Summary
At any given moment, checking outa list of upcoming video gameswill show a slew of titles that gamers can expect to release at some point in the future. It might be that this excites people, or maybe it gives them an idea on what to spend some money on next (the prices of AAA games these days can mean starting some sort of five-year plan to make sure buying a new title doesn’t also lead to bankruptcy). But with such a volume of games these days, it’s also easy to feel overwhelmed by just how many are out there, especially when they’re all vying for attention.
Maybe game burnout comes after playinga game with a really strong narrativeor something with combat mechanics that just scratched an itch. Or maybe it’s the opposite, and there’s not really anything that has “gripped” a gamer of late. In any case, whenfeeling burned out on games, there are a few things to tryto rekindle that love of gaming.
5Getting Out In Nature
Sometimes, A Breath Of Fresh Air Can Blow Away The Cobwebs
Gaming is - more often than not - an indoor activity. Sure,the presence of handhelds on the market, like the Switch, means that this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case, but sometimes, there’s no other option but to sit back and relax at home with a game. This can be great, encouraging gamers to unwind, get lost in a game, not talk to anyone, and more. But perhaps people are getting burned out on games simply because their environment is so static.
An easy way to remedy this is to forget about the games for a second and focus on changing the environment. Take a walk down the street, get some fresh air, go to a park or a forest. Putting the phone away for a while and just trying to get as clear a mind as possible while focusing on what lies ahead can be incredibly refreshing. It might even give gamers the time to think of a new title to dive into.
4Do Some Light Reading
Nothing Captures The Imagination Like A Good Book
Books are not nearly as out of fashion as some people think. Every few months, the invisible hand of almighty Book-Tok guides a new generation of smut writers to frightening levels of acclaim. The Black Library and literary canon for titles likeDragon AgeorHaloshow that a lot of video game settings (and tabletop settings that have also been turned into video game settings) are perfect candidates for novels. Fantasy titles and sci-fi epics can have just as much character and personality with some words on a page that million-dollar budget games strive to achieve.
For those looking for a middle ground,some games are so text-heavythat they might as well be books. Change up the medium and see what a difference it makes for engagement. If the idea of reading something stirs emotions of fear, hatred, or memories of an insufficient school system that instilled a dislike of literature into entire generations, then consider it a challenge. Those who can 100%Baldur’s Gate 3can easily read a book.
3Catch Up With Friends Outside Of Games
Connect With Another Human - No Screens In Between
One of the inherently enticing things about multiplayer games isthe social aspect that comes along with them. These games serve as ways to bring people together, unite them in a common purpose and activity - if only for a short while (or for 12 consecutive hours). But if games are starting to lose their luster, maybe it’s time to try connecting with some friends. Bonding over similar interests - like games - will help relight that spark.
If friends are abroad or only accessible through social media, that’s still a fine way to get a real, human conversation started up. The goal is to have some kind of human connection to make one’s self feel more, well, human, after an extended bout of gaming.
2Play A Cozy Game
Play Something That’s Comforting And With Low Stakes
Games are made for entertainment - entertainment and leisure, ideally, but mainly entertainment. Part of the reason that people can get burned out from games, though, is the same reason why people get burned out from work or academia. There’s always a mission: Save the princess, slay the dragon, kill the bad guy, hand in those papers by 5, hand in that essay by tomorrow, press X to pet the cat, etc. Moreso than just having something to do, maybe people are feeling tired from games setting these standards to meet over and over again. This is, of course, a totally natural means of game design, but the burn-out it can cause is still just as real.
Thankfully, there are plenty of cozy games that don’t havethis kind of breakneck pace. Farming sims likeStardew ValleyorCoral Islandtake a much slower and gradual pace. There are plenty of low-stakes strategy titles that are built around relaxation, encouraging gamers to refrain from tearing their hair out when something like an attempt to industrialize a developing nation inVictoria 3goes wrong.
1Get Into A Tabletop Game
Roleplaying Games - Digital Or Otherwise - Are All About Imagination
Arguably the foundation of RPGs as people know them as today is the tabletop roleplaying scene. The new edition ofD&Dhas just been released, so it’s the perfect time for a few friends to get together, draw straws to see who has to DM, and play some lightheartedDungeons and Dragons- or any of the other tabletop games that are out there. For fans of vampires,Vampire: The Masqueradecould be a the experience for them. LoveStranger Things?Tales From The Loopis set in a retro-futuristic 1980s, and all the PCs being between the ages of 11 and 15.
Not too keen on the roleplaying side of tabletop RPGs? Plenty of smaller card games have massive decks to divide among players right out of the box for easy play. Have some money that was going to waste just sitting in that wallet anyway? TryWarhammer 40,000, which is sure to have gotten a boost in popularity afterthe release ofSpace Marine 2. Games that aren’t of the ‘video’ variety can hold some of the most exhilarating and unique experiences, especially for those burned out on digital titles.
