For me, the attention span isn’t the problem. I have been going on DOS2 and Factorio benders over the last couple years. For me, it’s about making sure that I don’t have some niggling anxiety in the back of my mind ruining my concentration. Got chores done? Dinner prepped? Laundry done? Animals fed? Game time baybee.
The trick is to push through the anxiety and truly become a worthless pile of shit destroying kids in online shooters, running solely on off-brand Cola, microwave pizza and self-loathing
This dude games.
Spot on. You have zero responsibilities at that age, except for maybe some homework and a few minimal chores. As an adult all you can think about is the endless todo list.
I’m 41 years old, and I can’t pay attention to video games for more than about half an hour.
Unless I’m smoking pot, in which case I can play video games all day.
Wake and bake then Path of Exile.
I find I focus even worse when I’m high, I just want to get up and do stuff, like stretch or exercise. I definitely didn’t do that when I was younger and smoked, so idk what’s changed.
For me it’s less the attention span thing and more the lack of time
There’s a million things I gave to worry about all pulling me in every direction at the same time
Plus now that my ADHD is actually being addressed it’s way easier to find time for things
Yup. Haven’t really gamed much since my 20s which was half a lifetime ago now.
Same, but I keep upgrading my gaming rig and buying games on sale.
I still play games frequently, but in MUCH shorter sessions. I’m also gravitating more toward slower strategic/tactical games that can be paused at any time.
Agreed, it’s easier to jump back into those games, too. One thing I hate is picking a game back up after a week and spending the first 20mins figuring out what I was doing last time.
I did install a Sega Genesis emulator on a old laptop during the Xmas break to play some NHL94 and 95 with modern rosters.
That was a lot of fun. I also installed Pirates! Gold after a day and it was fun to revisit these games from my youth.
I loved the ability to save stats.
However after a couple of days I’ve not really played them again since. It only cost $14 for the Sega controller so it was worth the price. I don’t think I could buy 2 beers at a bar locally for that.
You just gotta find the right game. I discovered Satisfactory last year and had to uninstall it after a few eeks because I was staying up till 2am playing. I am 40.
I installed Civ 6, played one game on easy and uninstalled it because I knew what was going to happen if I went down this road.
Try Civ Revolution. It’s an older game but it holds up and you can do an entire campaign in less then 2 hours.
You’re like a pusher telling me “Don’t take heroin, here’s morphine instead” 😳
More like methadone? 😅
Swap the shitty snacks out for something healthier and maybe you’ll have more stamina to play
true! i quit candy and chips and now i’m able to game for 3x longer. i was also able to maintain my body mass due to lower energy consumption when i can’t afk so much. win win!
“What the fuck, a tutorial? I’m done.”
Can we make it illegal for FPS tutorials? I’ve been playing them longer than the kids making them now.
At least make it optional! I like figuring it out as I go! It’s part of the fun.
That hurts.
There’s a bit of a hump you get over, though. I’ve been recently doing some long franchise-wide marathons and once I got into the groove it was surprisingly nostalgic. It recaptured that feeling of coming back from school and just playing games until I got called for dinner.
I do understand that when I lose that flow I REALLY lose that flow. Not sure if it’s age or distractions or what. All I’m saying is you can get it back and it does feel good when you manage it.
Bruh, I’m 33 and I started playing Subnautica for the first time a few weeks ago only to realize that in the first day I accidentally played for 10 hours. You just need to find the right game for you to revitalize your interest in gaming. Whatever that game may be!
Is VR in subnautica an actual way to play or just a once in a while gimmick. I’ve had it in my library since back when it was beta and have never played more than a few minutes. Installed it since it does VR through steamlink but haven’t played yet.
I love VR and Subnautica but Subnautica is not a good game to play in VR. You can make it kinda work with mods, but it does feel very janky.
Dang. I thought maybe since it gained so much support and got so big since from when I got it in a $15 indie humble bundle that it might actually be a good one. I’ll finally try it tonight.
Have you tried the VR mod for Firewatch? I just got it on a random steam sale for $2, played a bit on my steamdeck, and was thinking the entire time I wish this was VR.
I haven’t! I beat it in flat mode and loved it though!
I haven’t gotten too far in, so I want to get the VR mod installed and restart. It’s so good so far, though the intro really does suck, like emotionally. I think it’s a perfect format for VR with the walking/ basic interaction format, nothing too complex, and great comfy visuals. I hope it works.
Sometimes, I feel like I should wait until things get better and fixed, but sometimes that leads to me missing things. I wish there were more open source, hacking, development, just community for VR. I’ve used it since Google cardboard and things really have never taken off. I think with steamlink now streaming to quest headsets, that really help.
I honestly couldn’t say as I startled playing the normal version. But as spooky as that game can get, I don’t think I’d even want to try VR version lol.
The real horrors in our reality are just depressing, so I’d prefer to distract myself with spooky scary subnautica monsters.
Subnautica just does that to you. I completed an entire hardcore playthrough in a single session once (Mostly because I already knew what I was doing but it was still like 14-15 hours straight).
Perhaps you select the wrong games. I kinda stopped gaming for some years. More than an hour was exhausting and most of the games are really boring. Then i rememberd how i loved transport Tycoon and got ottd again. Tanked LOTS of hours into that game. Half a year later i stumbled over factorio again. I bought it in beta and disliked it. Lots or ottd players followup with factorio, so i gave it another try and DAMN iam hooked. Played 60h in the last few weeks, mostly 1-2h hours per day. Its crazy.
I think you’ll come to realize that it isn’t your attention span but rather the amount of mental energy you have left after working a 9 to 5 for 5 days a week
Yeah, sometimes I just want to mindlessly scroll. Like now.
That’s definitely a large aspect for me. But, another large part is that the games just seem to be less fun. Online play has gotten so competitive that half the time people just rage quit, and single player games have just become grind machines with pay to skip options.
No, I’m not going to spend my limited free time getting a virtual job gathering wolf pelts. No, I’m not going to give you real money to avoid being virtually employed by an NPC.
I feel like game mechanics that were originally designed to immerse you into the game are now just being used to pad the game time. I won’t even buy a game anymore unless I can mod it. I refuse to spend extra hours of my time just because the only realistic aspect of the game is a limited inventory.
AAA games are trash agreed, I stick to indie games
If your only issue is that modern games suck, rather than A) Being too exhausted after work, B) Having social media-induced attention deficit, C) Being overwhelmed with other responsibilities or anxiety, or D) Simply just not having enough time, you just have to find games that are actually good. Not AAA grindfests that aim at keeping you glued to the screen getting collectibles for 80 hours, but games that are actually trying to provide you with a worthwhile experience.
Some suggestions: Subnautica, Outer Wilds (not The Outer Worlds), Disco Elysium, Pathologic 2 (mind you, this one is extremely stressful, it’s a masterpiece but most people will not enjoy it), The Forgotten City, Hades and Omori.
Outer Wilds (not The Outer Worlds)
Thank you for this distinction! I’ve heard people rave about Outer Wilds and all this time thought they were talking about Outer Worlds, which surprised me because I thought Outer Worlds was boring. Taking a look at gameplay now!
Aw, I’m really enjoying Outer Worlds right now.
That being said, I fully agree with Subnautica being a fantastic game. Probably my favourite game ever.
skill issue
Also the fact that you feel like you should be more responsible and doing something else. That’s what eats away at me in the adulthood/fatherhood
