baropithecus,

Burnout is definitely a thing. Try cutting back, taking a break or switching genres. Dust off that real-time strategy that’s been gathering dust in your library, or try something completely new. Take care of yourself my guy.

pH3ra,

You’re just getting old… Same happened here once I passed 25

Ikita_Ro,

I might offer a slightly different take on this than you tend to see. Yes, it is very common for enjoyment of entertainment to be based on external factors (free time, friends, family). But the modern gaming landscape has changed overall quite a lot. It is entirely possible that the type of games you truly enjoy have gotten lost in the sauce, and just aren’t made as much these days. Likely a combination of the two, but if you’re having the feeling, trust it. That feeling is valid, and claims that everything is the same, you just have external differences feels a bit gas-lighty. Good luck out there~

knokelmaat,

I quite like your answer and tend to agree. Just wanted to add that while popular games have changed over time, the sheer amount of games that get made these days is insane. I would recommend to see what strange indie stuff is being made, this is something that helped me when I had similar feelings. When not bound by large budgets or investors, really awesome experiences are still possible.

Examples: A Short Hike, Vampire Survivors, Outer Wilds, Undertale, Stardew Valley, Rocket League …

Any imaginable genre is still getting new and interesting stuff IMO, it’s just that mainstream gaming has gotten worse (again, IMO).

But it is true that you shouldn’t simply discard what you’re feeling! I really love that about your answer.

crius,

The small indie titles are what is saving my passion for gaming since quite some time now. It’s also what’s saving my wallet as usually they focus on good gameplay more than flashy presentation which helps in not having to spend a ton on a “competitive” hardware.

winterstillness,

It strongly depends on what kind of person you are and how you get your enjoyment out of things. If you understand this, then you can find games that fulfill that.

For example, some people get a dopamine hit when they see numbers go up. Be it level grinding, kill/death ratio, optimize builds. Others like the feeling of exploration. Others want immersion/role-play.

It has nothing to do with "today games bad". Part of that is childhood and nostalgia. You won't get that back.

Figure out what you enjoy. If you like social games and making friends, then you need to lean towards that style of game. RuneScape 2007 is still very much alive today.

MinusPi,

Nintendo are the masters of this kind of game. They don’t need flashy graphics or deep plots, they just make very well-designed, innocent fun games. Their first party titles, anyway.

Soki,

I guess some of this comes from making games more accessible. More people are playing nowadays and games are more inclusive. As a side effect, this leads to structures thay are less fun for some. There are games that break out of that, e.g. Elden Ring or Tears of the Kingdom. Both aspects, accessibility and player freedom are very important. I hope we are getting to a point where they don't works against each other anymore.

nisegami,

I got sucked in by TOTK and Elden Ring so I can’t say I’ve had the same experience. I basically haven’t played a multi-player fps since I graduated university though, so that must count for something? I played a ton of those back then.

Montagge,
Montagge avatar

I miss couch co-op games. There are so few these days. Everything is online co-op now and it sucks

LostCause,

Learning about the concept of enshittification (https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-platforms-cory-doctorow/) made me suspect that this might be going on with games too. I mean these always online and monetisation trends seem to suggest so.

Though for me it‘s also the age and work, quest logs remind me of ticket systems and grinding of more repetitive work and it all lost it‘s shine. I enjoy games still, but less often I would say.

szczur,
szczur avatar

To be perfectly honest I don't feel like anything is fun anymore.

AngrilyEatingMuffins,
AngrilyEatingMuffins avatar

You might be depressed my guy

HorseWife,

I know how that feels, I go through those kinds of anhedonic funks too.

You might want to try doing some new things. Get outside, see new places, try out a different hobby… Anything to get your spark back. Games will still be there when you want them again

Merriwinter,

I feel ya. Keep exploring and trying new things. Hopefully something will click, and life will get better!

Roundcat,
Roundcat avatar

Aside from nintendo related products, I have stopped playing most AAA titles for this reason. The only reason I have stuck with nintendo is because I can still get excited and be impressed with what they release, though this isn't as much of a guarantee as it used to be.

I usually play indie games when I'm looking for something fresh, or I play retro titles when I want to revisit my roots and remind myself why I fell in love with gaming in the first place.

I also have a selection of comfort titles I reach for when I'm feeling down and nothing else is bringing me joy. Stardew Valley, Earthbound, Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening, Dragon Quest Builders 2, Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Skyrim are my shortlist.

Ragnell,
Ragnell avatar

Maybe try a different genre, or even a different format. Instead of multiplayer fighting games, try a social deduction game.

Gabadabs,
Gabadabs avatar

I have found, in my experience, that I only start to feel this way if I keep playing the same games/genres over and over again. Of course it's going to feel stale when you're playing your 30th fps game. You need to try games and genres that you never have before, I've discovered some new favorites just by going back and playing entire genres that I missed.

dominoko,
dominoko avatar

I don't agree but maybe tell us what types of games you enjoy and we can give you some recommendations?

fiofiofio,
fiofiofio avatar

Co-op base building survival games is a pretty popular genre right now - might I suggest checking out Valheim, Raft, Grounded, something along those lines?

Teglement,

This is a real spicy suggestion because when people hate this genre, they fucking HATE it.

I'm one of them. Everyone seemed to love Valheim but I was almost depressed by how much I didn't like it compared to the general hype surrounding it.

That said, I did like Grounded. The premise alone was unique enough to pull me in I think.

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