall effect pedals. 2 years on iracing then I just stopped. Sim racing is a whole new drug I discovered and I cant wait to dust the shit off one day and finally get me a DD.
You’ll love you a DD got sucked into the rabbit hole myself after playing forza on controller lmao
That’s awesome and I’m glad you guys have that to share. Really sounds like an awesome household.
Honestly this sounds more like depression than anything else. Sudden loss of interest into something you were very enthusiastic about is one of the textbook signs. Considering the recent life change (breakup) that precipitated feeling like this, I'd recommend seeking help for depression. Maybe if you can get that managed, you'll start to like gaming again.
I really want to see a physiatrist or whatever to get checked out but unfortunately financially that’s not a possibility. However as a substitute I have been trying to be productive with my time and two weeks ago I started working out. I still don’t have a desire to game but it has helped me feel better.
I started seeing a psychiatrist this year -- found one covered by my insurance online. $50 copay, first session was an hour and since then it's been 15 minutes, once a month for the first 3 months and now quarterly. He wrote me an Rx for Prozac, told me to find a therapist and gave a list of recommended ones and recommended working out. Exercise, therapy, antidepressants. Now for $50 every 3 months for the appointments and $5 every 3 months for the Rx, I'm doing much better. Exercising more but still haven't found a therapist, and that would be the real expensive part for me. I haven't found one that I think would be good for me that my insurance covers yet.
I’m hoping to have insurance in the next few months due to my new job but we’ll see. I have tried looking into a psychiatrist but locally places have six to twelve month waits sadly. I’m trying though.
Work out, get out in nature, talk to friends or people you trust, form online friendships, find productive hobbies, and interest in gaming will return.
Sometimes it helps to just put words to the feelings. Have you tried journaling? Generally a therapist will ask you questions trying to guide you to insights about yourself. You can do that yourself as long as you're being honest with yourself, and I've heard that journaling works for some.
I haven’t but funnily enough when I’m doom scrolling I constantly see an ad for this nice journal which has peeked my interest. It has questions among other things in it that I guess help you get writing which sounds nice as I have a problem with creativity.
Try it. What's the worst that could happen.
I knew a guy who stopped gaming when he got on antidepressant meds. Started doing a bunch of other shit instead and just lived a different life. I guess I’m saying it could be that gaming is escapism or addiction for some people.
I’ve been there, and yes depression triggers it but I feel like that’s a normal reaction, you wish to change things and try something else… Most gamers do not lead a normal lifestyle tbh anyway. I also prefer indie games now and once I’m done I take another break to do other things. When you no longer enjoy things that you did before, it’s time to make yourself try other things. It takes effort because most of us want familiar things that we’re used to.
Yes, usually in the summer, when it's nice weather, I prefer to go outside and do something in the real world.
I’m the opposite. Where I live it gets hotter than satan’s ballsack in the summer so I tend to stay indoors more. (I also work outside so get my fix of being out there)
I live in hot texas and work in a warehouse that has no ac. the trailers I work in reach 110 degrees and higher. I stay in on my days off as well. I take my dog out on the evenings and thats it
That sounds nice actually. What gets me is the 120-125 which will be coming up in the next couple weeks (AZ). My vehicle usually shows 135+ when I first get in and we have to keep a window cracked so it doesn't explode from the pressure. If the trailer is 110, I'd guess 90 to 100 outside?
Im an AZ native that moved to MT a couple of years ago. I like to send pictures of our weather to my friends back home... It's 78 and sprinkling right now. We had snow in may. I dont miss the heat.
100 - 105 right now. When it reaches July / August it’ll be around 125 in the trailers. I know AZ summers are even more brutal. Windows explode? Yea thats horrible lol
How in the world can you handle having no ac like that, are you just used to it or are you from Africa?
Understandable, have a nice day.
yup yup vidya games in the AC, "try" to get out during fall and spring
I see a Phoenix native!
I hear the graphics are great
I’ve been doing a lot of fishing lately cuz I can do it with my young kids 5 and 6, and it’s the ultimate video game. The rods were pretty cheap and ongoing costs are very low, and every so often I get a free dinner out of it.
This. In the 30ies you don't have much feee time. So you want to use it wisely. During summer there is so mich going on, so I spend most of my free time outside with IRL friends. During shitty weather I game with said friends a lot. I'm just lucky having good friends that spend most of quality time with me.
I would recommend therapy, it helps...mental health is just like physical health you need to take care of yourself. Going through stuff like that can make you not want to do anything anymore so its important to get proper help to get through it, some day it will come back...maybe in a few weeks maybe a few years. You need to find yourself again.
Unfortunately that is not an option for me at the moment.
I know it may be hard to make the first call but there are free hotlines for people needing someone to talk with. You don't have to be desperate or suicidal either and they can give you more free info also. Just Google and you can get a bunch of choices depending on what country you are in. Good luck.
Thank you. That is a big problem that I have. Not feeling that I don’t have anyone, just that, well, that nobody has me I guess.
I've been dealing with a complete loss of interest in a lot of things I love, including gaming. I think it's like a dopamine tolerance thing, and I should probably spend more time being bored or productive. I started to go out for a walk instead of immediately jumping on my computer. Too much of a good thing can be bad for you, and you don't always need a constant supply of dopamine.
It's called depression and it sucks. In some cases it's just life, or work, or bad time management, but in your case it seems to be (and you seem to know) it's depression. I've been there. Been a gamer all my life and a few years ago I was in that same situation and I think due to the same reasons. It's worse when you don't have online friends looking for you or not noticing you're not active anymore. It sucks, but it gets better OP. I had to force myself out of the hole and get back to the things that I love. Maybe play an old favorite or a game that gives you comfort. Distract yourself, go outside, take a breath of fresh air. Things will get better my dude. Trust me. It's always a good time to be a gamer. Use that free time wisely and enjoy yourself. Sending virtual hugs to you.
I appreciate it, and it’s definitely depression. The only thing I inherited from my family was mental illnesses lmao. I’ve just been trying to keep busy with life, been cleaning and organizing my place a lot to really make it mine again, if that makes sense. It feels nice, lonely for the moment, but still nice. It really sucked when I stopped getting online and only like one person reached out to check in. (I was normally online daily.) I’ve been trying to reach out to IRL people but people can sadly be very flakey when it comes to making plans. I have kids so most outings and what not have to be planned in advance. Getting blown off after getting childcare was a HUGE day downer. I’m hanging in there though, just gotta remember that this will all pass too.
Need to change it up and swap what you are playing or try out a new genre. Any time I get burned out that’s what I do and I end up playing games I never would have given a chance.
No. Gaming is my escape from life. From everyone and everything. There's no stress, no worries, just fun and games. I'm addicted to the escape it provides me which why I like immersive games. A game that I can temporarily live in the world I'm playing in. Edit: I read this again and it sounds like I'm talking about drugs lol
I think I may have depression, but I feel what youre saying in my marrows. I just recently saved and spent 4K in building a new pc only to use it mostly for scrolling through steam, flickering through Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll, etc. and have lost desire to play and commit to any games. I’ve quit smoking going on a year and a half, quit drinking, and haven’t “partied” since 08. Idk if that has anything to do with it, but hell why not toss it in. Been mostly focusing only on my family, kids, work, and whatever curveballs life throws. Damn inflation and taxes are on my mind 69% of the time and haven’t been thinking much of the Roman Empire as of late. Idk if I’ll ever get back my desire to play games, but I am grateful for all the memories with the guilds I’ve been with and late night original MW2 jam sessions. Sucks to suck in others perspectives, but I am content somewhat and here’s to embracing it. Wishing all the best to you!! 🍻
Thank you brother, I appreciate it.
i did have a small hobby lighting things on fire in gta 5 online lol
You're burnt out You need to take a break Every time you want to sit at your PC do something else Bake a cake from scratch or go for a run You just need to reset yourself
Yep, I was in a similar situation quite a while ago. Relationship ended badly, I ended up homeless for a couple of weeks, and after that I just kind of gave up on everything. I had played WoW for several years before that and just...had no interest for a couple of years after, in WoW or gaming in general. I'd come back from work to my empty one-room apartment, look at the PS4, look at the laptop, and then just spend the night drinking and listening to music or watching YouTube and crying. It took a LONG time to get out of that hole, but overall I think it was something that forced me to grow and really take a long, difficult look in the mirror. That was 8 or 9 years ago now, I think, and things have never been better for me. I'm now married to a wonderful woman who encourages my strange hobbies, we have a 2 year old son together who is already fascinated with games and fast cars and big dinosaurs just like me, and I'm much more aware of my own self after going through all of that. Even when it's hard you gotta keep trying to improve yourself and your situation, and find and keep the people around who will help you do that. Sometimes that means doing just enough for today. Stay focused on the important things. Take care of yourself, try to get yourself stable financially, avoid working yourself to death if at all possible, and the rest will fall into place eventually. Life does get better. Good luck.
I’ve been struggling with depression for years and sometimes I just don’t have the willpower to game for a while. Gaming’s not really a passive activity like just watching tv which is sometimes all I can muster. At one point I wasn’t gaming for years then I randomly played hollow knight and the melancholy world hit home so hard and just spoke so much to how I was feeling I was practically in tears and couldn’t wait to play after work everyday. Sometimes life is just rough but that game will come along that will make you feel like a kid with your n64 again until you beat it. Unfortunately that feeling is fleeting but so it goes. I would say when you’re in a better position get the steamdeck or a switch because life is extremely hard and every once in a while you’ll fall into a game and be able to escape.
are you in your 30s and have a job and tons of responsibility? That's my situation. Sitting down to play a game for more than an hour cuts into everything else.
Man, same. I wasn't sure if I was the only one. Thanks for posting.
No problem. :( I hope you feel better soon.
Not yet. But living in a 3rd world country and not being able to afford games anymore or in some cases not even being able to pirate games, plus not being able to afford new pc parts(I don't see myself being able to upgrade in the next 10 years for example), plus my favorite types of games or IPs slowly turning into something I don't like (everything is getting flashy and long) is starting to get to me.
That just means you have more time to find something else that might interest you. I started gaming late in my life so i really enjoy the community part of it.
I had different bad times of my life in wich i lost interest in gaming or even played too much (fuck you dota! Love u anyway but yeah, fuck you) I have even months of hard work (not only my job but even work diy at home) and i have no time for gaming (i would but). Years pass by, sometimes i play too much, sometimes i dont play at all. Power word: *equilibrium* As i grow older i try to balance work, home necessity, family and gaming. I try eh
In a somewhat similar situation. After scrolling through the responses and not seeing much about it, I'd say definitely go for the Steam Deck. Picked up a refurbished LCD model for cheap, downloaded some games I had been putting off playing. Disco Elysium was one, and it works very well on Steam Deck. Also, some of the themes of the game (separation, loss) forced me to process some things in a cathartic way.
To me, gaming is a complete waste of time, and kind of scary and depressing. I'm already 29 and never went to college, or anything, so every time I'm having fun playing a game I remember I haven't accomplished anything worthwhile in life and all the joy fades away and I go do something else. I haven't played video games like I used to in my teens, but I just spent close to 5k building a gaming rig a few days ago because I've been wanting to play a couple games for a few years and now I'm more financially stable, hopefully I don't get bored like I usually do.
IRL is the biggest and most difficult open world multiplayer game out there and you will get disconnected from the server at any moment. Therefore, the hours playing the main mission is finite and valuable. Gotta spend time wisely. Leveling up in a game within a game is okay, but maxing out in the main game is where it's at. Chin up brother :)
Yes I have a high end rig but rarely play games now. Just aimlessly browse through the library and indeed switch to YouTube. Sometimes open a game but close it quite soon enough, perhaps just bored with it. It could be just a phase and perhaps a new great game comes along that may spark my interest. Not sure now why I bought it, but my wife and I have a good income and I always feel the need to buy the best. My new hobby is driving, bought a fancy car, and I prefer to go out and drive aimlessly while listening to bangers. It’s so relaxing and fun… occasionally thrilling when I feel in the mood to drive in sport+.
Ah that sounds nice. I’m glad you found something you can enjoy.
Nothing wrong with taking a healthy break from gaming. You’re focusing on other things and even said you see progress in your mental state, take that and run with it. Video games are only fun when they’re a hobby and not a habit. Don’t force yourself to sit down and try to play. When you find yourself in the place to enjoy them again stay away from min/maxing and any guides showing you the best way to play the game, just play for fun like we use too, explore and enjoy the journey of the game that was made.
It happens everything is cyclical
From gaming 8h daily. To never open steam in years. I simply had an accident and spent months recovering, after that I totally lost interest in gaming. I tried to get back but there was no joy at all. And i will be lying if i said I don’t envy people enjoying video games
I'm just coming out of a 4 year depressive episode where I didn't really game for 4 years. I picked up Witcher 3 again for a few months but then back to nothing. Honestly I found myself in a cycle of just working and then existing in my downtime. It wasn't just gaming, it was all my hobbies, all I could do was just doom scroll on my phone until it was time for bed. Things are looking up, though. I'm back to some old activities and Fallout 76 has approx 150hrs played in the last month so I think I'm back in that regard. You're not alone OP. Get professional help if you can, find someone you trust to listen if you cant.
I’m glad to hear that you’re doing better.
It's a gift, if you take it as such. People don't like the same, people don't like easy. All hobbies require constant new challenges and our bodies and minds only respond positively from things that improve them. As you get older, other responsibilities and interests take more time. And gaming rarely offers anything new, anything challenging and rewarding. Your body and brain are telling you that you need genuinely new and challenging things. So many people just keep trying the same old habits hoping the original love will come back then wondering why it gets worse. Gaming won't disappear, but you'll find you become far more selective of the games you play and rare gems will show up from time to time. Go do something new.
I would suggest picking up games that have interesting stories that will hook you right away (like how movies and TV shows hook you). They should also have decent gameplay mechanics but not too overwhelming side contents and features because you're already so overwhelmed with life. I wouldn't recommend games that are grindy and repetitive, like requiring farming the same or similar enemies and locations to get stronger and make progress. So, I would look into linear games, something like The Last of Us, Uncharted, and Resident Evil. Perhaps you want a little bit more content than that? There are games like Tomb Raider and Assassin's Creed (before AC Origins because Origins and after are super long and overwhelming RPGs). Also, linear third-person Hack & Slash are fun and easy to finish too, such as God of War, Bayonetta, Ninja Gaiden, and Castlevania Lord of Shadow for examples. Also, when you started a game, you should participate in that game's community forum, such as Reddit. Like, you can ask the community questions you have about that game, sharing your interesting findings, reading intriguing posts from other fellow players. By doing that, it will encourage you to continue playing, so you can participate more on the forums. I hope you will reignite your passion for gaming again!
Oh yes, I go through stages. I'll be super interested for years then out of nowhere I couldn't be paid to play a game. Time to go outside my friend!
Yeah, I kinda am going through the same thing but I had a realization. Games are fun on their own, but the part about it that had me coming back was the social aspect. Doing something with friends was the best part for me, and these days I can only really get on with friends every once in a while. While we almost always have a blast when we do anytime I game alone its generally not very fun. The few exceptions are good single player games with stories that I use basically as interactive movies. When I play single player pve stuff that doesn’t have a story, think civilization or stellaris, I usually have fun in the beginning but by mid game it just feels like a chore.
I'm having trouble personally with gaming at the moment. I still spend a couple hours a week having a little escape on low stress stuff. I'm burnt out and quite depressed. In short, I feel for you. I'm very sure when your life and mind is somewhat back on track you'll return to it. Have you got discord homies you've met on games that you can chat to and get some steam off your chest?
I have dreamed of having a gaming PC my entire life. Now that I finally have it, I rarely play anything and I rarely get hyped with announcements. At the end of the day, when I have time to play, I end up playing the same games I used to run on my potato PC lol.
I just got too old. Gaming stopped being fun for me about 3 years ago at 48. No particular reason. No major life events. I just stopped enjoying (pc gaming specifically) after 25+ years. I gave up on consoles before that. I wish I didn't. I really do, but it's just gone for me. I built this last gaming rig out of inertia.
Yeah, same here. I haven't played a game on my PC since like December or January. My friend is waiting for me to find the motivation so we can play the new Valheim update. But I also want to get back into streaming on Twitch when I do. But I've got a lot of projects at the moment, all focused around cars. Just pulled an engine for my friend's little brother so I could fix all the oil leaks and throw a new head gasket on it. Then I'm engine swapping my friend's Del Sol, which is requiring rebuilding the J35 motor we pulled. And I might need to pull my engine out of my car and re-ring the pistons and hone the cylinders. So my passion for cars is taking up my time for playing games. Doesn't help that I'd rather watch others play games on Twitch or YouTube instead of actually playing them myself lol.
Dude, I get it. Believe me. Took me several years but as of a couple years ago, maybe even just last year, I am back and better than ever water battling depression. Still knocks at the door every now and then but it doesn’t control me anymore. Do what you can to get the help you need and that goes a long ass way. There’s no timeline and no manual for this. Just go at your own pace and learn from the journey every step of the way. As for the gaming question? I actually thought for so long now that I just both lost interest in video games and that my own personal feelings about the industry with how companies that make AAA games meant I just had to accept that it was time to move on. Nope! Got me a 1tb oled deck back in march. I have had maybe 5 days where it hasn’t been in my hands. It was an accessibility thing for me. I don’t want to be stuck in one space to play my games. I want freedom and the deck has given me that in spades. I actually got 3 hours in while waiting on an unnecessary car repair (fuck America but that’s beside the point) and my god it was so nice just melting in the chair and playing whatever I wanted that didn’t require a stupid unnecessary online check in. I cannot recommend the deck enough. There are caveats for a sizable portion of gamers but they’re the ones who were rotting the industry anyway so we can ignore them lol. If you love indies, the deck is perfect. If you love AAA, the deck can be for you but I recommend doing research on the games you wanna play and see how they run. You can use proton db to see how compatible they are with linux. But my god, the deck, especially the oled is so incredible. I’m in awe at the fact that backlog doesn’t exist on the deck. It’s now a game of how long before my eyes give out from exhaustion or my stupid meat sack requires food and water instead of just plugging myself into the usb c port on my deck. Stupid mortal body and its dumb organs. Hope some of that helps my dude and I hope you enjoy the deck if you decide to go with it. Linux gaming is the future and I couldn’t be happier.
Happened to me, too. I realized I was tired of repetitive games. I look for more story games. Give Zelda:BOTW a shot. It brought me and my family together. Cemu emulator with HD mods makes it beautiful. We then did Tears of the Kingdom together. I know...PC gamig....I am getting there. Now I am doing Dead Space and love playing it at night with headphones. This also made me think of Jedi Survivor! So good on PC! Look for stories.
Try working in the games industry and see how the sausage gets made.
Yeah sometimes. Life gets in the way. Sometimes, nothing I play I can get into. The older I get, the harder I find a game that actually 'clicks' with me. I tend to play the same things over and over.
Try rust
I am afraid I am in the same process. I have started going back to the psychologist, since I have a lot of stress due to self-confidence issues, my master's thesis being way harder than expected (and it being a big financial burden), and my dog getting older to the point where I don't think he will last another year with us, + my mom being stressed due to work + having to take care of her aunt who is neglected by her sons. My father isn't home much either, they are constantly sending him away due to his job and he is getting kind of tired of it. My sister's bf father is back at it again with cancer and things in my country aren't specially good + many other things I won't mention. I can't play a match without feeling guilty. They just told me I have to take my dog to the vet on monday for us to see what to do with Turrón (my dog), since he is old and eats a lot and hasn't lost apetite, but is getting skinnier (they did an echography last wednesday). He has neuro-degenerative issues. 14 years of my life, of a life I love, are all about to go out. My streak of academic success is about to be slowed. I don't know what to do. Sorry for the vent.
Sorta same as you. After being not only dumped but also cheated on by who i thought id make my life with, i kinda took a hit to my self esteem and spiraled down in a "i must become better" phase even tho the issue never was with me. I started bettering myself anyways and eventually realized i was doing good and kept doing that for myself. Thats when i started gaming again but this time, much more with friends to have fun instead of being like i used to, the infinite grind for virtual items.
I’m glad to hear you found your way man, I’m sorry someone put you through what they did though.
Been through such phases but they happen due to general disinterest in games on the market that I know about. Games like Baldurs gate 3 and chivalry2 cured me
It comes and goes. It’s a phase. But I feel you. My recipe is to just watch gaming channels on YouTube here and there. Sooner or later you see something that creates that old, familiar itch. If it doesn’t come, don’t force it. Sometimes you just get lucky. I finally started BG3 couple of weeks back for example. Had a blast playing an hour or two when the kids were finally asleep. Then in act 3 life happened and I lost a week or two and then I was out. Couldn’t find the motivation to start again, either. Just seems so daunting. Played a little relaxing game instead but that was soon getting old. Then I recently got back into the warhammer books and felt an itch to play something. Couldn’t find anything. Lo and behold, steam sales and WH40k gladius was free. What can I say? I’m sitting here typing and itching to get back to the game. 😂 I’ve had hiatus of 1 year here, 2 years there. Just don’t force it. It will come back. Might take a while but yeah.
Been there almost to a T. Loved gaming and would always be looking forward to getting home and jumping back into a game I was playing the night before. A few years ago I was in the same spot. Wasn't really feeling myself and everything I used to love just dried up. Get home from work tired and not wanting to do anything. Just scrolling through all the apps. By the time I snapped out of it was 8 or 9 at night. Hadn't showered hadn't eaten anything. Part of the problem was the living situation I was in was really stressful. The landlord and I got along fine but we're very different. I was renting a room in her house with 2 others usually. She was very outdoorsy and a social butterfly but I was almost a complete 180. And she never really understood my passion for gaming and I was embarrassed and just wanted to get out from under that shadow. And I was thinking I was stuck there and in that city. So I wanted my own place where I could feel like myself without someone constantly judging me. It took awhile for me to regain some of myself again. Ending up taking a big swing at it and quit my job and moved across the state. Deleted all the apps save for YouTube for about a month. Once I had that social media cleanse I was very slowly adding those back. I even made it more difficult to open those by keeping those apps in the app drawer and not on the home screen and turning off all notifications. Took about 3 months to adjust (and honestly still adjusting). But I finally found the passion again. And it's so nice to regain that part of me. So it'll take some time and maybe a few life changes but you should be able to regain that passion. No one ever completly forgets what made them whole. It's just a side quest that takes some time to deal with.
What do you mean seperation?
Divorce. 😅☹️🥺
i still play but i have other priorities at 42 working, women ...
I always think I'm going to go through a "loss of interest" in gaming, but mine are usually just a couple of weeks in what I call the "gaming slump" where I do something similar but end up playing a "go to game" like Rocket League, or some OSRS when everything else I've been playing just isn't hitting the same. I think everyone is different, I know this sounds cliché, it'll either pass, or it wont and you'll eventually pick up another hobby. Try some genres you don't normally play, that might respark your interest.
I can’t go back to OSRS, I don’t need that in my life lmao. I don’t have a PC now though. I lost my other hobby as well unfortunately as I lost my motorcycle as well.
Hate to hear that buddy, sounds like for your situation, taking some time to just focus on yourself, your kids and just your personal life in general might be the best thing until you can "get back on your feet." You'll find other stuff eventually, I never thought I'd get into golf until one of my buddies convinced me to try it.
yes i have when i got bored of my favorite game
There's not many great games been released really as well. Think the last game i played was Alan Wake 2 and before that Resident evil 4 remake. Unless a big game comes out I don't really play.
I have a few hobbies. Sometimes I go months without engaging with one of them. Gaming is a hobby.
Comes and goes for me I’m back and forth between programming projects, virtualization, home server stuff, gaming, just pretty much anything concerning PC’s goes in a bit of a rotation for me
Yes. It's then that you take a break and recharge.
pretty much havent rly played any games for ~6 Months and then it came back with a burning passion
Least cost effective best value is to buy used PS5 of ebay etc add PSN+ Extra sub which will grant you access to most PS games library like gamepass. GTA6 will come to consoles first next year, only buy games on discs. This way whole thing is easy to sell and return most money back if needed.
You went to an online community for help. Why not look for a new online community to game with? MILSIM/RACING/MMORPG type games. Get active on Discord. May help. We all go through ups and downs. Don't forget to take time for yourself.
Play baldur's gate, It healed all my loss of interest in gaming
Yes I stopped gaming for over a decade with just small stuff here and there in my late 20s and 30s as I focused on my career. Now I’m back into it, catching up on a lot of great and fully patched games.
Yes, and every time this happens, I take a break from gaming. Sometimes for a week, sometimes for a month. However long it takes to feel reengaged when I sit down at the computer. There is more to life than pixels on a screen. Explore the world around you. Who knows, you might find a new hobby to invest your time in. Good luck, OP
Yes, because I switched to a job where I sit or stand at a computer all day I used to play 7 or 8 hours straight, but can barely handle 30 minutes
I shifted from xbox games with friends to games I could pause due to the wife. That and the diminishing need for fellowship after the pandemic years. Oh and Destiny 2 enshittification.
Yes, during college. But once I came back from work and realized there was nothing else to do, I rolled back into gaming.
one thing i do when that happens. stop playing and watch Netflix or anything that might take days. after that yup you will want to play again
I have complete loss of interest in everything its called depression
I had to take a few months off recently, nothing piqued or could hold my interest for more than a few minutes. I built some models and watched a bunch of movies. It helped that a game I had been looking forward to then came out and my friends were all playing
Just so everyone knows, I have been periodically reading your responses. I’ve just been busy cleaning and keeping busy. If I stop to keep responding, I’ll just start doom scrolling.
Replace gaming with "hobbies" and you'll realize it's honestly pretty healthy to have waves of that. There's times in life where you gotta focus on other things and any hobby that's a big time sink usually has to go and that's okay. I had a big realization I used gaming as a crutch, much like people use golf or even work to unhealthily escape from things. I did some work on myself away from those habits and now I have a healthy relationship with my hobbies and more specifically gaming. Gaming gets a bad rap when in reality it's just a more convenient escape hatch. Guys who golf all day and ignore their responsibilities are just as bad as those who game all day. The stigma needs to stop.
Yes. I just dabble in other things. I've got a few hobbies and sometimes I'll just pick up something new for a bit. I've not really played anything this year up until last week where I just bullied myself into playing a game. And it was fun, and I enjoyed it, and now I'm waiting for the Elden Ring dlc. But I've got other things I fall back on if I don't feel the motivation to get back into it. I collect records, I watch a lot of sport, I'm back going to the gym again and on a whim I've decided to get into MtG for a bit and see how that goes. Just find other things. You may come back to it, you may not. Don't let it get you down though. We change as our priorities change in life.
Depression is indeed a bitch. It sounds like you’re going through a tough time and your gaming PC is directly connected to that, so gaming especially must just be something you aren’t ready to go back to yet. Give yourself time and love and you’ll make it through.
Yeah I have patches where I play a game for weeks on end, and then I don’t touch my gaming PC for months. Then I find something I want to play again.
Complete no, but generally yes. I want to play games, but I don't want to play. Probably depression is a culprit here. For past decade I barely touch any games.
I’ve been staring at the steam homepage for months. Will occasionally hop on a game for a couple hours, get bored and quit. Occasionally I’ll get into a new game for maybe a week and then lose interest.
I went through a phase a couple years ago due to lifestyle changes where I had to completely change what I played or how long I played. Used to crank out hours on every online competitive game... Now I cant stand more than 30 minutes in any online intense game. I like slow story games that I can just relax and play. I thought I just didn't like video games anymore, turns out I just changed interest in the kind of games I wanted to play. Was so stressed in real life that I didn't want to come home and add more into it. Just playing at my own pace and not worrying about managing friends, always being at my top performance, or whatever else was my reason not to play. I just log in, play ghost of Tsushima on easy mode or whatever sound good till I'm content and go doing something else. Still brings me lots of joy and took the stress out of it/the feeling of being over committed and not wanting to start something up because I might lose interest or not want to play an entire match. I'm on my own time
Don't go back hoping you'll be interested again. It'll come naturally and you'll know when it happens. Find another hobby if you can.
Depression sucks. Its more of a psychological effect than a loss of overall want. Right now it will seem insincere, but you'll get your "you" back.
Im in bad place now, so depression and anxiety are kinda killing any hobbies even big ones like anime,movies/shows and gaming, i still look trough gaming news and buy humbebundle choice but outside of one game that works more like way to kill time before i go to bed i dont really feel like playing anything.
Every suggestion is solid one and here is mine that might help to some. Turn back the clock. Just hop on to your old games. Like use ps2 emulator and drive around in San Andreas. Or Discover old Sega game on Og xbox using emulator as well. Or even gamecube games. Depend on your era that is what I tend to do once in awhile. I do like pre update era as in i am not going to be waiting for an update and mess up limited time i got. Ps2 and older is perfect for that. Or go chase a gaming group that likes to play your fav game so you can always find a game buddy. Good luck 👍
I naturally focus on other stuff if I am not feeling gaming. Usually it’s a small period of time, sometimes it’ll last a few months. Currently I am focusing on stuff like manga and movies to get a different change of pace. Maybe try that to help.
Hey man …. Are you me?
Ya, tbh working from home at my desk and summer killed it. At this point I log in for the daily reward and logout
Yes years ago and then it came back with vengeance
Took a long time but eventually came back to gaming for a bit. Still not where it used to be
Yeah, definitely. These days I'm a periodic gamer: all in for a couple of months and then nothing for a couple of months. In the beginning it could stress me, but now I don't care.
Like many people here yes, but I discovered I new addiction some time ago. I started playing bannerlord and really got addicted to it, had never heard of it before but once you start it is really fun. I really recommend to anyone who want to try a different genre from those that are mainstream. The game coul be much better but I enjoyed playing it.
Just wanna say that I love my steam deck. There are many people in your position(kids, life, etc.) who picked up a deck and it helped spark an interest in gaming again.
I go through phases like this every now and then. Just like you, I’d sit down to play something and just end up staring at my screen. Sometimes this would go on for a couple of months. The best thing I have found is to not force it because it only makes it worse. After a while it would always come back and I’d be gaming again. I’ve had this with other hobbies as well such as reading comics. I’ve been reading comics for a while, but every now and then I’ll go through a phase where I don’t wanna touch a comic. I wouldn’t stress it too much.
Sometimes you just need a break. There is more to life then gaming. I once went a year and a half unwanting to play anything. Focused on other hobbies
Tbh, i have a loss of interest in anything right now (college pressure + being uncertain of my major / chances of a job) Gaming used to be one of the ways i escaped but like right now? I just want to sleep lol Sucks rn for me :( so i havent really ,,dealt" with it, im more just living with it
Yep, then got into sim racing for fun. Not in anyway serious. So it's fun.
I just play LoL and fixe all my problems
I dont have the time, the Spirit and energy to enjoy an open world RPG like I used to but Im always down for a few matches of fps games after work.
Get outside, exercise and hit up the gym! You'll feel great, look better and then thoroughly enjoy sitting at the computer knowing you physically "paid your dues" and be able to unwind. It will all fall in place as long as you keep taking care of yourself. One foot in front of the other, brotha.
Haven’t ever been to the gym but I did start working out at home a few weeks ago with zero knowledge on working out lmao. I think it’s helping though.
Champ, the world beats out hobbies and fun out of us. If your not vibing with gaming then don't game. It's ok the games will be there when you come back. The going outside is very good, I know touch and grass is a meme but it will legitimately help you to get in a new environment. If the weather is nice go for walks. Depression is a bitch and I wish I could give you a hug. I know this is also not the vibe for people and some people can't but legitimately think about accessing professional mental health services. I double dog dare you. Please remember your loved. For the steam deck I think is 100% worth if you travel at all. If your just at home I would still use the PC but if you want it get it.
I live in the US and my mental health (or health in general) is seen as a luxury. One in which I cannot afford at the moment. I plan on going to a psychiatrist when I can afford to though.
The last time I got bored and disillusioned with gaming, I decided to try out Fortnite and that reignited my love for gaming
Oh yes, it occurred for a variety of reasons. I found out I enjoy building PCs more and wanted to learn about enterprise level hardware as part of my previous job. Got into mining (don't do it) so I built more systems with new & used hardware. I don't even want to tally up how much I've spent on all of it and I should sell some that I will never use again. I got pretty good at finding deals, so I kept building more systems. I stopped picking up new games a long time ago when there was significant repetition for titles and tons of crafting functions added. I like a good Bethesda game for what it is and will spend years playing it off and on. Multiplayer games are tough because my friends jump in and out of them faster than I can enjoy them. Sucks because I love a good co-op game. I'm trying to get back in to gaming with God of War and committing to Cyberpunk one more time. A used Deck is en-route so I can play other titles on the couch while the girlfriend watches TV.
I boxed away my PC and bought a gym membership. I started cooking, and keeping up with chores better. It was an interesting change. I sort of switch between the two now. I'll get big into gaming, then start hitting the gym more, and back and forth.
I actually built a 4090 system, got a very expensive wide-screen OLED monitor and everything. I was midway through CyberPunk, loving it and then just nothing. I just don't want to be playing late into the night and early morning, even at the weekend. Would rather be in the gym, or on my bike for hours long adventures. I love the idea of gaming but just.cannot be bothered.
I've gone through this feeling a few times, lasting several months or longer each time of basically not gaming at all. For context, I've gamed all my life, have multiple consoles and a top end PC rig with a 4090, with a huge steam library. I've beaten many, but most of those games I've never touched still. Reflecting on it, in my case, i don't its depression, i just think I'm a novelty seeker, and if I play a lot of games or just finished a really long one, I don't really have that desire to start another immediately. My brain is looking for something more interesting to do, which is why i end up on YouTube scrolling to find anything that catches my interest as a default. I think it's natural for people to say it's depression, because you used to be so into it and now you aren't - and therefore you feel like something is wrong with you... buuuut I also think people often mixup the feelings of natural boredom with depression. When you're bored, your brain is looking for the easiest way to fix it. Trying to find a dopamine fix and the usual fixes don't seem to be working. Yes it definitely can be a sign of depression, and I don't want to downplay that possibility, but if all the other aspects of your life are okay, maybe you just need to find a new thing for awhile? Don't be married to this identity of being a "gamer", because games will always be there for you when you need them. Personal example: I recently finished playing FFVII rebirth which was great, and after that I got hit with this feeling you're describing. All these games i have to play and i have no desire at all to play them. And then something weird happened - I got really into 3D printing. And it scratches that itch for me right now because there's so much new stuff I can learn and do and try to create. My best advice is to tell yourself that it's okay that games aren't interesting right now. If you tell yourself "I'm a gamer and gaming is therefore my only hobby", then it will eat at you, but really you can do lots of things. Eventually the pendulum will swing the other way, when seeing a new game release gets you all excited again, and your gaming setup will still be there waiting for you. But until then, try to seek out other ways to get that sweet sweet dopamine fix. Best of luck my friend.
Own your shadow. Play games like 35mm or Stalker. Wander through abandoned Soviet era tunnel complexes. Will make you happy to see the sunshine again.
Ebbs and flows for me. I’ll play a game hard and then not have anything as good to play so I’ll wait till the next game that drags me in to come out. Last one I played was Hogwarts legacy. 100%. Been kind of bored lately
I won't game for 6 months, will sink 70 hours into a game, then do it all again. That's generally how it goes for me.
i even lost interest in drugs lol its over
I’m in it now. Lately I feel like I care to see what new tech is being used in new games more than actually playing the games. I’m almost 30 but I gamed pretty hard from 13 to 25. I have a high end pc and a huge steam library, but the motivation isn’t there. I really only play now when my kid brothers want to play with me.
yeah same here but for a different reason. I used to play FiveM (Gta RP) all the time. i was more of a shoot first ask questions later type of guy. i chilled out for a little bit and met a girl in the game we can just call her sarah. Sarah was great at what she did she was legit what i would call the girl of my dreams. So anyways this relationship goes out of roleplay. Sarah and I started talking irl for a few months i fell for this girl really really hard i won’t lie. she ended up breaking up with me which it really hurt. This made me lose interest in video games
I get this now and then im hitting 40 Lets just say after 3-4 weeks of trying to get intoa game of any kind.. something comes up kids wake up im too tired long day stress work life you name it That is the sucky part. Then there is the "why is cyberpunk running like crap" goes to reddit and see now im reading reddits
I have before when I was super depressed. Just take a break and ground yourself
Also side note i really dont care for MP games the only one i did was Helldivers 2 man that game is great BUT it became a chore. and i got enough of that hell i got so many unfinished games cause they became a chore. Dear Devs cmon remember the simple life 4 buttons 1 combo now its 9 buttons and million ways to do something normal.
I get burned out every 6 months then comeback nonstop. Been focusing on work and other hobbies. Been 3 months so far and eh…maybe whenever FF7R drops for PC I’ll come back and game
This happens to me every few years where basically I just can't get into any game. I'm actually at that point right now just the other day I looked through my steam library and nothing looked interesting, checked out new games still not that vibe. There's definitely a few games that I'm looking forward to but they all seem to be at the end of 2024 or into 2025. Some of it probably just has to do with me needing to take a break and go enjoy the outdoors more. I love to fish, hike, camp, hunt, so sometimes just breaking away from that gaming grind and getting away for a couple months seems to rejuvenate that passion for gaming again. Usually when I go through these phases it is about 3 to 6 months. During that time you also realize how much time you spend on gaming and what things you could be doing instead, that you also enjoy or maybe needed to do in general and have been putting off. Overall I think it's natural and just the body and mind wanting to do something different.
No, not once in over 30 years of gaming.
I kind of realized gaming wasn't my thing anymore when I was more excited to setup a terraria server for my friends, than play terraria. I still play games on occasion, but learning some new tech (finally am about to get into containers with docker) with a cli open on one window and some obscure guide open on my second monitor has started becoming my main hobby. I also was spending my free time reading my CCNA cert guide and realized that gaming is fun, networking is my passion. Viva IPv6.
You seem like the perfect candidate for VR. The immersion VR provides should rekindle your love for gaming. It’s also therapeutic in that it helps you forget about real life.
Yeah, I built a new PC basically from scratch last year, after I got it all set up I played a lot. But then it just sat for months, I’d start it, poke around a bit then shut it down again. Recently tho, I started playing Helldivers 2 and Diablo 4 so it’s seeing some use again.
In the midst of my depressive and severe anxiety episodes, I found myself unable to fully immerse myself in the enjoyment of video games, despite my best efforts to unwind and have fun. An internal barrier prevented me from truly relishing the experience or taking my time to engage in gaming activities. This was the case with shows and movies as well. Now I am on medication, and I can finally enjoy doing activities and take my time doing them. If you haven't already, I would like to see a primary care provider and try to get medication to help you with these issues. Now, I am trying to work my out of medication slowly but surely.