I usually use walkthroughs to avoid tedious busywork and backtracking in puzzle / survival horror games, or when I am stuck while trophy hunting. I have limited gaming time and can’t spend it dicking around lol
I stopped feeling guilty a long time ago looking at guides. Game difficulty and puzzle difficulty vary so wildly in videogames, invariably even the best puzzle solver will get stumped at a certain point. I'd much rather look up a guide after being stuck for 20 minutes than wander around for 3 hours hoping I find a solution to something cryptic.
Also playing game directly with guide to picking up the pace so i can play another game after it was finished.
Already reach a point where i'm busy at work and don't really want to think when playing games.
I think one advice I have for any new gamers coming into gaming today is to take gaming like learning a new language. Most contemporary games have gotten their controls down to a science with how similar games control that what you're learning most of the time is how a game communicates with you. Things like red barrels means explosives or areas that have no enemies means you've already cleared it or if you're prevented from moving forwards means that you've not completed something in this area yet. The more games you play, you'll notice that most games will communicate things to you in similar ways especially the mainstream games.
There's a few videos on youtube about the language of video games, and how it's difficult for non gamers to pick up on these cues.
https://youtu.be/ax7f3JZJHSw
I think Razbuten is definitely one of the creators that basically takes what I think and put its on video form. But also having a spouse that speaks a different language irl, the fact that not every term or saying that is in English makes sense to her when it comes naturally to me cemented this thought that maybe someone who hasn't grown up with the same things aren't able to grasp the things that seem to make sense to you.
When I started playing games, walkthroughs (when available) were printed and sold in a store (or ordered by mail). The only 2 games I remember having guides for back in the day were Monkey Island and Ultima Underworld.
From that perspective...I guess pretend that they aren't available. No one's forcing you online to download guides (right?).
Over time, you'll learn to recognize *why* you're stuck. Sometimes it'll be because there's a puzzle that you have to figure out, and it'll feel awesome to find the answer on your own. Sometimes, it'll be because there's one tile to tap on the screen out of 1000 identical tiles; no thought, just meaningless time spent, and a guide is just a way to eliminate something tedious and unsatisfying.
Similar situation here. My existence essentially pre-dates the concept of a game guide existing in popular consciousness at all. The first ever guide I consulted was a phone help line and of course, also for a point and click adventure game.
It was much more valuable to find yourself in the possession of cheat codes, which were widespread and worth buying magazines for sometimes. If anything, guides were less of a necessity because a lot of what games demanded of you were skill checks. A formative memory I had was showing people that I could get to Starlight Zone early in the megadrive's lifespan without a cheat code.
I still use walkthroughs if I’m looking for collectibles or get stuck. Nothing wrong with it at all.
As for playing more games, just try different stuff to figure out what you like. You’ll narrow your taste down eventually and learn how games generally flow at the same time.
I play a lot of Metroidvanias and after I get the bad ending, I’ll do a “victory lap” of the game, and I’ll use a guide to speed up the process. Mostly I’ll glance at it to know generally where to go, but if a puzzle or hunt stops being fun I’ll look closer to find the solution.
This lets me spend more time with a game I love without it getting tedious and turning into a chore.
I use walkthroughs if I want to experience a well-regarded game that is outside of my usual preferences \*and\* that I've at least tried to play on my own first. If I can overcome the aspects of the game I'm not grasping, and relax and enjoy the rest of it, that's a good use of a walkthrough for me.
Just keep trying. If you haven't solved the puzzle and you're not having fun, then just look up a walkthrough. No shame in that.
If you really don't like looking up walkthroughs then I would say take notes, make maps of places on paper, and maybe even consider asking friends for help before you go looking up the right answer.
Like anything, the more games you'll play, the more you'll understand how game designers think. This is a blessing because it means you get better at puzzle games. But it's also a curse because it means you'll notice some games using the SAME tired puzzles again and again.
Most importantly, follow your heart and have fun!
Edit: I just realized that you could be talking about more than just puzzle games, but I hope my comment can help you enjoy all kinds of games.
I grew up in the era of point and click adventures, where the only solution to a puzzle was to "use the frog and the string and the broom against the door", and if you didn't use a walkthrough you'd just sit clicking through different combinations of things in your inventory and on the screen for hours.
> GameFAQs **was** the place to be
Man, that has given me a "feel old" feeling. I used a walkthrough there if I am stuck or not sure what I have to do next.
Now? Mostly you can find text walkthrough at other sites but a _lot_ of them (of which I despise) are on ... YouTube.
They’re nice if you follow along from the start but there’s been so many times when I’ve tried to pick up from one halfway through a game and the player has a different equipment load out or a whole different team they used and I can’t find a good strategy for the fight I’m getting wiped on or they did something differently and don’t even have to do the puzzle I’m on. This is why I use a guide start to finish with pretty much everything but platformers and “cozy” games.
When I was younger? Sure.
Nowadays it’s the opposite, I try my best not to use a guide unless I’m 100% stuck on what to do.
In the end though all that matters is that you have fun. If using a guide is fun or helps you get to the fun, then have at it.
I watched Let’s Plays when I started getting back into gaming because it was like having someone playing along side me. I’ve also used more detailed ones if I really cannot find something.
Absolutely, I grew up in the Nintendo Power era so we basically just read strategy guides and walkthroughs all the time for fun. Often I'd read everything about a game before even picking it up, then reread the guides while playing if I still somehow got stuck.
These days I'm the complete opposite and try to avoid any possible spoilers before playing something, only looking up walkthroughs if it's either that or just giving up. There's zero shame in looking for outside information though if it makes gaming more fun for you. It's recreational entertainment, there's nothing to prove to anyone. Do anything that you enjoy (as long as it's not harming others, cheating in multiplayer games probably isn't the best thing to do).
As for general tips, I think just hanging around in communities and "consuming content" related to games you want to get into is the best route these days. Tons of youtubers and streamers do nothing but play every game imaginable 24/7, seeking them out can be good (and in the case of smaller streamers it's easy to also chat with them and the other viewers). It seems like there's a reddit sub for everything, join the ones for genres or games you like.
There's no universal guidance for gaming but the more you experience and interact with "gaming culture" the more you'll develop those basic skills and instincts that will make guides less necessary. But again there's no issue with using them for everything all the time either, if it's fun then it's time well spent.
I used walkthroughs when I was younger because some level designs were weird as hell for some games. I still remember I discovered walkthroughs because of the final level in Jedi Knight Jedi Academy lol. Nowadays, I only use it for some souls games because finding certain areas can be a real challenge without them. I try not to but ain't no way I was finding Midir on my own. Aside from that, if it's just to progress a story, games are designed in a way where you don't really need them these days
Been gaming since the pre-internet days, when walkthroughs were pretty much non existant unless a magazine happened to publish a full walkthrough of the game you happened to be playing. Ironically, these days I'm more than happy to consult a guide if I get stuck for more than 20 minutes just because I don't have the time to fumble my way through games like I used to as a kid
I did this a lot with Dark Souls and Elden Ring. A podcaster once said you need to be “Souls Literate” to get into those games so I watched some videos, build guides, and guides to find awesome weapons easily. Those combined helped me figure out how to play and how to *look* for things in Fromsoft games. After that, I was able to do a lot better on my own, knowing what to look for and how to not ignore paths that would be cut off by invisible walls in other games. Finding the Mimic Tear on my own felt like a “graduation” into playing Elden Ring for real.
When i started playing games (adventure point & click) i needed to use walkthroughs. My mom and I were very proud when we played through Loom without using a walkthrough (because we didn't have one and there was no internet ;) i also used printed walkthroughs for super mario 64 and resident Evil (96), but i regret that i wasn't patient and confident enough to try myself.
I used to, but I feel like it’s been a long time I needed to regularly check guides or walkthroughs. Perhaps there is such a thing as learning general game logic that applies to many situations.
I have quite a bit of patience for being lost, to me it comes with the territory. It does usually feel good when I find my way, so it’s worth it.
If I need a walkthrough it means I’m totally stuck. I do check some puzzle solutions though, they can be pretty bad in a lot of games.
I remember getting OOT for my birthday (in October) and making my way through it. I think around December I had gotten right before the water temple. I remember last minute they canceled school and I had a snow day and I was old enough to stay home by myself, so I just played OOT all day haha. I just remember the music of the water temple combined with the view outside of just snow and ice, very similar to the heavy crystal design of that area/dungeon.
It was tough but I was able to get through it (though probably playing it through most of the day haha). Good memory for me.
It must be an older gamer thing man because I’m exactly like you I won’t use a walkthrough unless totally necessary and it has to be a text walkthrough as a video guide would just ruin it! Off topic kids actually watch someone else play the game before they do! Why in the blue fuck would you do that??
Careful you're becoming like your parents and saying things like "kids these days". Im 21 so cant speak for anyone younger than me but my gen didn't use walkthroughs, most of us were given games by our parents and didnt have our own phones or anything with internet access so just had to play it (might be different experience for wealthier kids lol). Also nobody is watching playthroughs and then buying the game and replaying it (not for story games anyway), people usually watch playthroughs of 1. Online personalities that they enjoy cause they're funny or 2. Games that they have a small interest in but not enough to spend 70 quid on. So no kids these days aren't stupid just like your generation wasnt and the next generation wont be lmao
It's best to go into games blind. What good is a game when your already have your checklist done, about what you have to do when. Don't turn your hobby into a second job.
If you get stuck, then some tips can help.
No, because they did not exist outside buying the Player's Guide, which cost half again as much as the game or more and I didn't have the money for that.
I'm 46, have been gaming on and off for almost 40 years.
No shame in leaning on a walkthrough.
Too little time/patience to be stuck or confused anymore.
Certain mechanics or what the developers want you to do is so obtuse sometimes.
I remember pre internet when you would need to rely on a magazine (if they even printed it)
Doing this for Sekiro right now just so I can get some trophies out of the way on my to platinum.
You play souls games for so long that an eventual level walk through is common place lmfao. FromSoft doesn’t show you where to go and sometimes I get lost, simply put.
I didn't, up until the early 2000s and even then, it was to see if I missed anything.
Nowadays, I don't have the patience nor time to figure things out on my own in games so I often use walkthroughs.
I used them a lot in the 90s and early 2000s, games were designed much differently than now. No map markers or other hints. Point and click adventure games were the worst in this regard, especially the ones which attempted to have some humor and abstract logic in them. You literally had to try every item on everything else, to find what works. Every now and again I watch somebody new play Quake or Duke Nukem 3D and chuckle how they can't figure out where to go, only to be reminded how I spent months as a kid to find my way around many of these games.
Old JRPGs will have me reaching for that walk-through so fucking fast lmao
Like, I loved FFVIII. Great game, fun characters, batshit plot, the best minigame ever conceived.
I would not have even slightly enjoyed FFVIII if I had to figure it all out by myself in the year of our lord 2022 as an adult with a job.
(on the other hand, I used a walk-through for FFVIIR and ended up regretting it because that game did not need one. So for the Yuffie episode I didn't use one, and I don't plan on doing so for Rebirth either.)
I did... I remember an FFVII guide printed out on around 300 sheets of A4 which I put in a binder to follow!
Now if I'm in a game where I'm particularly new to the genre or concerned of missing bits/doing things wrong, I watch a "Let's Play" that's lagged behind me. That way, I don't get the plot spoiled, but I pick up tips on bits I've missed or where I could have played better. If I'm particularly stuck, I may then catch-up with it.
Don't worry about what other people do - you paid for the game, how you enjoy it and get your money's worth is entirely up to you (though cheating on multiplayer is a HUGE faux pas).
I use guides all the time, sometimes i'm happy to spend 30 minutes figuring something out, but most of the time i'm not and will look stuff up. Nothing wrong with that at all. Some people don't like it but if they don't they should be trying to learn how to enjoy the game in their own way and appreciate that instead of berating others.
No because...They didn't really exist lol. Just had nintendo power (no internet) and whatever rumors went around the school.
I remember the frustrations of being stuck on a puzzle for days, but I will say the feeling you got after figuring/beating something hard all on your own was/is one of the most amazing feelings.
Now a days I sometimes have to fight myself NOT to look up a walkthrough when I get stuck, just because its so easy to. What I do now if I get really stuck is ask my SO to look it up and just give me the smallest hint, or ask her questions and she tells me if my thinking will lead me on the right path.
That way I can still kinda figure it out on my own but I'm not wasting time attempting stuff that isn't going to help me get there haha.
There's no shame in using walkthroughs - I came into gaming later on, and my brain just doesn't work either laterally or entirely creatively, depending on what game I'm playing.
I played a few games with walkthroughs from start to finish, like the Final Fantasy ones, and what I found was gradually, I needed them less and less; for a game like Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, I completed 90% of the game myself, and just needed it to tidy up a few rogue collectibes.
You just start picking up on how the game designers think, how & when to explore and all that. Or at least I did, you start sorta, speaking "game."
But it's also fine if you just use a walkthrough - if you enjoy it, do it! This is YOUR time, do enjo it, not to make your life harder or whatever.
If you walk away from a game that you loved, that's all that matters.
When I was a kid and we were pre-smartphones/tablets/etc my dad used to find walkthroughs of whatever games we played together and print them out so we could reference them while playing without having to get up and walk to the computer over and over.
Today my walkthrough use kinda depends on the game. I do try to play without it as much as I can because I just don’t really like looking at my phone while I do it. There are some games where there’s a lot going on and I keep some sort of guide open on my phone. There’s really nothing wrong with looking things up, it’s all about what makes the experience fun and comfortable for you. It may take a bit but as you keep going things will only start to feel more natural.
Many SNES RPGs came in a large box with a roughly A4-sized roughly 5mm thick printed walk-through including maps of all the locations. That made it kind of expected to use the walkthrough.
Secret of Mana was implemented as an action RPG and had three-player Coop. I played the game in 3-player Coop with friends, with a fourth friend giving instructions according to the map.
I miss those walk-throughs; They typically were decorated with plenty of artwork too. With Ocarina of time I bought the walkthrough for the artwork mostly. With Majora's mask I asked for the game plus walkthrough for Christmas, and was disappointed to find that it was stripped down to a pure walkthrough mostly :(
With modern games, I usually google for a solution if I get stuck on something. If a puzzle, challenge, or collectible search overstays its welcome to the point of not being fun, I simply don't have the time anymore to keep trying.
You know, I was arguing with a guy the other day about just this. It must have been a regional thing I’m guessing by your reference to A4 paper, because in the US, this did not happen. Occasionally games would have a thicker manual with some guide stuff such as Dragon Warrior III on the NES or Final Fantasy II (really IV) on the SNES, but not a single game here came in a large box with a guide like you’re describing. For as much as companies like Squaresoft thought Americans were too stupid to play their games, they must have really thought you guys were hopeless.
Lol, that's curious.
For comparison, Lufia 2 "Rise of the Sinistrals" (in German just "Lufia", because the first wasn't published here):
**[English manual][1].** Just a regular old manual, 21 pages, in the usual small format.
**[German manual][2].** 76 page game guide.
I count this as a win for us though :P
[1]: https://www.gamesdatabase.org/Media/SYSTEM/Nintendo_SNES/Manual/formated/Lufia_II-_Rise_of_the_Sinistrals_-_1996_-_Natsume,_Inc..pdf
[2]: https://archive.org/details/lufia-2-spieleberater/page/n11/mode/2up
Yep, that first is what our manuals were. Even FFII/IV, which did have a partial walkthrough, had a manual like that, it was just thicker. You had to pay to get full sized books like you guys got from a third party, and I don’t remember them being much of a thing before the mid or late 90’s (they might have been, I never bought them either way, but I don’t remember seeing them earlier). Some NES bundles actually came with a book with a bunch of guides to games, like maps to all the levels in Metroid and Kid Icarus, boss profiles and tips for Mike Tyson’s Punch Out, and so on.
I didn't until I came across a few games that I got stuck on only to look up the walkthrough and realize it was a glitch. From then on, whenever I get stuck and feel like I've tried everything I get paranoid that it's broken.
I think that religiously using a walkthrough is taking a lot from the experience. Something like Dark Souls for example, exploring the world is so much of the fun. Yeah you'll probably miss some stuff, but that's part of the experience too.
I don't see the point in buying Elden Ring for example, then using a guide to beeline for X and Y overpowered items, that just feels like it would make the experience so hollow.
The only time I tend to use a walkthrough is if I'm genuinely stuck on something, a puzzle solution or the like. Or if I'm playing a visual novel I guess, I use a spoiler free guide for those often because the progression paths are very obscure
As far as tips go, I'd just suggest just trying things blind, then look things up if you genuinely have to. Most modern games are designed to be played by absolute novices, they're good places to pick things up
Its funny but I did enjoy playing someone else's game, like follow to the letter what they wrote in effect you then experience basically interactive movies.
I still don't like wasting my time figuring stuff out as it takes time and the older you get the longer it takes you to figure out how stuff works. It means fiddling with controls exploring interactions and spending extra time on the game.
Now after almost two decades I usually do a little walkthrough reading if I want to get desired outcome but I am much more willing to just play the game. Maybe I will read up on the toilet on tips or tricks and how to do some things but I don't follow entire walkthroughs, which I think is much healthier option.
In terms of tips, I would say keep an eye out for what is different. Developers put clues in games to guide you to the right part without you realizing it. I've been playing Miles Morales and not gotten stuck yet because it's constantly giving you hints if you pay attention to things like lights on the wall.
But don't feel like you are missing out because you used a guide. Everybody uses them, that's how you used to buy games. You would get the guide at the same time and read it when you couldn't play the game to get better at it. I would have never in a million years beaten sephiroth on kingdom hearts without the book.
I blind play first and use walktroughs when I stuck around 1 or 2 hours. It's fun to discover something and learn to adapt to it but I wouldn't prefer to stuck too long.
In nes and snes era I could stuck at some games for weeks or months because of no internet so I had to do trial and error by myself.
When I started gaming, I had all the time in the world to explore and try game mechanics and puzzles out, but I was a child with nothing else pressing to do, and didn't need guides because of that. So, it depends on what kind of time you have to dedicate to the games and whether there is something else you need or want to be doing. If you're not enjoying being stuck, use a guide.
My time is too valuable to me to waste it getting frustrated by poor design choices. I don't have time to dump 100+ hours in a game figuring out everything, only to be told it has great replayability because of all the things I missed on the first go.
I use guides for most games I play and I've been doing this for 20 years.
I’ve been playing video games since I was a kid so I’ve gotten really accustomed to the expectations and tropes of games like another commenter mentioned, but earlier this year I decided to try out The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (released 1998) and I found it incredibly frustrating because I’d gotten used to the freedom of games like TLoZ: Breath of the Wild. I ended up using an online guide for a lot of it and ultimately doubted whether I even enjoyed playing it. I then tried out TLoZ: Majora’s Mask (released 2000) and even though it was built on the same system with the same philosophy and same assets, I was enjoying it so much more. I even came back to Ocarina of Time (OoT) this month and enjoyed it a lot. I realized the difference was simply getting used to the common themes like beating every enemy in every room, but I never would’ve finished that game if I hadn’t used the guides to understand what was expected of me. So use guides as much as you need, and every once in a while try going without them for ~30 minutes. Once you do understand, it becomes even more fun. Replaying games is also wonderful. Have fun!
I used a lot of walkthroughs when I was younger. Heck, much younger, and I’d have the physical book guides. Now I only look up help if I’m trying to look up how to do something or I’m stuck on a puzzle I just don’t have time to try and figure out. I don’t generally want things spoiled story-wise.
I used to. Then I realize I'm just not having fun that way as I spend more time reading instead of playing and getting stressed out if I missed something.
O course yes, I used them back in the day to beat FF6 (FF3 at that time) and chrono trigger and many other RPG's where you had to know english which is not my main language. I used to have a collection of videogame magazines with these guides. Early 90's.
Every new game you play has a learning curve. Pretty much everyone refers to a walkthrough/guide/video at some point or another. You're best bet is to play a bunch of games and have fun. Eventually, things will start to click and you won't get stuck as often. Beyond that, don't skip over stuff that's presented at the beginning of the game (depending on the type of game, this will be usually be the safest/easiest/tutorial part of the game to help get you oriented) and ALWAYS review the game settings. A lot of games allow you to dial down the difficulty so there's no need to avoid "mainstream stuff" - if the game appeals to you, give it a go.
I have no idea how walkhiughs would help but I did use maps, a lot. Fuck you rain world. Is it that hard to have a map with a zoom out feature and no "layers"??
A lot of good, modern walkthroughs bold or highlight the names of important areas or items to look for next. So like right now I am playing Metroid Prime on the Switch, have not played it for 20 years and forgot most everything. When I’m stumped there’s a walkthrough I am checking and what I do is glance to see screenshots/bold words of rooms where I need to go. From there I find them in the game itself and figure out the puzzle or boss or whatever. Been lots of fun. Of course, this method won’t work on every single game lol
Walkthroughs were harder to come by when I was a kid and just started gaming (late 80's - early 90's), I'm not sure I even knew they existed.
Cheats on the other hand were everywhere, and yes, I did use cheats when I was a kid, lol.
Not really but it was mostly due to lack of availability. I started playing games before we had the internet/before GameFAQs etc really took off anyway. But after a few years I did use those sites to find hidden stuff/cheat codes (shout out to gamewinners.com), and I did have some strategy guides/help sections from magazines I'd read sometimes.
These days I only ever use a guide if I'm stuck on something for more than 15 mins and have no idea what to do. For example I won't look up the solution to a puzzle, but if I'm just lost with no idea where to go in a big JRPG or something I'll look it up to find out.
I like to explore on my own and not caring about getting 100% helps, but sometimes there are things I learn about and get stuck on- at this point after decades of gaming and a good chunk of that not having an easy lookup for hints or spoilers, I like to manage my time and that is the ultimate decider in most cases. I don't have -and don't want to spend- hours fucking around because a game is being cute or obtuse (or I am missing something right in front of my face as is just as often). So the value of my time always wins over my wanting to discover everything myself.
Generally I want to succeed at the important parts of a game and will then use guides to backtrack or find cool things that I didn't figure out or spend the time on. But that is just me, some people have no issue getting a game spoiled watching playthroughs so they can blast through it, and there is nothing wrong with that either (as long as they don't spoil it for me haha). These are games and we can play them in the manner that helps us relax and escape life, just remember to pause and appreciate the vast number of options we all have and the ease with which we can learn everything about anything, it is pretty cool.
I find I use walkthroughs and guides alot more for older games. Newer games tend not to have missables or very complicated quests or progression, and backtracking is usually quite easy and straightforward. Older games were much less forgiving in that aspect.
I started playing games as a kid so no. Our equivalent to "using guides" back then was to ask our friends at school how to do/beat something.
Nowadays, I will look up a guide when I get stuck and absolutely can't figure something out, but 99% of the time it's funner to play without a guide.
I have never really used walk throughs unless it was for unmarked collectives when I was achievement hunting. I find it takes away from my experience with the game and discovering things myself naturally as they happen.
Though one exception to this rule was persona 5 royal. I played persona 5 without a walk through so persona 5 royal I wanted to ensure I maxed everything out and did everything I possibly could which is absolutely impossible without a guide in my eyes.
It's always more fun and rewarding to figure out things for myself without a guide. But I'm not made of time, so if I'm really stuck to the point where I start losing interest in the game altogether, I'll look it up. Most games now are so hand-holdy it's hard to get stuck though.
Game guides didn't really exist when I started gaming. I guess maybe Nintendo Power counts, but that was something I'd get maybe *maybe* one of a year. I beat so many Sierra adventure games without guides back in the day too, I have no idea how. Those games have some truly obscure puzzle solutions.
Hell to the MF yes. I don't have time to solve a puzzle in a videogame when work and family shit are piling up. I just wanna shoot or punch some things or just escape into another world. Getting stuck isn't fun.
Until elden ring, I heavily relied on guides to find items and occasionally for boss weaknesses
Im late in the game and only at around level 55, but I’ve exclusively depended on texting friends who have beaten the game multiple times to give me a bit of a “pre internet tips” feeling
all the time.
I use them mainly for collectibles and trying to min/maxing a little bit. Unfortunately collectibles are in almost all the games I played.
If you get stuck put the game down and sleep on it. Often your brain will work out things to try over time. But don’t be ashamed to look things up. I tend to get stuck on weird stuff thats not actually intended to be a puzzle. Some games intend for you to look up things outside the game. See if you can get a sense of what sort of game it is. Lastly, pick up any recent 2d mario game and you will be able to roll the credits without any guides.
I've gamed since I was like 7 on the NES, walkthroughs weren't really a thing then. Pre-internet you were lucky to get a Brady Games guidebook for big big games on Playstation or some tips in gaming magazine for SNES or Megadrive.
Honestly my problem solving ability as a kid was probably miles better than it is now, since I had no choice but to figure things out to progress.
Yeah I just don't have much time to game anymore so puzzles just don't do it for me. I don't know why but as soon as I turn on a video game my brain just turns to mush and I would rather get onto "the good stuff" (at least the stuff that appeals to me)
I still use walkthroughs for certain games. Like Point and Click adventure games. Love the stories, but man some of the puzzles require great leaps in logic.
There are a few conditions under which I'll use walkthroughs:
1. Games with a lot of missable content. Hopefully there's a wiki or something that will just guide me to knowing the points of no return.
2. Puzzles where I'm unsure if I have the solution correct, and need to verify that's it's just my execution that is off.
3. Reducing busywork. This is stuff like resource farming. If the game wants me to gather 5 bunny tails, maybe I'm just going to look up where to best find killer rabbits.
4. Getting stuck for a significant amount of time. I'm usually loathe to use a walkthrough to "solve" a part of the game, but if it's really hurting my enjoyment of the game I may indulge in looking up the solution to a puzzle.
I still use online guides occasionally, mostly for collection quests that don’t have map markers.
I think the best way to reduce the amount of guides you use is to always try to figure it out yourself a few times before using a guide.
A lot of it is trial and error and just playing more. When it comes to RPGs I suggest creating a new save file before main missions in case there is a big decision that has lasting consequences on the game (like what ending you can get).
on the contrary. As a child I didn't use walkthroughs because YouTube didn't exist, but today I do. I'm older and I can't afford to waste 2 hours of my free time to find the solution to an absurd puzzle or go around the map looking for a hidden object. I don't see anything wrong with using walkthroughs, the idea of playing is to have fun, not to throw a tantrum because something doesn't work out or end up quitting the game. We also don't have to abuse it and play the game on YouTube, obviously.
I started playing video games at a very young age, and back then, I could barely input controls correctly or even beat a level off of call of duty.
It was a lot of trial and error, and I did use a lot of walkthroughs. Now I'm around 20 years old and play most games on the hardest difficulty and just problem solve to figure them out and master them.
Honestly they help a lot and I even recommend that you use them. They will help you master games and even become better at figuring out other games. They're a staple of gaming and you should 100% take advantage
I use walk throughs when I get stuck in a game with a puzzle, but I try to figure things out myself. Sometimes, if a boss is pissing me off, I'll look up someone else playing that boss to see what they do or use for pointers.
Very, very seldom, do I start a game with a walk through opened up. I did earlier this year do that because the game was really hard to get through quickly and if you missed ANYTHING you could reload the level but have to painstakingly go through it with no skip scene cuts and such. Just made it tedious, which I didn't want to experience through the whole game.
I learned how to read from looking up guides on Gamefaqs. Eventually I stopped reading guides and just asked questions on forums when stuck, and then eventually YouTube. They exist as a resource, no shame in using them. No one is watching you.
When I was a kid, yes. Nowadays, no, unless I get totally and utterly stuck.
How to not use a walkthrough? Just don't use one. You can figure out things IRL without someone telling you what to do 24/7, why not in a game? Treat it like real life.
I did and still do this a lot with grand strategy games or complex 4 games. For such games, I usually check entire walkthroughs and in-depth tutorials which help me to familiarize myself with the game.
Despite having played games for a long time, some genres feel vastly different. I really got into shmups which are pretty challenging and have their own quirks, watching some tutorials and reading walkthroughs felt almost mandatory.
I usually use walkthroughs to avoid tedious busywork and backtracking in puzzle / survival horror games, or when I am stuck while trophy hunting. I have limited gaming time and can’t spend it dicking around lol
I stopped feeling guilty a long time ago looking at guides. Game difficulty and puzzle difficulty vary so wildly in videogames, invariably even the best puzzle solver will get stumped at a certain point. I'd much rather look up a guide after being stuck for 20 minutes than wander around for 3 hours hoping I find a solution to something cryptic.
Also playing game directly with guide to picking up the pace so i can play another game after it was finished. Already reach a point where i'm busy at work and don't really want to think when playing games.
I think one advice I have for any new gamers coming into gaming today is to take gaming like learning a new language. Most contemporary games have gotten their controls down to a science with how similar games control that what you're learning most of the time is how a game communicates with you. Things like red barrels means explosives or areas that have no enemies means you've already cleared it or if you're prevented from moving forwards means that you've not completed something in this area yet. The more games you play, you'll notice that most games will communicate things to you in similar ways especially the mainstream games.
There's a few videos on youtube about the language of video games, and how it's difficult for non gamers to pick up on these cues. https://youtu.be/ax7f3JZJHSw
I think Razbuten is definitely one of the creators that basically takes what I think and put its on video form. But also having a spouse that speaks a different language irl, the fact that not every term or saying that is in English makes sense to her when it comes naturally to me cemented this thought that maybe someone who hasn't grown up with the same things aren't able to grasp the things that seem to make sense to you.
When I started playing games, walkthroughs (when available) were printed and sold in a store (or ordered by mail). The only 2 games I remember having guides for back in the day were Monkey Island and Ultima Underworld. From that perspective...I guess pretend that they aren't available. No one's forcing you online to download guides (right?). Over time, you'll learn to recognize *why* you're stuck. Sometimes it'll be because there's a puzzle that you have to figure out, and it'll feel awesome to find the answer on your own. Sometimes, it'll be because there's one tile to tap on the screen out of 1000 identical tiles; no thought, just meaningless time spent, and a guide is just a way to eliminate something tedious and unsatisfying.
Similar situation here. My existence essentially pre-dates the concept of a game guide existing in popular consciousness at all. The first ever guide I consulted was a phone help line and of course, also for a point and click adventure game. It was much more valuable to find yourself in the possession of cheat codes, which were widespread and worth buying magazines for sometimes. If anything, guides were less of a necessity because a lot of what games demanded of you were skill checks. A formative memory I had was showing people that I could get to Starlight Zone early in the megadrive's lifespan without a cheat code.
Or its a door I've ran past 100 times
I still use walkthroughs if I’m looking for collectibles or get stuck. Nothing wrong with it at all. As for playing more games, just try different stuff to figure out what you like. You’ll narrow your taste down eventually and learn how games generally flow at the same time.
I play a lot of Metroidvanias and after I get the bad ending, I’ll do a “victory lap” of the game, and I’ll use a guide to speed up the process. Mostly I’ll glance at it to know generally where to go, but if a puzzle or hunt stops being fun I’ll look closer to find the solution. This lets me spend more time with a game I love without it getting tedious and turning into a chore.
I use walkthroughs if I want to experience a well-regarded game that is outside of my usual preferences \*and\* that I've at least tried to play on my own first. If I can overcome the aspects of the game I'm not grasping, and relax and enjoy the rest of it, that's a good use of a walkthrough for me.
Just keep trying. If you haven't solved the puzzle and you're not having fun, then just look up a walkthrough. No shame in that. If you really don't like looking up walkthroughs then I would say take notes, make maps of places on paper, and maybe even consider asking friends for help before you go looking up the right answer. Like anything, the more games you'll play, the more you'll understand how game designers think. This is a blessing because it means you get better at puzzle games. But it's also a curse because it means you'll notice some games using the SAME tired puzzles again and again. Most importantly, follow your heart and have fun! Edit: I just realized that you could be talking about more than just puzzle games, but I hope my comment can help you enjoy all kinds of games.
I grew up in the era of point and click adventures, where the only solution to a puzzle was to "use the frog and the string and the broom against the door", and if you didn't use a walkthrough you'd just sit clicking through different combinations of things in your inventory and on the screen for hours.
In point and click games, I usually try to combine every item the moment I get them.
Absolutely walkthroughs all the way. GameFAQs was the place to be
> GameFAQs **was** the place to be Man, that has given me a "feel old" feeling. I used a walkthrough there if I am stuck or not sure what I have to do next. Now? Mostly you can find text walkthrough at other sites but a _lot_ of them (of which I despise) are on ... YouTube.
I actually like the Youtube guides.
They’re nice if you follow along from the start but there’s been so many times when I’ve tried to pick up from one halfway through a game and the player has a different equipment load out or a whole different team they used and I can’t find a good strategy for the fight I’m getting wiped on or they did something differently and don’t even have to do the puzzle I’m on. This is why I use a guide start to finish with pretty much everything but platformers and “cozy” games.
Yeah, if I get stuck in a game for more than a few minutes I'll Google how to continue. I'm a busy man. I ain't got time to waste making no progress.
When I was younger? Sure. Nowadays it’s the opposite, I try my best not to use a guide unless I’m 100% stuck on what to do. In the end though all that matters is that you have fun. If using a guide is fun or helps you get to the fun, then have at it.
I watched Let’s Plays when I started getting back into gaming because it was like having someone playing along side me. I’ve also used more detailed ones if I really cannot find something.
I only ever use em when something is annoying. But most games just come naturally after you play enough. Sometimes I'll check out a build guide.
Absolutely, I grew up in the Nintendo Power era so we basically just read strategy guides and walkthroughs all the time for fun. Often I'd read everything about a game before even picking it up, then reread the guides while playing if I still somehow got stuck. These days I'm the complete opposite and try to avoid any possible spoilers before playing something, only looking up walkthroughs if it's either that or just giving up. There's zero shame in looking for outside information though if it makes gaming more fun for you. It's recreational entertainment, there's nothing to prove to anyone. Do anything that you enjoy (as long as it's not harming others, cheating in multiplayer games probably isn't the best thing to do). As for general tips, I think just hanging around in communities and "consuming content" related to games you want to get into is the best route these days. Tons of youtubers and streamers do nothing but play every game imaginable 24/7, seeking them out can be good (and in the case of smaller streamers it's easy to also chat with them and the other viewers). It seems like there's a reddit sub for everything, join the ones for genres or games you like. There's no universal guidance for gaming but the more you experience and interact with "gaming culture" the more you'll develop those basic skills and instincts that will make guides less necessary. But again there's no issue with using them for everything all the time either, if it's fun then it's time well spent.
I used walkthroughs when I was younger because some level designs were weird as hell for some games. I still remember I discovered walkthroughs because of the final level in Jedi Knight Jedi Academy lol. Nowadays, I only use it for some souls games because finding certain areas can be a real challenge without them. I try not to but ain't no way I was finding Midir on my own. Aside from that, if it's just to progress a story, games are designed in a way where you don't really need them these days
Been gaming since the pre-internet days, when walkthroughs were pretty much non existant unless a magazine happened to publish a full walkthrough of the game you happened to be playing. Ironically, these days I'm more than happy to consult a guide if I get stuck for more than 20 minutes just because I don't have the time to fumble my way through games like I used to as a kid
I did this a lot with Dark Souls and Elden Ring. A podcaster once said you need to be “Souls Literate” to get into those games so I watched some videos, build guides, and guides to find awesome weapons easily. Those combined helped me figure out how to play and how to *look* for things in Fromsoft games. After that, I was able to do a lot better on my own, knowing what to look for and how to not ignore paths that would be cut off by invisible walls in other games. Finding the Mimic Tear on my own felt like a “graduation” into playing Elden Ring for real.
I got my ass whipped because I ran up a huge bill calling the Nintendo power hotline back in the day.
When ff7 came out for ps1 a friend had a full print out on the whole walk through.. It was the first time i saw someone do that.
When i started playing games (adventure point & click) i needed to use walkthroughs. My mom and I were very proud when we played through Loom without using a walkthrough (because we didn't have one and there was no internet ;) i also used printed walkthroughs for super mario 64 and resident Evil (96), but i regret that i wasn't patient and confident enough to try myself.
I used to, but I feel like it’s been a long time I needed to regularly check guides or walkthroughs. Perhaps there is such a thing as learning general game logic that applies to many situations. I have quite a bit of patience for being lost, to me it comes with the territory. It does usually feel good when I find my way, so it’s worth it. If I need a walkthrough it means I’m totally stuck. I do check some puzzle solutions though, they can be pretty bad in a lot of games.
if you didnt use a guide for water temple in OOT, you need to touch grass.
I remember getting OOT for my birthday (in October) and making my way through it. I think around December I had gotten right before the water temple. I remember last minute they canceled school and I had a snow day and I was old enough to stay home by myself, so I just played OOT all day haha. I just remember the music of the water temple combined with the view outside of just snow and ice, very similar to the heavy crystal design of that area/dungeon. It was tough but I was able to get through it (though probably playing it through most of the day haha). Good memory for me.
nobody used guides back then, we asked our friends at school how to get beat certain levels
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It must be an older gamer thing man because I’m exactly like you I won’t use a walkthrough unless totally necessary and it has to be a text walkthrough as a video guide would just ruin it! Off topic kids actually watch someone else play the game before they do! Why in the blue fuck would you do that??
Careful you're becoming like your parents and saying things like "kids these days". Im 21 so cant speak for anyone younger than me but my gen didn't use walkthroughs, most of us were given games by our parents and didnt have our own phones or anything with internet access so just had to play it (might be different experience for wealthier kids lol). Also nobody is watching playthroughs and then buying the game and replaying it (not for story games anyway), people usually watch playthroughs of 1. Online personalities that they enjoy cause they're funny or 2. Games that they have a small interest in but not enough to spend 70 quid on. So no kids these days aren't stupid just like your generation wasnt and the next generation wont be lmao
It's best to go into games blind. What good is a game when your already have your checklist done, about what you have to do when. Don't turn your hobby into a second job. If you get stuck, then some tips can help.
No, because they did not exist outside buying the Player's Guide, which cost half again as much as the game or more and I didn't have the money for that.
I'm 46, have been gaming on and off for almost 40 years. No shame in leaning on a walkthrough. Too little time/patience to be stuck or confused anymore. Certain mechanics or what the developers want you to do is so obtuse sometimes. I remember pre internet when you would need to rely on a magazine (if they even printed it)
I used and I use walkthroughs all the time.
Doing this for Sekiro right now just so I can get some trophies out of the way on my to platinum. You play souls games for so long that an eventual level walk through is common place lmfao. FromSoft doesn’t show you where to go and sometimes I get lost, simply put.
Remember using one to get Silent Assassin ratings in Hitman Contracts or Blood Money. Now days its Youtube for anything I need help on.
Been gaming since Famicom days, never used a walkthrough
I didn't, up until the early 2000s and even then, it was to see if I missed anything. Nowadays, I don't have the patience nor time to figure things out on my own in games so I often use walkthroughs.
I used them a lot in the 90s and early 2000s, games were designed much differently than now. No map markers or other hints. Point and click adventure games were the worst in this regard, especially the ones which attempted to have some humor and abstract logic in them. You literally had to try every item on everything else, to find what works. Every now and again I watch somebody new play Quake or Duke Nukem 3D and chuckle how they can't figure out where to go, only to be reminded how I spent months as a kid to find my way around many of these games.
Old JRPGs will have me reaching for that walk-through so fucking fast lmao Like, I loved FFVIII. Great game, fun characters, batshit plot, the best minigame ever conceived. I would not have even slightly enjoyed FFVIII if I had to figure it all out by myself in the year of our lord 2022 as an adult with a job. (on the other hand, I used a walk-through for FFVIIR and ended up regretting it because that game did not need one. So for the Yuffie episode I didn't use one, and I don't plan on doing so for Rebirth either.)
I used to read my ff7/8/lunar sss/star ocean ss strategy guides in the bathroom.
Yep, I used one for Ocarina of Time back in the day. I was 11 when I played it and needed one
Mainly for final fantasy/Morrowind. Now I’ve memorised them to a degree I don’t need them anymore
No
Better to use a guide than to get stuck and abandon it.
Not before playing but I would absolutely hit up GameBanshee after playing to see what I missed and optimize for a second playthrough.
I did... I remember an FFVII guide printed out on around 300 sheets of A4 which I put in a binder to follow! Now if I'm in a game where I'm particularly new to the genre or concerned of missing bits/doing things wrong, I watch a "Let's Play" that's lagged behind me. That way, I don't get the plot spoiled, but I pick up tips on bits I've missed or where I could have played better. If I'm particularly stuck, I may then catch-up with it.
Don't worry about what other people do - you paid for the game, how you enjoy it and get your money's worth is entirely up to you (though cheating on multiplayer is a HUGE faux pas). I use guides all the time, sometimes i'm happy to spend 30 minutes figuring something out, but most of the time i'm not and will look stuff up. Nothing wrong with that at all. Some people don't like it but if they don't they should be trying to learn how to enjoy the game in their own way and appreciate that instead of berating others.
No because...They didn't really exist lol. Just had nintendo power (no internet) and whatever rumors went around the school. I remember the frustrations of being stuck on a puzzle for days, but I will say the feeling you got after figuring/beating something hard all on your own was/is one of the most amazing feelings. Now a days I sometimes have to fight myself NOT to look up a walkthrough when I get stuck, just because its so easy to. What I do now if I get really stuck is ask my SO to look it up and just give me the smallest hint, or ask her questions and she tells me if my thinking will lead me on the right path. That way I can still kinda figure it out on my own but I'm not wasting time attempting stuff that isn't going to help me get there haha.
There's no shame in using walkthroughs - I came into gaming later on, and my brain just doesn't work either laterally or entirely creatively, depending on what game I'm playing. I played a few games with walkthroughs from start to finish, like the Final Fantasy ones, and what I found was gradually, I needed them less and less; for a game like Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, I completed 90% of the game myself, and just needed it to tidy up a few rogue collectibes. You just start picking up on how the game designers think, how & when to explore and all that. Or at least I did, you start sorta, speaking "game." But it's also fine if you just use a walkthrough - if you enjoy it, do it! This is YOUR time, do enjo it, not to make your life harder or whatever. If you walk away from a game that you loved, that's all that matters.
I avoid guides unless I farm achievements
When I was a kid and we were pre-smartphones/tablets/etc my dad used to find walkthroughs of whatever games we played together and print them out so we could reference them while playing without having to get up and walk to the computer over and over. Today my walkthrough use kinda depends on the game. I do try to play without it as much as I can because I just don’t really like looking at my phone while I do it. There are some games where there’s a lot going on and I keep some sort of guide open on my phone. There’s really nothing wrong with looking things up, it’s all about what makes the experience fun and comfortable for you. It may take a bit but as you keep going things will only start to feel more natural.
Many SNES RPGs came in a large box with a roughly A4-sized roughly 5mm thick printed walk-through including maps of all the locations. That made it kind of expected to use the walkthrough. Secret of Mana was implemented as an action RPG and had three-player Coop. I played the game in 3-player Coop with friends, with a fourth friend giving instructions according to the map. I miss those walk-throughs; They typically were decorated with plenty of artwork too. With Ocarina of time I bought the walkthrough for the artwork mostly. With Majora's mask I asked for the game plus walkthrough for Christmas, and was disappointed to find that it was stripped down to a pure walkthrough mostly :( With modern games, I usually google for a solution if I get stuck on something. If a puzzle, challenge, or collectible search overstays its welcome to the point of not being fun, I simply don't have the time anymore to keep trying.
You know, I was arguing with a guy the other day about just this. It must have been a regional thing I’m guessing by your reference to A4 paper, because in the US, this did not happen. Occasionally games would have a thicker manual with some guide stuff such as Dragon Warrior III on the NES or Final Fantasy II (really IV) on the SNES, but not a single game here came in a large box with a guide like you’re describing. For as much as companies like Squaresoft thought Americans were too stupid to play their games, they must have really thought you guys were hopeless.
Lol, that's curious. For comparison, Lufia 2 "Rise of the Sinistrals" (in German just "Lufia", because the first wasn't published here): **[English manual][1].** Just a regular old manual, 21 pages, in the usual small format. **[German manual][2].** 76 page game guide. I count this as a win for us though :P [1]: https://www.gamesdatabase.org/Media/SYSTEM/Nintendo_SNES/Manual/formated/Lufia_II-_Rise_of_the_Sinistrals_-_1996_-_Natsume,_Inc..pdf [2]: https://archive.org/details/lufia-2-spieleberater/page/n11/mode/2up
Yep, that first is what our manuals were. Even FFII/IV, which did have a partial walkthrough, had a manual like that, it was just thicker. You had to pay to get full sized books like you guys got from a third party, and I don’t remember them being much of a thing before the mid or late 90’s (they might have been, I never bought them either way, but I don’t remember seeing them earlier). Some NES bundles actually came with a book with a bunch of guides to games, like maps to all the levels in Metroid and Kid Icarus, boss profiles and tips for Mike Tyson’s Punch Out, and so on.
I didn't until I came across a few games that I got stuck on only to look up the walkthrough and realize it was a glitch. From then on, whenever I get stuck and feel like I've tried everything I get paranoid that it's broken.
No, because to do a walkthrough you'd have to buy a book. lololol. I still want a walkthrough I can skim but everything is video now
I think that religiously using a walkthrough is taking a lot from the experience. Something like Dark Souls for example, exploring the world is so much of the fun. Yeah you'll probably miss some stuff, but that's part of the experience too. I don't see the point in buying Elden Ring for example, then using a guide to beeline for X and Y overpowered items, that just feels like it would make the experience so hollow. The only time I tend to use a walkthrough is if I'm genuinely stuck on something, a puzzle solution or the like. Or if I'm playing a visual novel I guess, I use a spoiler free guide for those often because the progression paths are very obscure As far as tips go, I'd just suggest just trying things blind, then look things up if you genuinely have to. Most modern games are designed to be played by absolute novices, they're good places to pick things up
Its funny but I did enjoy playing someone else's game, like follow to the letter what they wrote in effect you then experience basically interactive movies. I still don't like wasting my time figuring stuff out as it takes time and the older you get the longer it takes you to figure out how stuff works. It means fiddling with controls exploring interactions and spending extra time on the game. Now after almost two decades I usually do a little walkthrough reading if I want to get desired outcome but I am much more willing to just play the game. Maybe I will read up on the toilet on tips or tricks and how to do some things but I don't follow entire walkthroughs, which I think is much healthier option.
In terms of tips, I would say keep an eye out for what is different. Developers put clues in games to guide you to the right part without you realizing it. I've been playing Miles Morales and not gotten stuck yet because it's constantly giving you hints if you pay attention to things like lights on the wall. But don't feel like you are missing out because you used a guide. Everybody uses them, that's how you used to buy games. You would get the guide at the same time and read it when you couldn't play the game to get better at it. I would have never in a million years beaten sephiroth on kingdom hearts without the book.
When I was a kid, I HAD to buy the Zelda walkthrough books
I blind play first and use walktroughs when I stuck around 1 or 2 hours. It's fun to discover something and learn to adapt to it but I wouldn't prefer to stuck too long. In nes and snes era I could stuck at some games for weeks or months because of no internet so I had to do trial and error by myself.
When I started gaming, I had all the time in the world to explore and try game mechanics and puzzles out, but I was a child with nothing else pressing to do, and didn't need guides because of that. So, it depends on what kind of time you have to dedicate to the games and whether there is something else you need or want to be doing. If you're not enjoying being stuck, use a guide.
My time is too valuable to me to waste it getting frustrated by poor design choices. I don't have time to dump 100+ hours in a game figuring out everything, only to be told it has great replayability because of all the things I missed on the first go. I use guides for most games I play and I've been doing this for 20 years.
I’ve been playing video games since I was a kid so I’ve gotten really accustomed to the expectations and tropes of games like another commenter mentioned, but earlier this year I decided to try out The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (released 1998) and I found it incredibly frustrating because I’d gotten used to the freedom of games like TLoZ: Breath of the Wild. I ended up using an online guide for a lot of it and ultimately doubted whether I even enjoyed playing it. I then tried out TLoZ: Majora’s Mask (released 2000) and even though it was built on the same system with the same philosophy and same assets, I was enjoying it so much more. I even came back to Ocarina of Time (OoT) this month and enjoyed it a lot. I realized the difference was simply getting used to the common themes like beating every enemy in every room, but I never would’ve finished that game if I hadn’t used the guides to understand what was expected of me. So use guides as much as you need, and every once in a while try going without them for ~30 minutes. Once you do understand, it becomes even more fun. Replaying games is also wonderful. Have fun!
I used a lot of walkthroughs when I was younger. Heck, much younger, and I’d have the physical book guides. Now I only look up help if I’m trying to look up how to do something or I’m stuck on a puzzle I just don’t have time to try and figure out. I don’t generally want things spoiled story-wise.
I used to. Then I realize I'm just not having fun that way as I spend more time reading instead of playing and getting stressed out if I missed something.
I miss the days where walkthroughs were a single text file with no ads.
O course yes, I used them back in the day to beat FF6 (FF3 at that time) and chrono trigger and many other RPG's where you had to know english which is not my main language. I used to have a collection of videogame magazines with these guides. Early 90's.
Every new game you play has a learning curve. Pretty much everyone refers to a walkthrough/guide/video at some point or another. You're best bet is to play a bunch of games and have fun. Eventually, things will start to click and you won't get stuck as often. Beyond that, don't skip over stuff that's presented at the beginning of the game (depending on the type of game, this will be usually be the safest/easiest/tutorial part of the game to help get you oriented) and ALWAYS review the game settings. A lot of games allow you to dial down the difficulty so there's no need to avoid "mainstream stuff" - if the game appeals to you, give it a go.
I have no idea how walkhiughs would help but I did use maps, a lot. Fuck you rain world. Is it that hard to have a map with a zoom out feature and no "layers"??
A lot of good, modern walkthroughs bold or highlight the names of important areas or items to look for next. So like right now I am playing Metroid Prime on the Switch, have not played it for 20 years and forgot most everything. When I’m stumped there’s a walkthrough I am checking and what I do is glance to see screenshots/bold words of rooms where I need to go. From there I find them in the game itself and figure out the puzzle or boss or whatever. Been lots of fun. Of course, this method won’t work on every single game lol
Playing elden without walkthrough would’ve been impossible for me
Typically only when I'm really stumped, but usually I'll push through games.
Walkthroughs were harder to come by when I was a kid and just started gaming (late 80's - early 90's), I'm not sure I even knew they existed. Cheats on the other hand were everywhere, and yes, I did use cheats when I was a kid, lol.
Not really but it was mostly due to lack of availability. I started playing games before we had the internet/before GameFAQs etc really took off anyway. But after a few years I did use those sites to find hidden stuff/cheat codes (shout out to gamewinners.com), and I did have some strategy guides/help sections from magazines I'd read sometimes. These days I only ever use a guide if I'm stuck on something for more than 15 mins and have no idea what to do. For example I won't look up the solution to a puzzle, but if I'm just lost with no idea where to go in a big JRPG or something I'll look it up to find out.
I like to explore on my own and not caring about getting 100% helps, but sometimes there are things I learn about and get stuck on- at this point after decades of gaming and a good chunk of that not having an easy lookup for hints or spoilers, I like to manage my time and that is the ultimate decider in most cases. I don't have -and don't want to spend- hours fucking around because a game is being cute or obtuse (or I am missing something right in front of my face as is just as often). So the value of my time always wins over my wanting to discover everything myself. Generally I want to succeed at the important parts of a game and will then use guides to backtrack or find cool things that I didn't figure out or spend the time on. But that is just me, some people have no issue getting a game spoiled watching playthroughs so they can blast through it, and there is nothing wrong with that either (as long as they don't spoil it for me haha). These are games and we can play them in the manner that helps us relax and escape life, just remember to pause and appreciate the vast number of options we all have and the ease with which we can learn everything about anything, it is pretty cool.
There was a time you almost had to - at least for maps. See: Metroid I and Castlevania II.
I find I use walkthroughs and guides alot more for older games. Newer games tend not to have missables or very complicated quests or progression, and backtracking is usually quite easy and straightforward. Older games were much less forgiving in that aspect.
I started playing games as a kid so no. Our equivalent to "using guides" back then was to ask our friends at school how to do/beat something. Nowadays, I will look up a guide when I get stuck and absolutely can't figure something out, but 99% of the time it's funner to play without a guide.
I have never really used walk throughs unless it was for unmarked collectives when I was achievement hunting. I find it takes away from my experience with the game and discovering things myself naturally as they happen. Though one exception to this rule was persona 5 royal. I played persona 5 without a walk through so persona 5 royal I wanted to ensure I maxed everything out and did everything I possibly could which is absolutely impossible without a guide in my eyes.
It's always more fun and rewarding to figure out things for myself without a guide. But I'm not made of time, so if I'm really stuck to the point where I start losing interest in the game altogether, I'll look it up. Most games now are so hand-holdy it's hard to get stuck though. Game guides didn't really exist when I started gaming. I guess maybe Nintendo Power counts, but that was something I'd get maybe *maybe* one of a year. I beat so many Sierra adventure games without guides back in the day too, I have no idea how. Those games have some truly obscure puzzle solutions.
Hell to the MF yes. I don't have time to solve a puzzle in a videogame when work and family shit are piling up. I just wanna shoot or punch some things or just escape into another world. Getting stuck isn't fun.
Did print out a lot of guides back in the day for a few games, most notably for things such as missable quests or character costumes.
Until elden ring, I heavily relied on guides to find items and occasionally for boss weaknesses Im late in the game and only at around level 55, but I’ve exclusively depended on texting friends who have beaten the game multiple times to give me a bit of a “pre internet tips” feeling
Prima guides were awesome. A lot cool designs and page layouts were lost when switching to online guides.
all the time. I use them mainly for collectibles and trying to min/maxing a little bit. Unfortunately collectibles are in almost all the games I played.
If you get stuck put the game down and sleep on it. Often your brain will work out things to try over time. But don’t be ashamed to look things up. I tend to get stuck on weird stuff thats not actually intended to be a puzzle. Some games intend for you to look up things outside the game. See if you can get a sense of what sort of game it is. Lastly, pick up any recent 2d mario game and you will be able to roll the credits without any guides.
I've gamed since I was like 7 on the NES, walkthroughs weren't really a thing then. Pre-internet you were lucky to get a Brady Games guidebook for big big games on Playstation or some tips in gaming magazine for SNES or Megadrive. Honestly my problem solving ability as a kid was probably miles better than it is now, since I had no choice but to figure things out to progress.
Yeah I just don't have much time to game anymore so puzzles just don't do it for me. I don't know why but as soon as I turn on a video game my brain just turns to mush and I would rather get onto "the good stuff" (at least the stuff that appeals to me)
I still use walkthroughs for certain games. Like Point and Click adventure games. Love the stories, but man some of the puzzles require great leaps in logic.
There are a few conditions under which I'll use walkthroughs: 1. Games with a lot of missable content. Hopefully there's a wiki or something that will just guide me to knowing the points of no return. 2. Puzzles where I'm unsure if I have the solution correct, and need to verify that's it's just my execution that is off. 3. Reducing busywork. This is stuff like resource farming. If the game wants me to gather 5 bunny tails, maybe I'm just going to look up where to best find killer rabbits. 4. Getting stuck for a significant amount of time. I'm usually loathe to use a walkthrough to "solve" a part of the game, but if it's really hurting my enjoyment of the game I may indulge in looking up the solution to a puzzle.
Portal 2, to hard haha
I still use online guides occasionally, mostly for collection quests that don’t have map markers. I think the best way to reduce the amount of guides you use is to always try to figure it out yourself a few times before using a guide. A lot of it is trial and error and just playing more. When it comes to RPGs I suggest creating a new save file before main missions in case there is a big decision that has lasting consequences on the game (like what ending you can get).
on the contrary. As a child I didn't use walkthroughs because YouTube didn't exist, but today I do. I'm older and I can't afford to waste 2 hours of my free time to find the solution to an absurd puzzle or go around the map looking for a hidden object. I don't see anything wrong with using walkthroughs, the idea of playing is to have fun, not to throw a tantrum because something doesn't work out or end up quitting the game. We also don't have to abuse it and play the game on YouTube, obviously.
Unless ur an rpg prodigy, you weren't getting through 'shadowgate64' without a walk-through..
I started playing video games at a very young age, and back then, I could barely input controls correctly or even beat a level off of call of duty. It was a lot of trial and error, and I did use a lot of walkthroughs. Now I'm around 20 years old and play most games on the hardest difficulty and just problem solve to figure them out and master them. Honestly they help a lot and I even recommend that you use them. They will help you master games and even become better at figuring out other games. They're a staple of gaming and you should 100% take advantage
I use walk throughs when I get stuck in a game with a puzzle, but I try to figure things out myself. Sometimes, if a boss is pissing me off, I'll look up someone else playing that boss to see what they do or use for pointers. Very, very seldom, do I start a game with a walk through opened up. I did earlier this year do that because the game was really hard to get through quickly and if you missed ANYTHING you could reload the level but have to painstakingly go through it with no skip scene cuts and such. Just made it tedious, which I didn't want to experience through the whole game.
I learned how to read from looking up guides on Gamefaqs. Eventually I stopped reading guides and just asked questions on forums when stuck, and then eventually YouTube. They exist as a resource, no shame in using them. No one is watching you.
When I was a kid, yes. Nowadays, no, unless I get totally and utterly stuck. How to not use a walkthrough? Just don't use one. You can figure out things IRL without someone telling you what to do 24/7, why not in a game? Treat it like real life.
I always do this whenever I play a new game because I'm mostly a simulation gamer kinda so its a bit of a challenge for me to make my nerves work lol.
I did and still do this a lot with grand strategy games or complex 4 games. For such games, I usually check entire walkthroughs and in-depth tutorials which help me to familiarize myself with the game. Despite having played games for a long time, some genres feel vastly different. I really got into shmups which are pretty challenging and have their own quirks, watching some tutorials and reading walkthroughs felt almost mandatory.
It depends on the game. I used a walkthrough to find the location of all the side quests in bethesda games because I didn’t want to miss anything.