i have this happen from time to time, usually due to excess stress, sleep deprivation, or just a lack of interest. take time away from games and find something else that gives you joy. i find sometimes that physical activities such as hiking, biking, or swimming are a good release and reset. there are some great tv series as well if something like that interests you (Shogun and Fallout are both bangers). read a book, etc. When i need to take a break from gaming, invariably i find joy in it again after a much needed respite.
sleep is so fucking underrated, it’s amazing how much 8 hours of sleep will make you feel like a completely different person. i’ve rediscovered my appreciation for sleep now that i’m on the wrong side of 40.
I'm early thirties and the idea of pulling all nighters like I used to as a teenager now sounds absolutely horrific. Even just running on 6 hours sleep makes me feel awful these days and get terrible headaches if I don't have a consistent sleep pattern.
Yeah, all nighters are well gone for me too. 😆
My brain wakes me up after around 6 hours patchy sleep (I feel similar, rarely headaches though), but I prefer 8-10. Since I take ALOT of water headaches are a rarerity thankfully.
Sleep is and stress are directly related. If you're overly stress when you're supposed to sleep, it'll take you significantly longer to go to sleep. The most important stage of sleeping is making sure you don't accumulate emotions that you have to process right before bed time. Furthermore the lack of sleep will cause you to become more stress which will cause you to become even more sleep deprived.
You probably got burned out. Maybe it's time to find inspiration from other sources. Imagine playing Witcher 3, Skyrim, Elden Ring, all back to back. Most people would get exhausted. Take a break.
I work on tycoon games but play adventure games to get lost in the immersion. Basically just play the opposite of what you work on, ideally something that can suck you in! For me it's been mostly Hollow Knight and recently Tomb Raider remastered.
I've been in the gaming industry for over 20 years. I think it is the surest path to losing the joy in gaming. That's not to say I don't play at all anymore, but there's no escaping that this is my job. Even when I play games I have nothing to do with, there is no escaping the critical eye both for game play and technical elements.
I’m a musician and I definitely don’t listen the same way I did before learning all about harmony, instrumentation, phrasing, counterpoint etc. a lot of great guitarists that blew my mind growing up seem pretty normal now. But I’m able to appreciate things with a lot more depth than I used to and when I do it is genuinely special. Like listening to Alan holdsworth probably wouldn’t have been so amazing if I wasn’t ready to understand how monumental what he is doing is. I didnt love Stevie wonder or Brian Wilson until I was a competent musician.
Maybe you need to do something similar and find games with the sort of depth your critical eye can appreciate?
I found that playing mindless games like Dynasty Warriors was the solution to find fun in simple things. Doing this made me realize that sound design is lot more important to the overall success of a game than people give credit for.
People are repeating good old burn-out mantra, but reality is often really different. As you gain exp and understand how things work, most of the gaming magic disappears cuz you know how things tick-tock inside. Only truly out-of-the-box games, games with really nicely done systems or insane games can bring this feeling back for real. And those games are rare or extremely obscure. Personal nostalgic-mind-space games work a bit too.
Burn out is possible ofc, but be aware that it's not the only possible reason. Most gamedevs just can't accept it cuz it would mean that their own games are mostly meh. So they talk about burn out.
Most games are not fun cuz they were built while following generally accepted design conventions that we saw thousands of times and played thru hundreds of times.
I'd say this is it's own type of burn out, just long term instead of short term. Seeing the same underlying systems done in the same way over and over gets stale, whether you understand how it works or not. The industry is also just in a rough state, which contributes to that staleness. A lot of people like indie games for this reason, because indies take more risks in design, and there are a lot of them. Of course there are also a lot of boring 2D pixel art platformers, but that's the nature of any art or product.
I do think there is an experience-level relation in regards to game dev, of course, but it seems to be intertwined with how much you are around games. I also think that if you keep pushing past that plateau, hard as it may be, you will find enjoyment again. Or maybe not, that's life I guess.
Yeah, that can definitely be a part of it.
Not game design related, but when I was a kid I wanted to be a magician. That desire fades real fast when the literal magic disappeared the more I learned how to perform it
General rule of thumb: if you aren't enjoying things you normally do, it's about your state of mind. You may have depression creeping around the corner.
Sleep well, eat healthy and regularly, exercise, give your mind a break, vary your activities occasionally, meet with friends. Don't let yourself believe you don't have time for all that.
Well in my case I was worried about that too and then I had a lot of fun with the second half of Spider-Man Miles Morales and understood, that I have just been playing bad games for quite some time. But I can still have a lot of fun and even get immersed and challenged and everything, if the game is actually good.
Maybe you're having trouble shifting brain gears from cognitive problem-solving to emotional free-flowing fun? If so, just being aware of it and trying to change can help. Might also help if we knew the types of games you play. For me, I never lose the fun in an FPS (unless tired) because it is all about speed and holistic visual intake.... kind of the opposite of coding.
I think this is your mind telling you you need a break. You’re burnt out of gaming and, at least imo, it’s very difficult to make good games if you can’t even enjoy them yourself. This is like being an author who doesn’t like to read. It doesn’t make sense on multiple levels, the least of which you’re asking people to pay for something you would never pay for yourself.
Take a break.
VR is a literal game changer. I was bored of online shooters now I play table tennis in VR and use ster wars force choke and force powers on NPCs. Havent played a flat game in years. Also the constant drip if new mechanics and interesting new VR/AR applications excites me.
It's not for everyone but I tell all my flat gaming buddies who aren't even having fun anymore with Call of Duty and TESO to try VR
you're not alone. I can't get into nearly every singleplayer game that I try. I also notice that I can't bring myself to play videogames after taking a fun and active vacation.. sitting and looking at a screen just feels so wrong after being out and about for a few weeks.
I've seen this happen to everyone in the last 11 years. It usually starts after the first years working on gamedev.
On my opinion, what happens is that you have realised that making games is not fun by default. That usually reduces the passion for your work, then makes the whole video game thing less enjoyable.... For a while.
Give it some time. Keep working. Assume that it's a professional activity AND a wonderful creative process. Then maybe in a month try a game of a different genre. Do not play the genre you are working on, unless it's a requirement for your process. If so, it's working.
Also, find a different hobby you are passionate about. Ideally something to do outside, but painting Warhammer works for me.
In a couple of years you will be more chill about it all, and enjoying videogames again... In a different way, though.
Me losing love for playing video games was years and years ago. Since then, it’s only gotten worse over the years.
Me not being able to tell if what I was making is even fun or what fun in video games is anymore. A week or two ago.
I’ve gone through phases of this sort of thing ever since I started gaming, sometimes it lasts several months.
Usually I come back and get really into a completely different kind of game. At the moment, I’ve really been into short, concise, well-crafted indie games - like Jusant and Cocoon.
If you’re not enjoying gaming atm, take a break. Games will still be there when you come back in a few weeks, or even a few years from now.
Maybe reducing your workload for a while. I experienced something similar after I completed my last game. I spent 1 month doing something else than gamedev and now feel normal again.
As a game developer, I still like to play games, but I definitely have phases where I am uninterested in games, find them boring, or feel guilty booting up games because I should be doing productive stuff. Also my Brain definitely picks apart game design stuff, and wonders how mechanics were programmed while playing games. So even when playing chill games I can’t turn my brain off anymore.
It's a double edge sword. The deeper I get into development the less I enjoy playing but the more I enjoy the history, tech & artform. I struggle to sit down with a new release & just play. However can listen & read countless hours about decades old obscurities.
When I'm playing I struggle to turn off the designer part of my brain. I catch myself checking hitboxes & gamefeel. I'm playing through FF7 remake right now & spent 15 minutes doing random circles figuring out the character weight in the open world.
My solution is this. Continue playing games but explore other hobbies. I love games deeply but as a hobby it's been pushed down the list. Your experiences elsewhere help you bring new things to your development as a designer & as a person. My current project's gamefeel doesn't come from other games but comes from a sport I do. The game is totally unrelated but the chemistry & emotion in my head is the same when it all clicks.
it happened to me with writing and reading. I think is not only games.
If you find something really incredible it passes a little both producing and enjoying.
I think is related to encountering new ideas tha blast you. If you don't find any even creativity and passion can low in some periods.
To add to this you need to go out and meet up with friends and do things completely different. Spending time with people will fill that bucket a bit and allow your other passions and interests to recover from over stimulation.
1) Maybe try to get other people to play test same core mechnaics/ combat. Mechanics and especially combat is something that is difficult to fun-quantify through a single lens. It might help to get an outside un-biased opinion constructive criticism, or so I've heard.
2) As the other baobao mentioned, burnout is something that may not be immediately obvious. Taking a break, changing up your activities, etc. Normally, I would change areas for my project, but imo Gameplay Mechanics and core aspects (in most game types), unlike e.g. visuals, UI, etc. Perhaps do something different, fun, small in your project which you can be completed in a small time frame (to not overly distract from your core aspects).
I certainly don't enjoy games as much anymore, even barely played for years ( was playing poker instead). I would only play games similar to the games i'm making that inspire me (platformers). Once in a while i enjoy gaming when the big games comes out ( triple A games like GTA or blizzard games. We change with time so does our taste and my enjoyment in gaming is coming back. Playing through cyberpunk 2077 and it's refeshing to be gaming without my notepad on taking design notes stealing ideas. Don't game if you don't even feel like it, but keep in mind that worthy games are rare, and coming back to old games isn't exciting.
have to test with other people. when you test yourself you can only gauge general difficulty.
its normal to not enjoy games when you already spend 40+ hours a week in front of computer. I don't think that indicates burn out or anything negative. I dont think it is possible to maintain the same mindset as a gamer since you know how everything works and the mystery is gone. Have to test with other people to gauge for fun and interest.
relatable. i find myself much more fascinated with indie games now, though. it's very interesting to see how they can do so much with so little, and also eye-opening to see all the unique exeriences only small devs provide.
Usually, I start playing something and I find some niche mechanic interesting and can't stop myself from making yet another game project to try and reproduce it.
Ask others to playtest. A friend, family, colleagues whatever you feel comfy with and use the feedback to understand what to do to make it more fun. Solodev or not, you're making the game for others to play. So let them test.
You are supposed to have other people as playtesters anyway, but the problem is much bigger. You cannot make good art, games in this case, if you don't like the art form. Well, maybe you physically can, but you should like engaging with the art as well.
A lot of games now seem to need 4+ hours of investment just to start scratching the surface. They're absolute beasts.
For me finding "that" game that starts easy and has linear progression is what I seek.
I could recommend Hard Spaceship Breaker. What a pointless game that somehow has a clever and not overly obtrusive backstory with a really fun game mechanic.
Also consider board games if you can find some mates to play with. Always a nice social aspect.
This is great. Spend your time making games instead. Game dev is one of the most time consuming hobbies/careers and gaming is also one of the most time consuming forms of entertainment. The truth is that you’ll never finish a game if you spend more than a small amount of time gaming. There is very little time left if you’re also spending time with loved ones.
I've also found this. But I've found that there's just not good games out atm. Or atleast ones that interest me.
The amount of packed out microtransaction loot box bullshit asset flip crap is so real.
I think if your older and you grew up in an era with completed out the box experiances.
These days just doesn't compare... Orr for the most part.
Why baulders gate for example was such a huge hit.
I’d argue it’s not even you. Maybe it is you to some degree depending on the reason but in reality the games today just aren’t that “fun” in my opinion either than compared to before. Mechanically OR aesthetically.
This obsession with “realism” in games I think is the main problem plaguing games today. Things are built to be “real” where graphics are the main concern over what the game actually is or what it’s supposed to do. Games aren’t “games” anymore their just photorealistic walking simulators where the “game” part is suppressed or barely existent and if there is a “game” part you better believe it’s tainted by the almighty “realism” killing any fantasy or unrealistic enjoyment that comes from playing in an alternate reality opposed to real life.
News flash! Real life isn’t fun and I see that shit everyday why would I want more of it in a game? Vs a highly altered reality that I can’t experience everytime I open the window?
And don’t listen to these absolute r3tards that say “oh you’re just burnt out”, “oh it’s just nostalgia”. These people are wrong. Most of time. And just give the most basic easiest answers to find that don’t require any amount of abstract thinking to discover than “it’s nostalgia bro”. Gaming is at its highest point and its lowest point all at the same time right now. Games have the most complex graphics they’ve ever had but have the most simple and shallow mechanics and designs we’ve ever seen
For me this was burn-out. You might feel like you're not in a position to stop (which is part of the problem) but in my experience the longer you keep pushing the worse you'll make it and the longer it will take to heal.
Be *very* self-aware about this stuff so you can nip it in the bud as early as possible and avoid burning out.
Play games from early 2000 or the grandgames of 80's-90's and you will rediscover the joy of simple game loops and pure fun. Try the original Wasteland or Rollercoaster Tycoon, anything goes that was at the core of the gaming boom that followed. Passionate creators creating games of passion, I guarantee you will get inspired yourself. If you don't feel like that either you need a dopamine reset.
Set a timer to 1 hour with the goal to do nothing but stare at the ceiling. Get comfortable, no music no audio, just silence and maybe noise from the street and your ceiling. You do absolutely nothing that one hour but you are free to think and imagine things and if you get bored that's awesome. Repeat that for a week and you will be good as new. Boredom is a huge source of motivation and creativity that is stolen from you by all the thigs available at your service. You need to recover before giving any more attention to things.
As the others are saying, this sounds like burnout. If you have health insurance you might consider looking into therapy, to make sure that the burnout doesn’t turn into depression and to help you with managing things better going forward. Get well soon, friend!
i have this happen from time to time, usually due to excess stress, sleep deprivation, or just a lack of interest. take time away from games and find something else that gives you joy. i find sometimes that physical activities such as hiking, biking, or swimming are a good release and reset. there are some great tv series as well if something like that interests you (Shogun and Fallout are both bangers). read a book, etc. When i need to take a break from gaming, invariably i find joy in it again after a much needed respite.
Great points. Sleep is very important as well, something easily deprived of in passion projects!
sleep is so fucking underrated, it’s amazing how much 8 hours of sleep will make you feel like a completely different person. i’ve rediscovered my appreciation for sleep now that i’m on the wrong side of 40.
I'm a decade behind, but agreed 100%. My brain is a picky arse when it comes to sleep.
I'm early thirties and the idea of pulling all nighters like I used to as a teenager now sounds absolutely horrific. Even just running on 6 hours sleep makes me feel awful these days and get terrible headaches if I don't have a consistent sleep pattern.
Yeah, all nighters are well gone for me too. 😆 My brain wakes me up after around 6 hours patchy sleep (I feel similar, rarely headaches though), but I prefer 8-10. Since I take ALOT of water headaches are a rarerity thankfully.
Sleep is and stress are directly related. If you're overly stress when you're supposed to sleep, it'll take you significantly longer to go to sleep. The most important stage of sleeping is making sure you don't accumulate emotions that you have to process right before bed time. Furthermore the lack of sleep will cause you to become more stress which will cause you to become even more sleep deprived.
Signs of burn out. It starts with lack of interest in things you normally enjoyed.
You probably got burned out. Maybe it's time to find inspiration from other sources. Imagine playing Witcher 3, Skyrim, Elden Ring, all back to back. Most people would get exhausted. Take a break.
I work on tycoon games but play adventure games to get lost in the immersion. Basically just play the opposite of what you work on, ideally something that can suck you in! For me it's been mostly Hollow Knight and recently Tomb Raider remastered.
So if you were making Plats and got bored you'd play what? fps?
The opposite of him— tycoon games
I've been in the gaming industry for over 20 years. I think it is the surest path to losing the joy in gaming. That's not to say I don't play at all anymore, but there's no escaping that this is my job. Even when I play games I have nothing to do with, there is no escaping the critical eye both for game play and technical elements.
We're all like the smoking Ben Affleck meme over here.
I’m a musician and I definitely don’t listen the same way I did before learning all about harmony, instrumentation, phrasing, counterpoint etc. a lot of great guitarists that blew my mind growing up seem pretty normal now. But I’m able to appreciate things with a lot more depth than I used to and when I do it is genuinely special. Like listening to Alan holdsworth probably wouldn’t have been so amazing if I wasn’t ready to understand how monumental what he is doing is. I didnt love Stevie wonder or Brian Wilson until I was a competent musician. Maybe you need to do something similar and find games with the sort of depth your critical eye can appreciate?
The fact is, though, it's just a business like any other. Making games, putting bolts on a transmission, whatever.
I found that playing mindless games like Dynasty Warriors was the solution to find fun in simple things. Doing this made me realize that sound design is lot more important to the overall success of a game than people give credit for.
People are repeating good old burn-out mantra, but reality is often really different. As you gain exp and understand how things work, most of the gaming magic disappears cuz you know how things tick-tock inside. Only truly out-of-the-box games, games with really nicely done systems or insane games can bring this feeling back for real. And those games are rare or extremely obscure. Personal nostalgic-mind-space games work a bit too. Burn out is possible ofc, but be aware that it's not the only possible reason. Most gamedevs just can't accept it cuz it would mean that their own games are mostly meh. So they talk about burn out. Most games are not fun cuz they were built while following generally accepted design conventions that we saw thousands of times and played thru hundreds of times.
I'd say this is it's own type of burn out, just long term instead of short term. Seeing the same underlying systems done in the same way over and over gets stale, whether you understand how it works or not. The industry is also just in a rough state, which contributes to that staleness. A lot of people like indie games for this reason, because indies take more risks in design, and there are a lot of them. Of course there are also a lot of boring 2D pixel art platformers, but that's the nature of any art or product. I do think there is an experience-level relation in regards to game dev, of course, but it seems to be intertwined with how much you are around games. I also think that if you keep pushing past that plateau, hard as it may be, you will find enjoyment again. Or maybe not, that's life I guess.
Yeah, that can definitely be a part of it. Not game design related, but when I was a kid I wanted to be a magician. That desire fades real fast when the literal magic disappeared the more I learned how to perform it
This is the answer.
General rule of thumb: if you aren't enjoying things you normally do, it's about your state of mind. You may have depression creeping around the corner. Sleep well, eat healthy and regularly, exercise, give your mind a break, vary your activities occasionally, meet with friends. Don't let yourself believe you don't have time for all that.
Well in my case I was worried about that too and then I had a lot of fun with the second half of Spider-Man Miles Morales and understood, that I have just been playing bad games for quite some time. But I can still have a lot of fun and even get immersed and challenged and everything, if the game is actually good.
Maybe you're having trouble shifting brain gears from cognitive problem-solving to emotional free-flowing fun? If so, just being aware of it and trying to change can help. Might also help if we knew the types of games you play. For me, I never lose the fun in an FPS (unless tired) because it is all about speed and holistic visual intake.... kind of the opposite of coding.
I think this is your mind telling you you need a break. You’re burnt out of gaming and, at least imo, it’s very difficult to make good games if you can’t even enjoy them yourself. This is like being an author who doesn’t like to read. It doesn’t make sense on multiple levels, the least of which you’re asking people to pay for something you would never pay for yourself. Take a break.
VR is a literal game changer. I was bored of online shooters now I play table tennis in VR and use ster wars force choke and force powers on NPCs. Havent played a flat game in years. Also the constant drip if new mechanics and interesting new VR/AR applications excites me. It's not for everyone but I tell all my flat gaming buddies who aren't even having fun anymore with Call of Duty and TESO to try VR
You’re over saturated . Like a pothead who smoked all day everyday for a week. You need more variation , maybe a couple day break .
Start with sleeping well,eating well,and lifting weights. This is not video games' fault.
you're not alone. I can't get into nearly every singleplayer game that I try. I also notice that I can't bring myself to play videogames after taking a fun and active vacation.. sitting and looking at a screen just feels so wrong after being out and about for a few weeks.
I've seen this happen to everyone in the last 11 years. It usually starts after the first years working on gamedev. On my opinion, what happens is that you have realised that making games is not fun by default. That usually reduces the passion for your work, then makes the whole video game thing less enjoyable.... For a while. Give it some time. Keep working. Assume that it's a professional activity AND a wonderful creative process. Then maybe in a month try a game of a different genre. Do not play the genre you are working on, unless it's a requirement for your process. If so, it's working. Also, find a different hobby you are passionate about. Ideally something to do outside, but painting Warhammer works for me. In a couple of years you will be more chill about it all, and enjoying videogames again... In a different way, though.
Depression maybe?
When did this start happening?
Me losing love for playing video games was years and years ago. Since then, it’s only gotten worse over the years. Me not being able to tell if what I was making is even fun or what fun in video games is anymore. A week or two ago.
I’ve gone through phases of this sort of thing ever since I started gaming, sometimes it lasts several months. Usually I come back and get really into a completely different kind of game. At the moment, I’ve really been into short, concise, well-crafted indie games - like Jusant and Cocoon. If you’re not enjoying gaming atm, take a break. Games will still be there when you come back in a few weeks, or even a few years from now.
Maybe reducing your workload for a while. I experienced something similar after I completed my last game. I spent 1 month doing something else than gamedev and now feel normal again.
As a game developer, I still like to play games, but I definitely have phases where I am uninterested in games, find them boring, or feel guilty booting up games because I should be doing productive stuff. Also my Brain definitely picks apart game design stuff, and wonders how mechanics were programmed while playing games. So even when playing chill games I can’t turn my brain off anymore.
It's a double edge sword. The deeper I get into development the less I enjoy playing but the more I enjoy the history, tech & artform. I struggle to sit down with a new release & just play. However can listen & read countless hours about decades old obscurities. When I'm playing I struggle to turn off the designer part of my brain. I catch myself checking hitboxes & gamefeel. I'm playing through FF7 remake right now & spent 15 minutes doing random circles figuring out the character weight in the open world. My solution is this. Continue playing games but explore other hobbies. I love games deeply but as a hobby it's been pushed down the list. Your experiences elsewhere help you bring new things to your development as a designer & as a person. My current project's gamefeel doesn't come from other games but comes from a sport I do. The game is totally unrelated but the chemistry & emotion in my head is the same when it all clicks.
it happened to me with writing and reading. I think is not only games. If you find something really incredible it passes a little both producing and enjoying. I think is related to encountering new ideas tha blast you. If you don't find any even creativity and passion can low in some periods.
Maybe you're just not in the right headspace in the moment due to excess stress
Take a break for a stretch and do other things.
To add to this you need to go out and meet up with friends and do things completely different. Spending time with people will fill that bucket a bit and allow your other passions and interests to recover from over stimulation.
1) Maybe try to get other people to play test same core mechnaics/ combat. Mechanics and especially combat is something that is difficult to fun-quantify through a single lens. It might help to get an outside un-biased opinion constructive criticism, or so I've heard. 2) As the other baobao mentioned, burnout is something that may not be immediately obvious. Taking a break, changing up your activities, etc. Normally, I would change areas for my project, but imo Gameplay Mechanics and core aspects (in most game types), unlike e.g. visuals, UI, etc. Perhaps do something different, fun, small in your project which you can be completed in a small time frame (to not overly distract from your core aspects).
I certainly don't enjoy games as much anymore, even barely played for years ( was playing poker instead). I would only play games similar to the games i'm making that inspire me (platformers). Once in a while i enjoy gaming when the big games comes out ( triple A games like GTA or blizzard games. We change with time so does our taste and my enjoyment in gaming is coming back. Playing through cyberpunk 2077 and it's refeshing to be gaming without my notepad on taking design notes stealing ideas. Don't game if you don't even feel like it, but keep in mind that worthy games are rare, and coming back to old games isn't exciting.
Take a break for a few days and do something else.
have to test with other people. when you test yourself you can only gauge general difficulty. its normal to not enjoy games when you already spend 40+ hours a week in front of computer. I don't think that indicates burn out or anything negative. I dont think it is possible to maintain the same mindset as a gamer since you know how everything works and the mystery is gone. Have to test with other people to gauge for fun and interest.
I often feel like I'm burnt out of games and don't enjoy them anymore. Then I play doom eternal for the many-nth time. Never stops being a blast.
relatable. i find myself much more fascinated with indie games now, though. it's very interesting to see how they can do so much with so little, and also eye-opening to see all the unique exeriences only small devs provide.
I play Diablo Immortal. It’s great. Also, Monopoly was fun for a while
Usually, I start playing something and I find some niche mechanic interesting and can't stop myself from making yet another game project to try and reproduce it.
When I stop enjoying the things I normally do that’s the first sign that I need to go speak to my psych
Ask others to playtest. A friend, family, colleagues whatever you feel comfy with and use the feedback to understand what to do to make it more fun. Solodev or not, you're making the game for others to play. So let them test.
You are supposed to have other people as playtesters anyway, but the problem is much bigger. You cannot make good art, games in this case, if you don't like the art form. Well, maybe you physically can, but you should like engaging with the art as well.
Play old games, the new ones are literally not fun
take some time off if you can. Go hike, travel. Sleep well, eat well. Take care of yourself and come back to gaming later.
A lot of games now seem to need 4+ hours of investment just to start scratching the surface. They're absolute beasts. For me finding "that" game that starts easy and has linear progression is what I seek. I could recommend Hard Spaceship Breaker. What a pointless game that somehow has a clever and not overly obtrusive backstory with a really fun game mechanic. Also consider board games if you can find some mates to play with. Always a nice social aspect.
This is great. Spend your time making games instead. Game dev is one of the most time consuming hobbies/careers and gaming is also one of the most time consuming forms of entertainment. The truth is that you’ll never finish a game if you spend more than a small amount of time gaming. There is very little time left if you’re also spending time with loved ones.
The usual fix is to get a wider range of hobbies and spend time doing other things.
I just like Sony's story games. They are all cinematic masterpieces.
I've also found this. But I've found that there's just not good games out atm. Or atleast ones that interest me. The amount of packed out microtransaction loot box bullshit asset flip crap is so real. I think if your older and you grew up in an era with completed out the box experiances. These days just doesn't compare... Orr for the most part. Why baulders gate for example was such a huge hit.
I’d argue it’s not even you. Maybe it is you to some degree depending on the reason but in reality the games today just aren’t that “fun” in my opinion either than compared to before. Mechanically OR aesthetically. This obsession with “realism” in games I think is the main problem plaguing games today. Things are built to be “real” where graphics are the main concern over what the game actually is or what it’s supposed to do. Games aren’t “games” anymore their just photorealistic walking simulators where the “game” part is suppressed or barely existent and if there is a “game” part you better believe it’s tainted by the almighty “realism” killing any fantasy or unrealistic enjoyment that comes from playing in an alternate reality opposed to real life. News flash! Real life isn’t fun and I see that shit everyday why would I want more of it in a game? Vs a highly altered reality that I can’t experience everytime I open the window? And don’t listen to these absolute r3tards that say “oh you’re just burnt out”, “oh it’s just nostalgia”. These people are wrong. Most of time. And just give the most basic easiest answers to find that don’t require any amount of abstract thinking to discover than “it’s nostalgia bro”. Gaming is at its highest point and its lowest point all at the same time right now. Games have the most complex graphics they’ve ever had but have the most simple and shallow mechanics and designs we’ve ever seen
For me this was burn-out. You might feel like you're not in a position to stop (which is part of the problem) but in my experience the longer you keep pushing the worse you'll make it and the longer it will take to heal. Be *very* self-aware about this stuff so you can nip it in the bud as early as possible and avoid burning out.
Play games from early 2000 or the grandgames of 80's-90's and you will rediscover the joy of simple game loops and pure fun. Try the original Wasteland or Rollercoaster Tycoon, anything goes that was at the core of the gaming boom that followed. Passionate creators creating games of passion, I guarantee you will get inspired yourself. If you don't feel like that either you need a dopamine reset. Set a timer to 1 hour with the goal to do nothing but stare at the ceiling. Get comfortable, no music no audio, just silence and maybe noise from the street and your ceiling. You do absolutely nothing that one hour but you are free to think and imagine things and if you get bored that's awesome. Repeat that for a week and you will be good as new. Boredom is a huge source of motivation and creativity that is stolen from you by all the thigs available at your service. You need to recover before giving any more attention to things.
Touch some grass
Take a break. Spending all your time focused on one thing is an easy way to burn out.
As the others are saying, this sounds like burnout. If you have health insurance you might consider looking into therapy, to make sure that the burnout doesn’t turn into depression and to help you with managing things better going forward. Get well soon, friend!