I’m a separated dad with a demanding job and a fiancé. I only have the kids when I’m not working but I want to be fully available for them.
Recently, I’ve noticed that it would be difficult for me to play more than a story/ambiance game (next one is gonna be either Dead Space Remake or Aliens Dark Descent) and forever playable game (Gran Turismo 7 since its launch).
If I played more games with the time I have, I would forget the story or the controls. I haven’t tried but I’m pretty sure of it.
The problem with such a system is that I’m almost a aralyzed when I have to chose which story/ambiance game I’m gonna play.
So what’s your system and what are your time limitations?
No matter how many I may start, I always end up focusing on just one. I also find it difficult to get back into a game after I have stopped playing it for while, so these days I try to just start only one.
I separate games into two categories basically: Games I can play any time/in-between other games, and games I need to follow until the end or I forget everything and have to start over.
I only play 1 big game at a time if I can help it until I either finish it or lose interest. That said, I can play as many secondary games as I want like Binding of Isaac, UFO 50, Balatro, and whatever multiplayer game I’m into right now.
Especially as I got more busy IRL it became really annoying to play a bunch of big games at once. I ended up restarting Ori Will of the Wisps because I came back to it later and forgot where I was and what I was doing.
When it comes to “games I need to follow until the end or I forget everything and have to start over” that’s when I really focus down the games.
Story heavy games like the Ace Attorney series or Danganronpa are best marathoned so you don’t forget the small details that matter (at least until you clear the chaper). Likewise, puzzle heavy games, specially ones that build on your knowledge like The Witness, Tunic, Return of the Obra Dinn or Chants of Senaar are ones I also focus down so I don’t forget vital info involved in even playing them.
Add on to this: Slay the Spire, Rouge Legacy 2, that card game… Balatro? Pretty much any rogue like. Hades… Etc.
Secondary games are my main. Sometimes I will play a good story game but it gets broken down into like 1-2 hr segments and only if I can stay awake after everyone goes to bed.
Yeah sorta. I write the review as I go. Whenever a thing jumps out at me or I have moments where I’m focusing on a specific thing frequently, I’ll write about a paragraph about it and then move on. Sometimes a long one, sometimes a short one. Once I’m finished with the game, I go back through and edit and restructure and get rid of some things that ended up not being important or change some of my thoughts based on how the game develops. Sometimes, early on, something jumps out at me and I write something about it, and then later on that thing gets fixed and I just get rid of the whole paragraph.
Slay the spire, FTL, and Into the Breach probably have the most hours from me because the controls are entirely cursor driven and can be paused indefinitely.
Balatro is quickly taking the space that the built-in Windows solitaire game used to.
Those are the ones that I open when my brain can’t brain.
At least one idle game. I just finished antimatter dimensions after a year or so. Starting on NGU idle next.
And one “100% attention” game like outer wilds or hollow knight.
A few. I’m playing through the bonus campaigns of Etherfields, while looking longingly at ISS Vanguard which I haven’t picked up in a week, while playing one-shot games of stuff like Twinfold and Harmonies and Balatro and Slay the Spire (both table and phone). Finished Silent Hill 2R recently and that was awesome. Sometimes when I’m up to it I’ll break out some sort of random Final Girl game.
I know this isn’t true for everyone, but narrative solo board gaming is really, really good for me, and lets me do a lot of gaming that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to do, what with my brain being all busted with stroke damage.
I can play any number multiple repetitive/nonlinear games that don’t require keeping track of a story or events. So racing games, most FPS, etc. Right now I can switch between Helldivers 2, Call of Duty, Forza Horizon, Valheim, Tekken, and so on at the drip of a hat. I do end up customizing controls so they are similar within a genre, so HD and COD get trmapped to my standard first person shooter control scheme.
But I cannot stay engaged with more than one game that has a storyline/things to rememeber like the Witcher, Red Dead Redemption 2, or Horizon Zero Dawn even if they have handy in game reminders for what to do. Switching between stories is my dealbreaker for playing at the same time. I also have trouble sticking with a story long enough to complete those types of games which is a bummer because I like the idea of them.
Typically I play Marvel Rivals with my friend group, as it is one of the few multiplayer games these days that supports at least 5 people on a team (we already tried League, Paladins, etc and got tired of that real quick).
On my own, I sometimes feel like playing a retro game, so I have been playing Legend of Dragoon, but recently my save file got corrupted somehow so I haven’t restarted. Instead I switched to playing a less retro game, Need for Speed Carbon. Its been maybe 10 years since I played it last, so it has been interesting dealing with the horrendous rubberbanding and random crashing on PC. I also like to play Goddess of Victory NIKKE as a mobile game whenever I have down time but am away from home.
But I don’t think it is atypical to really focus on playing one game at a time. I’d say that would actually be quite unusual and likely only done by people who have a job playing multiple games per day (a not so good reviewer, streamer, etc).
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No matter how many I may start, I always end up focusing on just one. I also find it difficult to get back into a game after I have stopped playing it for while, so these days I try to just start only one.
I just buy whichever game i enjoy playing when it’s on sale only to never actually getting to play it.
Life is a matter of you either have the time, money or energy. But never all.
I have the money now but not the energy, i just pass out the moment i get home and playing games just gets postponed until i get time off.
Sorry for you as it sounds really sad.
I hope it’s just temporary and you’ll find a more comfortable balance soon.
Thank you for the compassion, i’m hoping too.
Currently looking for a different job.
I separate games into two categories basically: Games I can play any time/in-between other games, and games I need to follow until the end or I forget everything and have to start over.
I only play 1 big game at a time if I can help it until I either finish it or lose interest. That said, I can play as many secondary games as I want like Binding of Isaac, UFO 50, Balatro, and whatever multiplayer game I’m into right now.
Especially as I got more busy IRL it became really annoying to play a bunch of big games at once. I ended up restarting Ori Will of the Wisps because I came back to it later and forgot where I was and what I was doing.
When it comes to “games I need to follow until the end or I forget everything and have to start over” that’s when I really focus down the games.
Story heavy games like the Ace Attorney series or Danganronpa are best marathoned so you don’t forget the small details that matter (at least until you clear the chaper). Likewise, puzzle heavy games, specially ones that build on your knowledge like The Witness, Tunic, Return of the Obra Dinn or Chants of Senaar are ones I also focus down so I don’t forget vital info involved in even playing them.
Add on to this: Slay the Spire, Rouge Legacy 2, that card game… Balatro? Pretty much any rogue like. Hades… Etc.
Secondary games are my main. Sometimes I will play a good story game but it gets broken down into like 1-2 hr segments and only if I can stay awake after everyone goes to bed.
Secondary games are also my main. Rogue Legacy 1 & 2, Loco Roco, old Final Fantasy games, Spyro.
I need to have the energy and time to dig into a main game, and I usually do not have that after a long day when everyone else goes to sleep.
I have a hard time even playing one but that’s depression.
It’s been a week or so since I last played a few hours of STALKER 2.
I’m an independent games reviewer, so 1. But even before I did that, I still could only play 1 at a time.
What is your process like ? Do you keep notes as you play through ?
Yeah sorta. I write the review as I go. Whenever a thing jumps out at me or I have moments where I’m focusing on a specific thing frequently, I’ll write about a paragraph about it and then move on. Sometimes a long one, sometimes a short one. Once I’m finished with the game, I go back through and edit and restructure and get rid of some things that ended up not being important or change some of my thoughts based on how the game develops. Sometimes, early on, something jumps out at me and I write something about it, and then later on that thing gets fixed and I just get rid of the whole paragraph.
Thats cool, I imagined as much that it is an evolving sentiment as you play. Thanks for sharing.
Just one. I like to focus.
Slay the spire, FTL, and Into the Breach probably have the most hours from me because the controls are entirely cursor driven and can be paused indefinitely.
Balatro is quickly taking the space that the built-in Windows solitaire game used to.
Those are the ones that I open when my brain can’t brain.
At least one idle game. I just finished antimatter dimensions after a year or so. Starting on NGU idle next.
And one “100% attention” game like outer wilds or hollow knight.
like most things three is about right. Anymore and I tend to get overloaded and any less and I tend to spin my wheels.
A few. I’m playing through the bonus campaigns of Etherfields, while looking longingly at ISS Vanguard which I haven’t picked up in a week, while playing one-shot games of stuff like Twinfold and Harmonies and Balatro and Slay the Spire (both table and phone). Finished Silent Hill 2R recently and that was awesome. Sometimes when I’m up to it I’ll break out some sort of random Final Girl game.
I know this isn’t true for everyone, but narrative solo board gaming is really, really good for me, and lets me do a lot of gaming that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to do, what with my brain being all busted with stroke damage.
I play one and watch one at the same time. Never more than that simultaneously just so i can really focus
I’m currently playing Portal, Portal Reloaded, and Portal Stories: Mel at the same time.
Basically I’ll play one, hit “that freaking level” and then rotate through. lol
I can play any number multiple repetitive/nonlinear games that don’t require keeping track of a story or events. So racing games, most FPS, etc. Right now I can switch between Helldivers 2, Call of Duty, Forza Horizon, Valheim, Tekken, and so on at the drip of a hat. I do end up customizing controls so they are similar within a genre, so HD and COD get trmapped to my standard first person shooter control scheme.
But I cannot stay engaged with more than one game that has a storyline/things to rememeber like the Witcher, Red Dead Redemption 2, or Horizon Zero Dawn even if they have handy in game reminders for what to do. Switching between stories is my dealbreaker for playing at the same time. I also have trouble sticking with a story long enough to complete those types of games which is a bummer because I like the idea of them.
Right now I’m in between the following
Shadow tactics blade of the shogun
Control
Half life 2 : episode 2
Dungeons of deadlock
Sonic mania
I need to get back to these because I got bored of them
Fallout 4
God of war
Mostly one at a time, but it depends.
Typically I play Marvel Rivals with my friend group, as it is one of the few multiplayer games these days that supports at least 5 people on a team (we already tried League, Paladins, etc and got tired of that real quick).
On my own, I sometimes feel like playing a retro game, so I have been playing Legend of Dragoon, but recently my save file got corrupted somehow so I haven’t restarted. Instead I switched to playing a less retro game, Need for Speed Carbon. Its been maybe 10 years since I played it last, so it has been interesting dealing with the horrendous rubberbanding and random crashing on PC. I also like to play Goddess of Victory NIKKE as a mobile game whenever I have down time but am away from home.
But I don’t think it is atypical to really focus on playing one game at a time. I’d say that would actually be quite unusual and likely only done by people who have a job playing multiple games per day (a not so good reviewer, streamer, etc).
2-4 depending on the mood. Could go higher but then games would take too long to finish