Used to spend most of my days playing live service games that required a huge amount of time, or big AAA titles that are critically acclaimed. For example, Fallout 4/76, Battlefield 2042, rainbow six, World of Warcraft, RuneScape, Skyrim, Destiny 2, OverWatch… Basically any really big game that you would find on the top 20 of steam or by player count, I would spend a huge amount of time playing that. But I got pretty bored of all these really big games having overplayed them so much, and now I have no idea what to play anymore…
So I’ll spend a few hours playing something, and then jump to another game and then another game and none of them give me any Joy. For example, playing 3 hours of 7 Days to Die, 10 hours of No Man’s Sky, 5 hours of stardew Valley, play fortnite with a friend for 2 hours, login to World of Warcraft and get bored Within a day or two. Tried going back to Battlefield 2042 because it saw a small uptick of players…
Honestly have no idea what to play anymore. So I just bounce around trying to look for something that’ll bring me some joy and don’t get much luck
Looks like all the games you’ve listed are games where you can spend hours just to grind to the next level, or are filled with mundane fetch quests to keep you busy. If you don’t want to take a break like someone else suggested, you could try to play a single player game with a definite ending. Even if it’s a short game that is only a couple of hours long, you might just need something that has a final cutscene/boss fight and then the credits roll.
Not really sure what games might interest you, but look into Turnip Boy Commits Tax Fraud for a short, 4-6 hour long fun adventure. Or TUNIC if you want something similar to a Dark Souls esque experience, without getting all sweaty and try-hard
This actually sounds like depression. Being unable to find joy, and then unsuccessfully searching for it in places where you used to find it. I would consider talking to a professional if you can.
Or try Dragon Age Veilguard.
If we are going down this path, I’d actually recommend touching grass first (proverbially), before a sinking time and money into a professional. It’s an easy, non-committal step, that may do wonders.
Not disagreeing with you necessarily, but ADHD also fits the bill. I’m very much a happy person at the moment, I wouldn’t change anything in my life, yet I subscribe to what OP says. Games are too long, too boring to grab my attention long enough.
I managed recently to complete GTA V because I found the story hilarious, and I only managed that by skipping all side missions. That’s the only long / AAA game I’ve managed to finish in recent years.
What helps me is understanding that if I get 5h of enjoyment out of a game rather than getting to the intended 50h playtime, that’s also valid. 5h of fun also counts as fun and this is a game, not work, so there’s no pressure to finish it.
In principal, I agree with mixing up your gaming time with other stuff but maybe you’re all good with that stuff and just looking for some ideas.
I noticed a lot of your gaming choices are very open ended experiences. Perhaps you could try playing a more “on rails” or story driven experience…
Ideas::
Sony games like Spiderman, Uncharted, God of War.
Psychonauts 2.
Titanfall 2 campaign.
Control. (? Maybe, I haven’t played it ).
Modern Warfare (the new cod) or the new Black Ops.
The latest Mortal Kombat.
Hades (1).Or maybe something where short plays are the go, like rogue lites where you don’t feel like you need to play it forever. Good luck!
They’re just ideas but you hopefully you see what I mean. Only pick one though.
Sounds like you need a break from video games tbh. If you like the role-playing accepts you might try Dnd or another TTRPG.
This happened to me. I tried to force the issue but it never felt the same.
Try some computer-related past-times. Blender is a great option if you want to learn how to work with 3d models. But it’s much more than that, you can use other people’s models and make digital dioramas or animations.
An alternate route leads you into 3d printing or industrial design. Blender is great for organic shapes, but something like OnShape is better for accurate part sizes.
You could pick up some programming, learnpython.org could be a starting point, if you have zero experience.
You could try digital art. There’s a world of knowledge out there for you.
Or, go do something unrelated to computers!
These things ebb and flow. Don’t force it.
If we’re being real, there’s a chance you’re just depressed. It’s also worth noting that you don’t actually have to play video games. Sometimes I just find myself without anything good to play. It’s ok to do something else for fun for awhile.
There is always a need for those 3, 5 or 10 hour games. Something short and sweet instead of the mindless grind of a live service game. I recommend looking in your backlog for something different every now and then.
When I struggle to find a new game to play, I just go through my backlog. The difficult part is to get started, get used to the controls, get settled in the story. Once you’re in, it’s not too hard to pick it up when you have some spare time.
Along with the suggestions here can also recommend a short hike. There’s also a bunch of short, fulfilling games on itch.io and the developers see more of your cash vs steam, worth considering if you’re so inclined.
I also go through phases like this, particularly in the winter. You could be suffering from depression or if this is a more recent thing as the days get shorter maybe its SAD. Get some sunshine and a SAD lamp and see if that helps. If not, worth talking to a professional like others have suggested. Godspeed fellow gamer!
In my experience this means you’re just looking for a dopamine drip, and aren’t actually looking to enjoy games. Best to realign for a bit… But YMMV
this is known as depression
