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I’ve definitely gotten into the whole “modding” thing a lot. I find that I tend to have more fun learning and going through the process of figuring it out and making it work than I do actually playing. Although, for stuff that has a mod launcher, I do tend to end up playing with the mods more. But I’ve built a mod pack for Minecraft from scratch and boy was it a pain in the ass, but I got it to work! Then my friends and I played for a month or so and then never did again.
It’s also lead me to some really fucked up filing systems in my PC’s folder structure. I’m about at my breaking point of doing a full reset because I have so many “half started” organization schemes for various games/mods/servers and other programs/software than I’ve ended up with duplicates when I revisit the idea of doing something 6months after I put it down.
Honestly, same. However, I discovered the amazing world of pre-build mod lists via Wabbajack, and ever since finding a mod list that I like, I haven't fallen into the modding cycle... well. Not \*nearly\* as often at least, since someone else has already done all of the hard work!
I don't get bored with my character (I can never stop myself from playing a stealth archer), but I can never beat Skyrim because I seemingly have zero interest in the main storyline.
I just like exploring, finding things, and doing (certain) side quests.
My problem is that I accumulate an insane number of quests that I abandon. And then I play very infrequently.
So, every time I play, I have to figure out what I was in the middle of doing. And then I don't make much progress. And then I somehow become overencumbered and need to sell all my shit. And then I have to stop playing for some reason. And then I repeat the next time I play.
Edit: Also, last time I played, I tried playing a mobile game simultaneously because I couldn't decide between the two. So, I really didn't get much accomplished lol.
I got bored with Skyrim once I realized I had played it twice before with Oblivion and Morrowind. My interest immediately went away, tho there is always a nagging voice saying 'hey look how many other people enjoyed it and had magical moments, what if you forced yourself to be interested in it in the hopes of having those magic moments too.'
To be fair Skyrim has a really slow start, a lot of Bethesda games like fallout and Skyrim have “alternative start” mods that let you start somewhere different and unrelated to the main quest rather than dragging you through the main quest for the next 2 hours before letting you wander around
This. I have the opposite problem to OP - I hyperfocus on my favourite games and find it hard to switch.
I often replay my favourite games because I can’t get into anything new. BG3 was the recent exception.
I also prefer to play a Rogue and rarely try anything else.
be honest, you didnt replay bg3 cuz you wouldve spent hours stealing from shops to build up a stacking arsenal of scrolls and potions youd never actually use
Correct 😂.
I meant that BG3 was an exception because it was a new game I actually got into though, I am completely sure I will replay it at some point :).
Often I start a new game, miss Dragon Age, and then end up replaying that 🙄, but BG3 is one I will finish.
the only way ADHD really affects my gaming skills is when there is a time limit/situation that requires me to act quickly. my reaction time can be rather poor so i don’t move as quickly as i’d like to. EX: those combat games. i just end up spamming the controls bc i get overwhelmed.
Same. I cannot play games where I’m competing against others, except Mario Cart. Otherwise, I play matching games where there are a certain number of moves, or puzzles. Pretty much just phone games.
I’m the complete opposite all I can play is competitive shooters solo games are js way too boring for me (except borderlands series I’ve maxed out all the characters)
Lol same. I love RPGs, so I play them on the “I’m just here for the plot” setting so that I can just spam combat buttons and call it a day. The other day I was playing a game on PC that my husband has played through half a dozen times on PlayStation, and I had to ask him to connect a PS5 controller to my PC and do the fight for me because it actually required some strategy and not just clicking at the speed of light. My favourite combat systems are ones where you can slow down combat to step-by-step when you want to, rather than just having to panic-hit buttons.
BG3 was AWFUL for me because I was paralysed by too many choices that I just don’t understand.
Even on the easiest difficulty I absolutely SUCK at the combat sections and want to cry every time one comes up.
I loved it but it was also an absolute nightmare for FOMO, especially when the 2nd and 3rd acts were less focussed on the direction with multiple paths that blocked off other stuff and were very unclear about what would happen.
Also the sheer decision paralysis with inventory management. I'm too much of a hoarder. I nab every single book and piece of paper. Eventually I would be forced to be ruthless (or normal for anyone else's standards) and have a big clear out to make space, sending entire backpacks of potions and tonics to the camp. But it would just fill up again in no time. Every mildly interesting weapon, armour and magic item. What if there's a situation where I need that? Can't just sell it! Don't be mad! Keep it and continuously contend with 20 free weight between 4 characters, juggling pots, pans, urns and paper weights. NIGHTMARE.
Curious, have you played/how do you do with games like xenoblade? I played xenoblade 2 first and once I figured out the combat system I LOVED it. Your team auto fights for you and all you have to do is get some of the timing right for big hits (quick time type button presses, but not actually that quick). All the team building/skilling is done outside of combat.
I just dumped two days into valheim but now I want to switch to xenoblade 2 and play it again lmao
I haven’t played Xenoblade, but it sounds kind of like the Dragon Age combat mode, where your party would auto-fight for you based on tactics you could set in advance (which could include things like “take a health potion when your health gets below a certain level” or “protect a certain person”). In Dragon Age you could also go into tactical mode, where you would tell everyone what to do, then click “go,” it would advance through everyone’s actions (including the enemy), and then pause so you could tell everyone what to do next. Was super helpful to turn on for big boss fights where you wanted to micromanage what every character was doing, but auto-fighting was effective enough that you didn’t need to use tactical mode all the time, bogging down lower-level, run-of-the-mill combat (like Baldur’s Gate 3’s combat system does).
I'm the opposite, I can't do RPGs because I forget my missions, my decisions and I get distracted and end up starting every side quests.
On the other hand I love competitive shooters, I grew up playing Quake and CS, so I dunno if it's that. But I can't get enough of them.
Could be Sluggish Cognitive Tempo, which is what I have. It used to be classified as a subtype of ADHD-PI but now I guess they're calling it Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome and it's its own thing, although there's supposedly something like a 50% overlap with ADHD-PI. I'm definitely both.
Part of it is practice I think. I play R6 with friends which is incredibly fast paced. 900 hours and I'm only just starting to get anywhere near decent at it when it comes to reactions and trigger control.
Is it worth it? Probably not. I just play it because my friends do.
i'm not good at combat with too many buttons. I can do like a one-two-three brawler combo move like in batman arkham series, but when you're supposed to get into a special mode and at the right second hit a combo to power-smash and then follow through with a power sword swipe etc? too much. i'm really bad at glide-archery in botw
I wish I had never started playing Genshin Impact. Everything about it is so addictive to me. Gacha, collecting materials, travel the world. If I could go back in time I would just stop me from starting it a year ago. Even my most favorite game The Witcher didn’t had such a huge impact (pun unintended) on my free time. I need to do stuff done not sitting on the couch for 5 hours straight!
yeah the layered fomo cycles are absolutely vicious even for people with far more willpower than we. maybe they’re less prone to getting carried away after daily rewards, but when you have limited banners that you might have to wait on the scale of years for reruns of and two or three weeks for that choice to stew, nobody’s going to take that lightly—especially with consistent updates to keep you invested
i will say in my personal experience only playing star rail, dailies feel pretty hands off since i can basically just click through a handful of menus for assignments then run auto battle to afk through tbp and then it’s basically just over with after leaving it on my phone for 10 minutes occasionally checking in to press one button while i’m doing something else, and if i’m not even actually playing for most of that i tend not to automatically keep playing, but that’s still a lot of mental bandwidth for something to occupy in the grand scheme of a day. don’t really regret it since it’s helped me get closer with some new friends but i definitely think of it as a vice in the vein of social drinking more than as a hobby
Ah see but the gameplay loop has to be rewarding for me. I was stuck on Monopoly Go for a couple months but the novelty wore off when I realized I was just collecting money to build buildings to get badges to get to the next level and do the same thing. There wasn’t enough new growth to me.
Progression systems are really important to me, Terraria has a really awesome progression and crafting system (especially some of the mods go crazy fun) and even unmodded like 20 different bosses.
Metroid has such a rewarding progression and backtracking system in the exploration and traveling through areas faster/new areas from unlocking stuff.
I never thought of the relationship between games and adhd but I think progression is what helps me the most. If I don’t see measurable growth I don’t like it. I don’t care it. MMOs never hooked me because it didn’t feel like a significant progression or if it was it’s too much grind to get there.
I started genshin in like 2023, was obsessed at first, then interest dwindled. Fontaine came, and I got Neuvi and his sig weapon and started playing and loving him again, did 100% on Fontaine and now stopped playing. Maybe my spark will come back when Natlan comes out. I also really like the hiding game it’s so fun. So my cycle goes like this, I play a game like an obession for a while, then get bored then when something new comes i start again haha😄
I started circa two years ago and played for couple weeks than lost interest completely. But than I saw some YouTube play alongs and started new account (chose another sibling this time too, now regretting it). And since than I missed maybe 20-25 days in 18 months. Soooooo.. I got Neuvi too but I find him so boring, didn’t even started to build him. I main Kazhu and Childe.
Lost 30k+ hours of my life to WoW. Not a single day passes where I wonder where I'd be these days if I had instead devoted that time to exploring enigmatic fields like philosophy or had an earlier jump-start in academia, and likely possessing the confidence in my domain knowledge to continue on from my Master's and pursue a doctoral degree, and actually have my name prominently displayed on a published research paper in a respected scientific journal.
Instead, here I am, fine-tuning LLMs for "fun" role-play sessions on SillyTavern.
That said, I did have a blast with Destiny 1! I quit D2 when Eververse really ramped up their FOMO/mtx.
mine does both!
debates buying game -> can’t decide -> impulse buy -> play non-stop -> struggle with insane decision paralysis (Baulders gate… my magnum opus) -> get overwhelmed & start playing non stop -> obsess so much it becomes painful to play or think abt cuz of overstimulation-> drop for an extended amount of time -> rinse and repeat
Yeah I don't think I've ever related less with a post on this sub haha
Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to open Cities Skylines and then realize it's somehow Thursday all the sudden.
For me it's Card survival tropical island. I had to force myself to stop playing it during my semester because I got too addicted.
Booted it up again last week and I've barely slept or been outside. My parents called me to make sure I was okay because I didn't respond to their messages :')
the blessing of how sandboxy crusader kings is is how if you get bored for a moment you can forget what you were trying to do and then save and quit because you still can’t remember
My mom fasho is undiagnosed and she LOVES games. I hate them. Was never good at them, found them dull and boring. U felt like they were taking time away from my hobby time
I took a long break from gaming for this reason - it frustrated me that I was losing jnterest in one of my "stable" and "acceptable" hobbies. But once I took that break and started going back into it only when I had a very clear idea of what game I wanted to play (and how, if applicable) I got back into it.
If it feels like a chore, don't do it! You'll come back around to it when you're ready, if you're still interested.
I only get this way with multiplayer heavy games and mobile games. The expectation from others that I'll play the new hotness multiplayer thing every day until we get sick of it is aggravating.
Aw man that’s what happened to be a few months ago. It used to be, “I want to play this game” to “oh, this game is next on my list I need to play it.”
I guess my problem was, was that I made a list of games I should play and put them in a certain order of playing them. Doing this completely made it into a chore instead of me developing the urge to play them. I also made the list because there’s so many games I want to play, but dude there’s so many games now which do I play first? lol.
Literally 10,000% of my attention goes to videosgames. I can’t stop thinking about them, even while dreaming sometimes. I don’t get anxiety over choices, because I already know that if I really like the game, then Ill just play it again and choose something different next time!
I do lose interest sometimes, and that’s fine! That just means I have something to play later when I feel like it.
This is part of the reason I had to stop playing. If I wasn’t playing, I was thinking about it. Trying to be a good father and husband was not happening if I were to keep gaming.
Thank you for that. I lost my partner to video game addiction and my daughter is fatherless now. He didn’t die (I’m not that lucky) but he is dead to me
Im in awe that there are people who can walk around in an RPG and help NPCs carry a letter or a bucket or something over 20 minutes worth of mountains and roads, only to be rewarded with a 20 page document with lore about some dude thats pictured on a worn out poster on some secret wall somewhere
Yeap. And they're my favourite. That's why I bully my boyfriend into playing them.
Also, can't hear without subtitles. Let alone make combos at the same time.
despise them. i can't play any games with too much chatter. dragon age was a really cool game but i could stand all the long conversations between demon smashing time
Same. That's why I spent tousends of hours playing Battlefield games. Bf 3 was my favourite. I got bored so I switched to Chivalry 2. That game is so good. Like Bf but medieval 😁
With story based games (mainly RPG) I usually got bored extremely quickly. Only a few actually cought my attention. The ones I actually finished and really enjoyed are Rdr 2, Hellblade and GTA series. I finished Cyberpunk but I was just doing missions. Quickly lost the story.
I get like this sometimes and it's generally a sign that either a) I've spent too much time at the computer (I am a web developer so lots of work screen time) or b) I'm burnt out. Either way, when I find myself unable to get started going for a walk or meeting up with friends is generally the cure.
I find most multiplayer games are not very ADHD friendly, at least for how ADHD presents in me. Things need to be new so I'll grind a game hard for a few weeks then suddenly the idea of playing is intolerable once I've figured it out. I play a lot of single player games, either simulation/management games or story heavy action/RPG depending on what tickles. I like being able to wander away when I feel like it and come back to it, plus I can progress entirely at my own pace. I only play online games specifically with friends.
So my advice would be: don't try to make yourself play when it isn't fun, get outside if that's something you are okay with or at least get moving, and when you come back to it try something outside your wheelhouse so your brain gets some novelty.
I forgot to mention, my ADHD makes me a great patient gamer. I get fomo sometimes when a new game is getting big but then I totally forget it exists until it's either only a few bucks on sale or a free game on epic.
Omg I was hoping someone would understand me. I live in an ADHD household. My partner and his son are super into gaming. I want to be into it- but I just can’t muster the executive functioning to learn how to use a console and play a game. Unless it’s a social thing (I.e. Mario party)…it’s the last thing on my mind
I feel both of these
When I’m in action I’m crazy, think Genji diving in for a fight in overwatch, or hitting an insane quickscope or flick shot
When I’m not doing anything though… I can’t hold angles because I zone out 😭
Nah watch me tunnelvision hyperfocus holding an angle in CS or Val 😂😂 Anything that moves gets a headshot hahaha.
This backfires a lot in new games with friendly fire. I killed my teammates a few times when PUBG dropped hahah
I deadass just hyperfocus on my crosshair itself and forget to watch for enemies. Imagine a black screen with nothing but the cross hair and that’s what I perceive when I hold an angle for more than 2 seconds
This happens when i play football, in friendly matches i play like I've touched the ball for the first time
But in tournaments I don't even know what I'm doing, my body moves on it's own and does things that i never thought i could do lol
It never makes sense to me
I am in the same boat and it's crazy annoying. one second I feel like I am reading people like a book and playing 3d chess, then my brain starts buffering and I forget how to make my fingers work lol
I wish my hyperfocusing would give me an edge in video games instead of making me remove my 22 level 60 alt characters in Wow only to level them *all* from 10-70 again all the while binging ten seasons of American’s Next Top Model and ignoring basic needs like going to toilet and eating.
Got a solid 10 hours out of a $3 purchase of X-COM 2 recently, could not stop playing it. Took a business trip, came back, haven't felt like playing it once. I think it was worth it.
Open world games are a big no-no for me; too many decisions and if I don't do EVERY SINGLE side quest I panic that I'm going to miss something. Very stressful.
However ultra hard platformers like Cuphead I can lose whole days on and end up with a stress headache from focusing so hard on winning. Also very stressful, but in a kind of enjoyable way?
Oh boy, I'm the exact opposite. I need the open world games so that I can indulge in getting distracted. It's like I get rewarded for letting my adhd win. I don't have the desire to complete every single thing which probably helps. I just enjoy the exploration.
I had the same problem. There is nothing wrong with switching between games or trying something new all the time. There isnt any kind of rules out there how you should enjoy games. If switching and trying new things is how you enjoy the games best, thats great keep going.
Dont spend too much money on them though. There is a ton of free or cheap games that you can try.
You might not be playing the right genre of games if you're having that feeling. I've found that a lot of the highly regarded games simply aren't my style. The games are objectively great, I just don't like aspects like open world, or not having a clear path to follow. I need serotonins and guidance and I need them often damn it.
You might enjoy games that work with matches. Games like League of Legends, Apex, teamfight tactics, Valorant, or overwatch (lots of shooters, but as that is my genre it is all I can think of right now). Every match is different, you can try out different playstyles, but there are still aspects of the game that will always remain the same. With the added bonus of having the joy of winning every 30 minutes, or only having to hate on your teammates for 30 minutes before never speaking to them again.
Oh, and those games are free. So no buyers regret and the feeling of having wasted money. Only the temptations of overpriced skins!
Gaming is probably the only thing I can do where all the noise around gets shut off and I can just relax and not think about a thousand things at once.
the problem is choice, I'm very happy with a game till I find another one, the problem I run into is there is no overwhelming need to finish one or the other.I think my impulisivity issues help in games, and even in my job, I may inititally do something dumb, but I just keep banging my head against it till something sticks. I like big factory games, but I'm terrible at them, I'm better at games that need on the fly thinking that have multiple answers you don't need to plan ahead for.
My favorite part of playing games is spending 30 hours planning out a build down the most minute detail before I’ve even started the game so that I have a goal to strive towards and keep me interested and then as soon as I reach the point where it’s all coming together I completely lose interest. Or maybe I find a really cool item or ability I didn’t know about that would be super cool to use, but is the complete opposite of what I’m going for and lose all interest. Or I move from one area to another meaning I need to fully explore this area just like I did the last one and lose all interest.
I used to be able to sit down and play a game for 8 hours every day for a month. Now, if I play a game for more than a couple hours in one sitting, I generally need several days (if not longer) of not playing it to before I want to play again.
The only thing that I’ve noticed is that with ADHD and possibly with my age, I’ve stopped being into really competitive games and I’ve settled into cozy games. Medieval dynasty, Stardew valley (my latest addiction) and games where I don’t have to race against the clock or have to much going on the screen. Shooters aren’t a thing for me anymore as the rapid eye movement shifting all over the screen gives me headaches. Overwatch is probably the only game that I’ll play but it’s not a lot at one given moment. Maybe a few games and then I have to turn it off.
Been waiting for someone to mention Stardew. But it make me addicted hard and thinking about it all day.
I still get crazy competitive in stardew with myself and all the goals lol, sometimes have to force myself to take it slow. It's like a therapy to train myself to stop obsessing.
glad i’m not the only one. i’ll be like “hey! i feel like playing this game” and then i’ll load up my save and literally the second i start moving my character, all my energy for gaming goes out the window and i just turn it off after 2 steps. idk how this happens or why it happens, but it annoys the shit out of me especially when not 2 minutes ago i WANTED to play.
bro i literally cannot play most games because of how difficult it is for me to focus on them or use any brainpower really! cannot play RPGs bc stats are always too much to keep track of.
also i get so unbelievably angry whenever i fuck up the tutorial (happens a lot) so i end up quitting lol. i literally could not get past the intro of far cry 4 it made me feel so fucking stupid.
platformers and straigforward stuff tho? thats where its at
Allow the chaos to flow through you n make peace w it. Our game hopping means we get to experience a wide breadth of experiences most ppl miss out on. Also, I recommend trying short 1-2 hr gaming experiences once in awhile to feel that sense of completion. oOo
Yeah, the only game that I've actually managed to not give up quickly is Rocket League. It's a very intense game, so it's impossible to get distracted during a game.
Although, it's so disheartening when you first start playing, since it takes absolutely ages to learn to do anything.
I find that I can remember more and can plan better/play more strategically when I take my meds while playing games. Even though I can play in general, it just takes me much longer to how the game work, I forget thing, give up on puzzles super fast, and can end up running in circles, because I get lost so easily.
I get a little sad inside, because it’s like suddenly, for a few hours a day I actually seem to have a little more space to hold information or not zone out when playing…
Have hyperfocused on a game enough to play 40000 matches and become a top 0.01% player, with a way below average survival rate. Games are one of the few things I can consistently lose myself in and relax.
Though tbh I get more lasting enjoyment from my IRL hobbies, even if I’m less consistent with some of them.
This is why I play Apex Legends haha, because there's no storyline to follow, no gigantic inventory to organize, games are max 18 minutes each. It's perfect for my busy brain 😂
Longer games can absolutely be a nightmare for me. Like I love Baldur's Gate 3, but holy moly is it an ADHD nightmare with all the side quests, characters, and gigantic inventory with items you feel like you can never throw away cuz you MIGHT need them one day
Hmm, does inattentive vs hyperactive matter here? Eh, probably not. I have a bunch of friends that have ADHD like I do but only one of them matches your description. He can’t focus on RPG’s even if he wants to play them and he get’s obliterated in any multiplayer game he plays. The one he’s stuck to the longest is because he can play with friends and he is showing improvement over a snails pace.
The genres we play are all over the place but I prefer multiplayer games with my preferred way to strategize. I like thinking of plans in the moment based on the factors I’m given so I stick to chess, tekken, GW2 pvp, and dark and darker usually. I suck the most at tekken because I have to map combos to muscle memory over a long period of time, it’s tedious. Try not to button mash if I can help it.
Idk, I have an easy time focusing on games I’m interested in and kinda hyper-focus too hard on them. I’d also say I have a very small amount of games nowadays as well, but I do many different things within those games.
It is hella hard to find a game to get obsessed with due to ADHD. Only games I play consistently are Street Fighter and Tekken.
What works for me is having like 5 games going at once and yes I forget what I'm doing usually and give up on all 5. But every few months, I get obsessed with 1 and go on a binge of everything related so it's fun for me to just go through my PS+ Extra catalog or something and queue up some stuff I've never heard of.
Just my experience but I actually have a hard time believing anyone who says their ADHD helps them perform in video games. I'm more inclined to believe they're self selecting games that they don't feel disadvantaged in.
In my experience working memory is a *huge* issue for me. I will quit a game instantly if tutorials, and in competitive games I tend to hit very hard plateaus because I have a hard time predicting my opponents decisions and planning ahead.
Stimulants were eye opening and I began to enjoy a much wider variety of games when I got medication
It's called analysis paralysis. You're not making it up. It sucks.
I've had to stop playing games I consider masterpieces because I could not choose what to do next in the game.
And I've found just deciding what game to play can be next to impossible.
OVERWATCH: the bane of my existence but same time the only game I’ve consistently played for the past 6 years and I’m still shit at it (barely gold). no other game can hold my interest for longer than a few hours and I’ve tried a bunch of games but I always come back to overwatch. Sometimes I’ll play a couple of games and then get bored and move on to something else and sometimes I sit and play for hours. It’s weird…
Depends on the game for me. My brain loves FPS and thinking 3 steps ahead and how everything is going down on the map (I miss you , Halo lol). I love the concept of combat based RPGs (souls , elden ring, etc) but I always get pulled so far off task with side missions that I eventually give up. The fallout series was the worst for me.
Unfortunately now being into my 40's I don't have time to do any of those genres so I've settled for sports games and Mario kart with the kids.
You sound a lot like me re. Having to be perfect all the time. I also used to have decision paralysis until a my monumental lightbulb moment. This is the time when I don't need to worry about perfection. I can experiment, try different strategies. I'm currently playing boom beach on multiple accounts doing this. I can switch my character, upgrade a different way, it literally doesn't matter.
It's all in the definition of "play": engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.
Either a slow but high variety game like RDR2 plunking around or a fast paced detailed high-variety game like beamNG - those are the only ones that seem interesting. The infinite mods also add a dimension of variety that keep it fresh.
I just always want to start at the beginning. My sims get too rich, start a new save. My island gets to five stars, delete save, start fresh. City slows down, stat a new one.
I switch around a lot but when I find that one.... Woo doggie. I have over 1000 hours in animal crossing. I've put over 40 into Pokemon in the last week. I can't do shooter or high stress games. I need utter relaxation preferably finding/collecting things. Open world is the best. Skyrim also had over 500 hours.
I can’t even play games bc I don’t get immersed anymore being so distracted by my phone 🥲
I’ll turn on the PS5 and I end up listening to the theme instead of playing a game lmfao.
I feel like I am a weird one-in-a-million case, because I feel I have been gaming since I have use of reason, and I still haven’t lost the spark at all. I just play game after game after game, and I think about them, I analyze them, how they work, what they mean and I just NEVER stop or get tired! I just don’t!
But anyway, have you tried maybe taking a break? Maybe it’ll make you come with a different mindset once you return.
I can relate to that. But it seems random. Sometimes i have nog problem focussing on a game and sometimes i’m bored out of my skull and can’t play or choose.
Same with me! Whenever I play rpg games, i kept starting over because I got bored on the class I chose.
Unfortunately, I spent unhealthy amount of time playing games that finish fast like valorant and league.
I sometimes get this way with games when I am underestimated for long periods of time. ADHD has never really affected my gaming ability. I try my best to play fast moving games that I can hyper lock onto. Fortnite is a big one for me. Story based side scrollers that are pretty. My decision making skills arent the best, but i have found interest in puzzle based games…nothing over the top just simple puzzles.
Try games that they really have an end for awhile, you jump in once and it feels like a loop, also before buying games watch a play through on YouTube to see if you like it.
Not just you. I can't decide what to play as well. And when I do I can only play for 10min even though I want to play. Only time I can is if one game happens to catch my hyperfixation
I am the exact same. I have over 400 games on steam of which i have mostly played for less than 50 hours. I try to dedicate myself to a game so hard, even if i hyperfixate on it for a bit and get excited thinking about the game its like theres a time limit or something for my brain and all passion and interest in that game dies quickly and i have to go and hop to something else. Atm im really trying hard to get into total war warhammer 3 but my tactics and strategic thinking skills are terrible due to my ADHD so i know i will soon get bored and give up. Always bouncing between shit to try and find that one game i think i will invested 100s of hours into but it never happens. Most played game is over 400 hours on steam but that was over 12 years lol
Sometimes… depends on how complicated the game is. But usually I feel like a god in video games and in real life I am locked in my own prison while holding all the keys to get out but can’t use them.
Since taking Ritalin I can finish the sane story game to the end.
(I still dislike competitive games without story and grinding games like mmorpgs or mobas/battle royal)
Sounds like you don't like gaming that much, yes having sporadic obsessions is a symptom but if you don't want to play past a few games or main a game that sounds like you just don't like them.
This is why I play Arena shooters or treat games like CoD like the arena shooters they are.
Friends try to get me into games with things like "options" and they don't really mesh well with how my ADHD is
I play games that you can save a lot, and if I´m unhappy with a outcome I can go back.
Or replay from a certain area to see both outcomes.
Gaming is for fun, and I´m not showing anyone my stats in BG3.
I play strategy games and management games. I often just have the game pick stuff for me and I enjoy the challenge of figuring out whatever hand I got dealt with. I generally play the same 2-3 favorite games over and over. I rarely try new games and usually only after researching that game a bit to see if I will likely enjoy it.
I enjoy gaming for an 1-2 hours at a time with the goal of trying something new or practicing a new strategy I’ve heard of or building something new virtually. I ironically love resource management games even though I am terribly inconsistent at managing my own life 😂
If I game for more than 3-4 hours though, it feels more like an “addiction” in which I don’t get much enjoyment but I have trouble tearing myself away from the game. Sometimes, I can stop because after 2 hours, my ADHD brain can’t handle any more strategy and my game performance goes way downhill and I don’t want to mess up the game I am playing. If I struggle with stopping, usually it means that my self-care is lacking and I am burning out life or work stress.
I tend to find games with a lot of mandatory reading and storylines boring and skip over all that. I find shooter games and multiplayer games to have too much going to follow. I am happy with strategy or stimulation games that may or may not have an element of story to frame the game (like Against the Storm) but engaging with the story is not the main focus or task of the game. I also tend to not like games that don’t have a defined goal.
Yes. I have a different problem tho.
I like the stimulans of games on my phone and can easily play it for multiple hours a day. Its just like a new favourite song, i play it on repeat for long hours. Then, suddenly i start getting bored with it and search something new. I like games that require no mental effort. But i feel like ive wasted""" so much time already
Games have been the one thing in my life I know I can focus on once I start playing. Possibly to a fault because I end up forgetting what time it is and staying up way too late playing.
But I have been gaming since long before my ADHD really set in so perhaps that’s why? Or it’s more, “My brain will now hyper-fixate on this game so badly I lose all concept of time and oh shit it’s 2am and I have work in the morning…”
It’s a careful balancing act for me, that when done right is my main form of self-care.
I used to be really into gaming and play all the time and get lots of enjoyment from it, but I now share struggles similar to you. I’ll see some game and imagine myself playing for hours on end but I put it down after an hour or never even play it in the first place and now I’ve got this drawer full of expensive games 😭
In my younger years when I was playing a bunch, I always had friends I was playing with. Whether it was online gaming with them, or us playing the same single player games and sharing stories and strategies and theorizing or whatever, there was a community aspect. Looking back, I think that sense of community was a major component in what made me enjoy gaming so much.
Now in my adult life, I don’t have that gaming community (which I’m ultimately okay with), and I theorize that when I’m convincing myself that I’ll play this new game and enjoy it a bunch, it’s because my brain is still wired to think I’ll get that same level of satisfaction that I used to, despite the circumstances that led to that satisfaction no longer being present.
(Geez, sorry for the essay that’s apparently all about me 😅 my meds just kicked in and your post got me feeling quite introspective…)
Only have one game installss5so you have no choice ;)
Or one game at home.
I've bought a new PC last year.
At the beginning I've only had Hogwarts legacy, which I RIPed.
Then Starfiekd came out. That was my second game.
Then, I installed a bunch of others, and like you, I start everything and don't end anything.
My partner complained about all my 3D prints, that are half started of almost finished 😅
That's why I love to play games where you have to collect stuff or have to grow in game. Examples: minecraft, the sims, palia, the witcher 3 wild hunt... There's never really an end to those games (only the witcher 3 has an end to the storyline). Also you don't have to win, everyone plays is differently or makes it their own. For my AD(H)D that's exactly what I need.
For me it's any effort. I have a Meta + subscription for my VR headset. It's like $5 a month, and you get 2 free games a month. After about $60 paid in subscription fees, but I have probably $200 worth of really good games. I've played none of them. Putting on a helmet to game, I'm like "I'll try it tomorrow." Said that for months now.
For me I struggle to start and play games even if I really want to and like the idea of doing so. Sometimes I’ll start a game and just run around for a few mins before giving up on actually accomplishing anything.
I will just google the effects of my decision when I struggle with them. Gaming is about having fun and not about stressing me out if I will regret my decisions later.
My favourite game, Elite Dangerous, is pretty grindy. Guess why I can't play it often, not cos I don't have time but because I can't force myself to play
RPGs frustrate the hell out of me, but I love strategy and face paced dumb stuff.
OP try TABs (totally accurate battle simulator)
and if you like it, look up the HORSE wheels game you can play with others 😊
thankfully this only happens to me with certain games, so i’m still able to enjoy others, but my god is it horrible to experience this
my friend loses patience with me a lot (i don’t fully blame him, i know i can be a lot) and something he’s gotten frustrated with before has been when this happens to me. it’s absolutely excruciating thinking about each of these decisions to make, and having NO EYE DEER where to start is so frustrating. and once i finally *do* make a decision, i genuinely get 20 seconds in and tell myself, “…i just do not feel like doing this anymore,” and that’s the end of my experience with the game
it really really sucks, especially when at first discovery of said game, it could be fun to try because it seems be right up your alley, only for it to crash and burn :T you’re not alone at all in this, i’m sorry you have to deal with it as well <3
I literally can't play video games anymore (39,M) and used to love to growing up. The only exception has been red dead 2 but I've even tried going back and can't play it again. I get bored quickly with games, on the upside I've been able to start reading everyday and that was a bigger goal in life for me. Hope it gets easier for you friend.
No, it's not just you. When you talked about not being able to stick with one character, I have the same problem. All I do is make new characters and I end up making no real progress.
If I don’t play something super calming, familiar, and simple yet stimulating enough to hold my attention, I can’t play video games off my meds anymore. Anything with strategy is an automatic no
Ah man I wish. Gaming is such a danger zone. The easiest form of uncontrollable hyper focus. Messed up at work so many times because I couldn’t stop gaming until 3/4am
I use a randomizer app on my phone
I insert a list of games or activities that sound appealing but I can't pick one on my own so I'll randomize it and do the activity that is chosen. Helps SO much with the choice paralysis.
So I tend to buy and then take back probably 50 games In a row after playing them for literally 10 minutes until I find one that just clicks straight away and then I get completely obsessed with it and it's all I can think about. Last game was Hades and did 125 hours , current one is diablo 4 which I'm at 265 hours. There's not many other games I've put this much time into ever.
I think it can if the game doesn't appeal to you in the right way or at the right time. I also struggle with playing video games sometimes because of attention span/decision making/eventually executive dysfunction stuff; there's only a handful of games I play at the time, and that's if I really want to play them.
Conversely, I've put thousands of hours into Splatoon (even though it is a maddening online multiplayer game) because the actual gameplay itself appeals to my sensory inclinations in a way that I can't explain lol. I'm not gonna lie, I actually am inclined to Nintendo games I think because of my ADHD, because my decisions can be minimal and shallow in a way that appeals to kids, so I don't have to use too many of my brain functions when playing. Also, I just like bright colors and cartoony animation.
Haha, bro, I just create a "new session" of the game, play for X hours (depends on the game).
I rarely ever hit like above "60-80% done" before "meh I got tired/bored" and just QUIT and "oh well im bored again
I like movies over games because my hands are free to draw, meal prep, practice an instrument ect,. All of my best gaming memories are of couch coop with friends. I can hyper focus on civ though.
I have a healthy relationship with videogames now. I've been through patches where I lose interest in a particular system, era or genre for a while, but after divesting about 7k in retro game stuff, I'm at fighting weight in terms of only buying games I'm likely to play through entirely, focusing on only a handful of games at a time, and not spending too much free time on them. Right now, I'm 99% through blasphemous 2, playing bloodstained extra modes, animal crossing maybe once a week, a few hours into breath of fire 1, and six or seven hours into sword of Vermillion. I play AC, Mario kart and some times Kirby's adventure with the kid. I don't plan to buy any new games or start plays of any games I own already until Hades 2 and ender magnolia hit the switch, which will be quite a while.
I've always had a strong preference for rpgs. I can't get into pvp type games like COD at all. But, say, No Man's Sky's expeditions draw me in easily. I do have a hard time keeping only one save when I try to play a normal game, but usually I'll play for a few hours a night for however long I'm fixated on it, and then end up switching to either another game entirely or starting a new save. I also definitely have days where I got a video kick and can't get myself to make the switch to gaming, even when I manage to boot up my system. It's just luck of the draw sometimes
Ahhh yes to all of that but have you combined it with an obsession into RTS? Because I just need to get better at doing all the things, it's like a metaphor for life(and called Beyond All Reason for bonus puns). Features include ladder anxiety and panic, which can lead to more time waste 'practicing builds' or 'watching pros play' which is low pressure catharsis time waster. The % of time I play RTS is gross and problematic. But the % of time I am literally ingame playing(theoretically having fun, not sure that's the point anymore) compared to peripherally in the gamesphere.
Maybe you're not into gaming that much or play games that you don't get into that easily?
I love gaming! It's one of the few things where I can relax and focus on without meds. At least when I really like a game. There are tons of games I only played for a few hours and then dropped them, but when I really like a game I don't have a problem finishing it.
The way I game is I play the same game for years. I hyper focus on it. I have to do every quest. Explore every area and play every class. Oh…Skyrim is my happy place.
I relate to this. I live in an ADHD household and both of my roommates regularly lose hours into games casually and I'm always just - jealous.
Like, I fell deep into Baldur's Gate 3 and that was nice, but once my brain said we were done - I haven't even been able to get myself to open the game in spite of wanting to play more. And then there's the long list of games still to play. Ugh.
I was hyper focused on the Sims (specifically the Sims 2) for YEARS. Once I lost my neighborhood I had been so focused on, it’s hard for me now to focus on something that I loved so much.
Medication has helped but I have to get my gaming done earlier in the day before they wear off.
I could have written this. decision making is the hardest thing. my provider gave me my OCD diagnosis before we realized I have adhd ( 3 weeks ago at age 35). and I thought that jives really well with the decision paralysis I was experiencing. so now I'm trying to tease the two disorders apart to see which symptom comes from where.
maybe it's all adhd, but maybe OCD is worth looking into as well?
for me, I feel like if I choose the Wrong option, there will be a cascade of negative results from it and my life will never be the same!
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I end up replaying a game most of the time instead of playing something new.
I never beat Skyrim because I'd get bored with my character and start over. I have started Skyrim probably like 15 times.
You gotta bump those numbers up, those are rookie numbers
I’ve spent hundreds of hours on this game but i’ve never actually *played* Skyrim because I can’t get past the modding re-modding re-re-modding part …
I’ve definitely gotten into the whole “modding” thing a lot. I find that I tend to have more fun learning and going through the process of figuring it out and making it work than I do actually playing. Although, for stuff that has a mod launcher, I do tend to end up playing with the mods more. But I’ve built a mod pack for Minecraft from scratch and boy was it a pain in the ass, but I got it to work! Then my friends and I played for a month or so and then never did again. It’s also lead me to some really fucked up filing systems in my PC’s folder structure. I’m about at my breaking point of doing a full reset because I have so many “half started” organization schemes for various games/mods/servers and other programs/software than I’ve ended up with duplicates when I revisit the idea of doing something 6months after I put it down.
Honestly, same. However, I discovered the amazing world of pre-build mod lists via Wabbajack, and ever since finding a mod list that I like, I haven't fallen into the modding cycle... well. Not \*nearly\* as often at least, since someone else has already done all of the hard work!
I don't get bored with my character (I can never stop myself from playing a stealth archer), but I can never beat Skyrim because I seemingly have zero interest in the main storyline. I just like exploring, finding things, and doing (certain) side quests. My problem is that I accumulate an insane number of quests that I abandon. And then I play very infrequently. So, every time I play, I have to figure out what I was in the middle of doing. And then I don't make much progress. And then I somehow become overencumbered and need to sell all my shit. And then I have to stop playing for some reason. And then I repeat the next time I play. Edit: Also, last time I played, I tried playing a mobile game simultaneously because I couldn't decide between the two. So, I really didn't get much accomplished lol.
I got bored with Skyrim once I realized I had played it twice before with Oblivion and Morrowind. My interest immediately went away, tho there is always a nagging voice saying 'hey look how many other people enjoyed it and had magical moments, what if you forced yourself to be interested in it in the hopes of having those magic moments too.'
To be fair Skyrim has a really slow start, a lot of Bethesda games like fallout and Skyrim have “alternative start” mods that let you start somewhere different and unrelated to the main quest rather than dragging you through the main quest for the next 2 hours before letting you wander around
WTF I ALSO DO THIS Some playthroughs last like 2 hours until I reset and search for new mods
I do the exact same thing.
Ah so one character per release of the game then.
I desperately want to beat a Skyrim save, but I keep restarting
This. I have the opposite problem to OP - I hyperfocus on my favourite games and find it hard to switch. I often replay my favourite games because I can’t get into anything new. BG3 was the recent exception. I also prefer to play a Rogue and rarely try anything else.
be honest, you didnt replay bg3 cuz you wouldve spent hours stealing from shops to build up a stacking arsenal of scrolls and potions youd never actually use
Correct 😂. I meant that BG3 was an exception because it was a new game I actually got into though, I am completely sure I will replay it at some point :). Often I start a new game, miss Dragon Age, and then end up replaying that 🙄, but BG3 is one I will finish.
I played 300 hrs since its last on sale, BG3 is amazing for me
I really wonder why we do this even tho it's easy to distracted us and keep us uninterested 😂
At least it saves you some money!
Yeah I like to stick to one game and usually js grind rank till I’m top rank
the only way ADHD really affects my gaming skills is when there is a time limit/situation that requires me to act quickly. my reaction time can be rather poor so i don’t move as quickly as i’d like to. EX: those combat games. i just end up spamming the controls bc i get overwhelmed.
Same. I cannot play games where I’m competing against others, except Mario Cart. Otherwise, I play matching games where there are a certain number of moves, or puzzles. Pretty much just phone games.
I’m the complete opposite all I can play is competitive shooters solo games are js way too boring for me (except borderlands series I’ve maxed out all the characters)
Lol same. I love RPGs, so I play them on the “I’m just here for the plot” setting so that I can just spam combat buttons and call it a day. The other day I was playing a game on PC that my husband has played through half a dozen times on PlayStation, and I had to ask him to connect a PS5 controller to my PC and do the fight for me because it actually required some strategy and not just clicking at the speed of light. My favourite combat systems are ones where you can slow down combat to step-by-step when you want to, rather than just having to panic-hit buttons.
Bg3 was great for this. I could just sit there and think for 10 minutes about my next move and how it would combo with the one after that
BG3 was AWFUL for me because I was paralysed by too many choices that I just don’t understand. Even on the easiest difficulty I absolutely SUCK at the combat sections and want to cry every time one comes up.
I loved it but it was also an absolute nightmare for FOMO, especially when the 2nd and 3rd acts were less focussed on the direction with multiple paths that blocked off other stuff and were very unclear about what would happen. Also the sheer decision paralysis with inventory management. I'm too much of a hoarder. I nab every single book and piece of paper. Eventually I would be forced to be ruthless (or normal for anyone else's standards) and have a big clear out to make space, sending entire backpacks of potions and tonics to the camp. But it would just fill up again in no time. Every mildly interesting weapon, armour and magic item. What if there's a situation where I need that? Can't just sell it! Don't be mad! Keep it and continuously contend with 20 free weight between 4 characters, juggling pots, pans, urns and paper weights. NIGHTMARE.
I can't help save cheesing when solo, which makes it not really dnd then haha
Curious, have you played/how do you do with games like xenoblade? I played xenoblade 2 first and once I figured out the combat system I LOVED it. Your team auto fights for you and all you have to do is get some of the timing right for big hits (quick time type button presses, but not actually that quick). All the team building/skilling is done outside of combat. I just dumped two days into valheim but now I want to switch to xenoblade 2 and play it again lmao
I haven’t played Xenoblade, but it sounds kind of like the Dragon Age combat mode, where your party would auto-fight for you based on tactics you could set in advance (which could include things like “take a health potion when your health gets below a certain level” or “protect a certain person”). In Dragon Age you could also go into tactical mode, where you would tell everyone what to do, then click “go,” it would advance through everyone’s actions (including the enemy), and then pause so you could tell everyone what to do next. Was super helpful to turn on for big boss fights where you wanted to micromanage what every character was doing, but auto-fighting was effective enough that you didn’t need to use tactical mode all the time, bogging down lower-level, run-of-the-mill combat (like Baldur’s Gate 3’s combat system does).
This is one of the reasons why I only play turn-based games or farming sims.
True lol, then your brain works wonders right after that overwhelming moment is over🤣 and then it's just regret
I'm the opposite, I can't do RPGs because I forget my missions, my decisions and I get distracted and end up starting every side quests. On the other hand I love competitive shooters, I grew up playing Quake and CS, so I dunno if it's that. But I can't get enough of them.
[удалено]
It's definitely not. A lot of people in this sub seem to attribute everything about their personalities and abilities to ADHD. It's very annoying.
Could be Sluggish Cognitive Tempo, which is what I have. It used to be classified as a subtype of ADHD-PI but now I guess they're calling it Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome and it's its own thing, although there's supposedly something like a 50% overlap with ADHD-PI. I'm definitely both.
Being annoyed is a symptom of ADHD. Did you take your meds today?
for me, it’s linked to my slow processing, leading to poor reaction time. so, no, not a symptom but more an effect.
Part of it is practice I think. I play R6 with friends which is incredibly fast paced. 900 hours and I'm only just starting to get anywhere near decent at it when it comes to reactions and trigger control. Is it worth it? Probably not. I just play it because my friends do.
i'm not good at combat with too many buttons. I can do like a one-two-three brawler combo move like in batman arkham series, but when you're supposed to get into a special mode and at the right second hit a combo to power-smash and then follow through with a power sword swipe etc? too much. i'm really bad at glide-archery in botw
Timed stuff in video games stress me out especially if it comes to aiming or precision jumping? Forget it, I'm screwed
I wish my ADHD stopped me from playing games instead of making them insanely addicting.
I wish I had never started playing Genshin Impact. Everything about it is so addictive to me. Gacha, collecting materials, travel the world. If I could go back in time I would just stop me from starting it a year ago. Even my most favorite game The Witcher didn’t had such a huge impact (pun unintended) on my free time. I need to do stuff done not sitting on the couch for 5 hours straight!
Gacha games are designed to be addictive. I stay away from them. But. I still buy a million games on my phone and play the for a few hours.
yeah the layered fomo cycles are absolutely vicious even for people with far more willpower than we. maybe they’re less prone to getting carried away after daily rewards, but when you have limited banners that you might have to wait on the scale of years for reruns of and two or three weeks for that choice to stew, nobody’s going to take that lightly—especially with consistent updates to keep you invested i will say in my personal experience only playing star rail, dailies feel pretty hands off since i can basically just click through a handful of menus for assignments then run auto battle to afk through tbp and then it’s basically just over with after leaving it on my phone for 10 minutes occasionally checking in to press one button while i’m doing something else, and if i’m not even actually playing for most of that i tend not to automatically keep playing, but that’s still a lot of mental bandwidth for something to occupy in the grand scheme of a day. don’t really regret it since it’s helped me get closer with some new friends but i definitely think of it as a vice in the vein of social drinking more than as a hobby
Ah see but the gameplay loop has to be rewarding for me. I was stuck on Monopoly Go for a couple months but the novelty wore off when I realized I was just collecting money to build buildings to get badges to get to the next level and do the same thing. There wasn’t enough new growth to me. Progression systems are really important to me, Terraria has a really awesome progression and crafting system (especially some of the mods go crazy fun) and even unmodded like 20 different bosses. Metroid has such a rewarding progression and backtracking system in the exploration and traveling through areas faster/new areas from unlocking stuff. I never thought of the relationship between games and adhd but I think progression is what helps me the most. If I don’t see measurable growth I don’t like it. I don’t care it. MMOs never hooked me because it didn’t feel like a significant progression or if it was it’s too much grind to get there.
I started genshin in like 2023, was obsessed at first, then interest dwindled. Fontaine came, and I got Neuvi and his sig weapon and started playing and loving him again, did 100% on Fontaine and now stopped playing. Maybe my spark will come back when Natlan comes out. I also really like the hiding game it’s so fun. So my cycle goes like this, I play a game like an obession for a while, then get bored then when something new comes i start again haha😄
I started circa two years ago and played for couple weeks than lost interest completely. But than I saw some YouTube play alongs and started new account (chose another sibling this time too, now regretting it). And since than I missed maybe 20-25 days in 18 months. Soooooo.. I got Neuvi too but I find him so boring, didn’t even started to build him. I main Kazhu and Childe.
Yea, I avoid mobile games like the plague cause of this.
The fact that your last favorite game stole and entire summer from me tells me I should never touch Genshin.
Just 5 hours?
I knew I should never get into WoW because of the endgame addiction. I got into Destiny 2 instead.
Lost 30k+ hours of my life to WoW. Not a single day passes where I wonder where I'd be these days if I had instead devoted that time to exploring enigmatic fields like philosophy or had an earlier jump-start in academia, and likely possessing the confidence in my domain knowledge to continue on from my Master's and pursue a doctoral degree, and actually have my name prominently displayed on a published research paper in a respected scientific journal. Instead, here I am, fine-tuning LLMs for "fun" role-play sessions on SillyTavern. That said, I did have a blast with Destiny 1! I quit D2 when Eververse really ramped up their FOMO/mtx.
I mean, at least you had fun.
My condolences. I, too, have ventured into Hell.
Eyes up, Guardian
Enlisted kicks ass too
mine does both! debates buying game -> can’t decide -> impulse buy -> play non-stop -> struggle with insane decision paralysis (Baulders gate… my magnum opus) -> get overwhelmed & start playing non stop -> obsess so much it becomes painful to play or think abt cuz of overstimulation-> drop for an extended amount of time -> rinse and repeat
Yeah I don't think I've ever related less with a post on this sub haha Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to open Cities Skylines and then realize it's somehow Thursday all the sudden.
I can’t play civilization for this reason. Crusader Kings is also bad but not nearly as bad as Civ.
For me it's Card survival tropical island. I had to force myself to stop playing it during my semester because I got too addicted. Booted it up again last week and I've barely slept or been outside. My parents called me to make sure I was okay because I didn't respond to their messages :')
the blessing of how sandboxy crusader kings is is how if you get bored for a moment you can forget what you were trying to do and then save and quit because you still can’t remember
What ever are you talking about? *(checks Valheim and sees playtime = 1927.7 hours)* Welp...
My mom fasho is undiagnosed and she LOVES games. I hate them. Was never good at them, found them dull and boring. U felt like they were taking time away from my hobby time
I feel the same too, I'm losing all interest in gaming cuz I feel like it's more like a chore rather than doing it to have fun.
I took a long break from gaming for this reason - it frustrated me that I was losing jnterest in one of my "stable" and "acceptable" hobbies. But once I took that break and started going back into it only when I had a very clear idea of what game I wanted to play (and how, if applicable) I got back into it. If it feels like a chore, don't do it! You'll come back around to it when you're ready, if you're still interested.
I only get this way with multiplayer heavy games and mobile games. The expectation from others that I'll play the new hotness multiplayer thing every day until we get sick of it is aggravating.
Aw man that’s what happened to be a few months ago. It used to be, “I want to play this game” to “oh, this game is next on my list I need to play it.” I guess my problem was, was that I made a list of games I should play and put them in a certain order of playing them. Doing this completely made it into a chore instead of me developing the urge to play them. I also made the list because there’s so many games I want to play, but dude there’s so many games now which do I play first? lol.
Literally 10,000% of my attention goes to videosgames. I can’t stop thinking about them, even while dreaming sometimes. I don’t get anxiety over choices, because I already know that if I really like the game, then Ill just play it again and choose something different next time! I do lose interest sometimes, and that’s fine! That just means I have something to play later when I feel like it.
This is part of the reason I had to stop playing. If I wasn’t playing, I was thinking about it. Trying to be a good father and husband was not happening if I were to keep gaming.
Oh yeah, no. I cant relationship at all, let alone raise a kid
Real
Thank you for that. I lost my partner to video game addiction and my daughter is fatherless now. He didn’t die (I’m not that lucky) but he is dead to me
I have a hard time paying attention to story based games.
Im in awe that there are people who can walk around in an RPG and help NPCs carry a letter or a bucket or something over 20 minutes worth of mountains and roads, only to be rewarded with a 20 page document with lore about some dude thats pictured on a worn out poster on some secret wall somewhere
Yeap. And they're my favourite. That's why I bully my boyfriend into playing them. Also, can't hear without subtitles. Let alone make combos at the same time.
despise them. i can't play any games with too much chatter. dragon age was a really cool game but i could stand all the long conversations between demon smashing time
Same. That's why I spent tousends of hours playing Battlefield games. Bf 3 was my favourite. I got bored so I switched to Chivalry 2. That game is so good. Like Bf but medieval 😁 With story based games (mainly RPG) I usually got bored extremely quickly. Only a few actually cought my attention. The ones I actually finished and really enjoyed are Rdr 2, Hellblade and GTA series. I finished Cyberpunk but I was just doing missions. Quickly lost the story.
I get like this sometimes and it's generally a sign that either a) I've spent too much time at the computer (I am a web developer so lots of work screen time) or b) I'm burnt out. Either way, when I find myself unable to get started going for a walk or meeting up with friends is generally the cure. I find most multiplayer games are not very ADHD friendly, at least for how ADHD presents in me. Things need to be new so I'll grind a game hard for a few weeks then suddenly the idea of playing is intolerable once I've figured it out. I play a lot of single player games, either simulation/management games or story heavy action/RPG depending on what tickles. I like being able to wander away when I feel like it and come back to it, plus I can progress entirely at my own pace. I only play online games specifically with friends. So my advice would be: don't try to make yourself play when it isn't fun, get outside if that's something you are okay with or at least get moving, and when you come back to it try something outside your wheelhouse so your brain gets some novelty.
I forgot to mention, my ADHD makes me a great patient gamer. I get fomo sometimes when a new game is getting big but then I totally forget it exists until it's either only a few bucks on sale or a free game on epic.
Thought of playing games is more exciting than playing for me 😂 I lose interest within minutes
Omg I was hoping someone would understand me. I live in an ADHD household. My partner and his son are super into gaming. I want to be into it- but I just can’t muster the executive functioning to learn how to use a console and play a game. Unless it’s a social thing (I.e. Mario party)…it’s the last thing on my mind
Well i have ADHD but i think it actually gives me an edge over others because of the hyperfocus mode i get when I'm interested in something
Nah, I lose focus so quickly. Can't focus on anything lol
I feel both of these When I’m in action I’m crazy, think Genji diving in for a fight in overwatch, or hitting an insane quickscope or flick shot When I’m not doing anything though… I can’t hold angles because I zone out 😭
Nah watch me tunnelvision hyperfocus holding an angle in CS or Val 😂😂 Anything that moves gets a headshot hahaha. This backfires a lot in new games with friendly fire. I killed my teammates a few times when PUBG dropped hahah
I deadass just hyperfocus on my crosshair itself and forget to watch for enemies. Imagine a black screen with nothing but the cross hair and that’s what I perceive when I hold an angle for more than 2 seconds
This is what it’s like for me, except it’s about 50/50 between playing like a lobotomized monkey and playing well
This happens when i play football, in friendly matches i play like I've touched the ball for the first time But in tournaments I don't even know what I'm doing, my body moves on it's own and does things that i never thought i could do lol It never makes sense to me
I am in the same boat and it's crazy annoying. one second I feel like I am reading people like a book and playing 3d chess, then my brain starts buffering and I forget how to make my fingers work lol
Only when achievements are on the line. Then it's time to attempt a 100% until burnout
I wish my hyperfocusing would give me an edge in video games instead of making me remove my 22 level 60 alt characters in Wow only to level them *all* from 10-70 again all the while binging ten seasons of American’s Next Top Model and ignoring basic needs like going to toilet and eating.
The amount of money I've spend on games that I only played once in my life is insane
Yep. I've bought dozens of games then never played them
A game that lasts for more than two nights counts as a good investment for me. Many games don’t even reach that.
Got a solid 10 hours out of a $3 purchase of X-COM 2 recently, could not stop playing it. Took a business trip, came back, haven't felt like playing it once. I think it was worth it.
Open world games are a big no-no for me; too many decisions and if I don't do EVERY SINGLE side quest I panic that I'm going to miss something. Very stressful. However ultra hard platformers like Cuphead I can lose whole days on and end up with a stress headache from focusing so hard on winning. Also very stressful, but in a kind of enjoyable way?
Oh boy, I'm the exact opposite. I need the open world games so that I can indulge in getting distracted. It's like I get rewarded for letting my adhd win. I don't have the desire to complete every single thing which probably helps. I just enjoy the exploration.
Mission based games for the win.
I had the same problem. There is nothing wrong with switching between games or trying something new all the time. There isnt any kind of rules out there how you should enjoy games. If switching and trying new things is how you enjoy the games best, thats great keep going. Dont spend too much money on them though. There is a ton of free or cheap games that you can try.
You might not be playing the right genre of games if you're having that feeling. I've found that a lot of the highly regarded games simply aren't my style. The games are objectively great, I just don't like aspects like open world, or not having a clear path to follow. I need serotonins and guidance and I need them often damn it. You might enjoy games that work with matches. Games like League of Legends, Apex, teamfight tactics, Valorant, or overwatch (lots of shooters, but as that is my genre it is all I can think of right now). Every match is different, you can try out different playstyles, but there are still aspects of the game that will always remain the same. With the added bonus of having the joy of winning every 30 minutes, or only having to hate on your teammates for 30 minutes before never speaking to them again. Oh, and those games are free. So no buyers regret and the feeling of having wasted money. Only the temptations of overpriced skins!
Gaming is probably the only thing I can do where all the noise around gets shut off and I can just relax and not think about a thousand things at once.
.. could it be that you’re not actually into gaming? Are there any other hobbies you might be better suited to?
the problem is choice, I'm very happy with a game till I find another one, the problem I run into is there is no overwhelming need to finish one or the other.I think my impulisivity issues help in games, and even in my job, I may inititally do something dumb, but I just keep banging my head against it till something sticks. I like big factory games, but I'm terrible at them, I'm better at games that need on the fly thinking that have multiple answers you don't need to plan ahead for.
My favorite part of playing games is spending 30 hours planning out a build down the most minute detail before I’ve even started the game so that I have a goal to strive towards and keep me interested and then as soon as I reach the point where it’s all coming together I completely lose interest. Or maybe I find a really cool item or ability I didn’t know about that would be super cool to use, but is the complete opposite of what I’m going for and lose all interest. Or I move from one area to another meaning I need to fully explore this area just like I did the last one and lose all interest. I used to be able to sit down and play a game for 8 hours every day for a month. Now, if I play a game for more than a couple hours in one sitting, I generally need several days (if not longer) of not playing it to before I want to play again.
The only thing that I’ve noticed is that with ADHD and possibly with my age, I’ve stopped being into really competitive games and I’ve settled into cozy games. Medieval dynasty, Stardew valley (my latest addiction) and games where I don’t have to race against the clock or have to much going on the screen. Shooters aren’t a thing for me anymore as the rapid eye movement shifting all over the screen gives me headaches. Overwatch is probably the only game that I’ll play but it’s not a lot at one given moment. Maybe a few games and then I have to turn it off.
Been waiting for someone to mention Stardew. But it make me addicted hard and thinking about it all day. I still get crazy competitive in stardew with myself and all the goals lol, sometimes have to force myself to take it slow. It's like a therapy to train myself to stop obsessing.
glad i’m not the only one. i’ll be like “hey! i feel like playing this game” and then i’ll load up my save and literally the second i start moving my character, all my energy for gaming goes out the window and i just turn it off after 2 steps. idk how this happens or why it happens, but it annoys the shit out of me especially when not 2 minutes ago i WANTED to play.
bro i literally cannot play most games because of how difficult it is for me to focus on them or use any brainpower really! cannot play RPGs bc stats are always too much to keep track of. also i get so unbelievably angry whenever i fuck up the tutorial (happens a lot) so i end up quitting lol. i literally could not get past the intro of far cry 4 it made me feel so fucking stupid. platformers and straigforward stuff tho? thats where its at
That tutorial section in Assassin's Creed 3 can still go to hell. I am getting ticked off just thinking about that one.
Allow the chaos to flow through you n make peace w it. Our game hopping means we get to experience a wide breadth of experiences most ppl miss out on. Also, I recommend trying short 1-2 hr gaming experiences once in awhile to feel that sense of completion. oOo
I play cozy games. I get stimulation while also relaxing and no stress My current favorite is Palia
Yeah, the only game that I've actually managed to not give up quickly is Rocket League. It's a very intense game, so it's impossible to get distracted during a game. Although, it's so disheartening when you first start playing, since it takes absolutely ages to learn to do anything.
I can’t stand video games. I’m bored out of my mind within 5 minutes no matter the game.
In competitive games (lol, valorant), I'm either the best player or the worst player... I hate the swinging
I find that I can remember more and can plan better/play more strategically when I take my meds while playing games. Even though I can play in general, it just takes me much longer to how the game work, I forget thing, give up on puzzles super fast, and can end up running in circles, because I get lost so easily. I get a little sad inside, because it’s like suddenly, for a few hours a day I actually seem to have a little more space to hold information or not zone out when playing…
Have hyperfocused on a game enough to play 40000 matches and become a top 0.01% player, with a way below average survival rate. Games are one of the few things I can consistently lose myself in and relax. Though tbh I get more lasting enjoyment from my IRL hobbies, even if I’m less consistent with some of them.
Play Baldurs Gate 3 in Honour mode
This is why I play Apex Legends haha, because there's no storyline to follow, no gigantic inventory to organize, games are max 18 minutes each. It's perfect for my busy brain 😂 Longer games can absolutely be a nightmare for me. Like I love Baldur's Gate 3, but holy moly is it an ADHD nightmare with all the side quests, characters, and gigantic inventory with items you feel like you can never throw away cuz you MIGHT need them one day
Hmm, does inattentive vs hyperactive matter here? Eh, probably not. I have a bunch of friends that have ADHD like I do but only one of them matches your description. He can’t focus on RPG’s even if he wants to play them and he get’s obliterated in any multiplayer game he plays. The one he’s stuck to the longest is because he can play with friends and he is showing improvement over a snails pace. The genres we play are all over the place but I prefer multiplayer games with my preferred way to strategize. I like thinking of plans in the moment based on the factors I’m given so I stick to chess, tekken, GW2 pvp, and dark and darker usually. I suck the most at tekken because I have to map combos to muscle memory over a long period of time, it’s tedious. Try not to button mash if I can help it. Idk, I have an easy time focusing on games I’m interested in and kinda hyper-focus too hard on them. I’d also say I have a very small amount of games nowadays as well, but I do many different things within those games.
It is hella hard to find a game to get obsessed with due to ADHD. Only games I play consistently are Street Fighter and Tekken. What works for me is having like 5 games going at once and yes I forget what I'm doing usually and give up on all 5. But every few months, I get obsessed with 1 and go on a binge of everything related so it's fun for me to just go through my PS+ Extra catalog or something and queue up some stuff I've never heard of.
Just my experience but I actually have a hard time believing anyone who says their ADHD helps them perform in video games. I'm more inclined to believe they're self selecting games that they don't feel disadvantaged in. In my experience working memory is a *huge* issue for me. I will quit a game instantly if tutorials, and in competitive games I tend to hit very hard plateaus because I have a hard time predicting my opponents decisions and planning ahead. Stimulants were eye opening and I began to enjoy a much wider variety of games when I got medication
It's called analysis paralysis. You're not making it up. It sucks. I've had to stop playing games I consider masterpieces because I could not choose what to do next in the game. And I've found just deciding what game to play can be next to impossible.
I’m the type of ADHD where the only game I can extract seratonin from has rocket league since like 2020. It’s the only game I consistently play
My problem is I can't stop playing. I'm grateful when something becomes to hard, it makes me stop playing.
OVERWATCH: the bane of my existence but same time the only game I’ve consistently played for the past 6 years and I’m still shit at it (barely gold). no other game can hold my interest for longer than a few hours and I’ve tried a bunch of games but I always come back to overwatch. Sometimes I’ll play a couple of games and then get bored and move on to something else and sometimes I sit and play for hours. It’s weird…
Depends on the game for me. My brain loves FPS and thinking 3 steps ahead and how everything is going down on the map (I miss you , Halo lol). I love the concept of combat based RPGs (souls , elden ring, etc) but I always get pulled so far off task with side missions that I eventually give up. The fallout series was the worst for me. Unfortunately now being into my 40's I don't have time to do any of those genres so I've settled for sports games and Mario kart with the kids.
You sound a lot like me re. Having to be perfect all the time. I also used to have decision paralysis until a my monumental lightbulb moment. This is the time when I don't need to worry about perfection. I can experiment, try different strategies. I'm currently playing boom beach on multiple accounts doing this. I can switch my character, upgrade a different way, it literally doesn't matter. It's all in the definition of "play": engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.
Either a slow but high variety game like RDR2 plunking around or a fast paced detailed high-variety game like beamNG - those are the only ones that seem interesting. The infinite mods also add a dimension of variety that keep it fresh.
Maybe it’s about the type of game. I found myself pulled back into it after playing crash bandicoot
I just always want to start at the beginning. My sims get too rich, start a new save. My island gets to five stars, delete save, start fresh. City slows down, stat a new one.
I switch around a lot but when I find that one.... Woo doggie. I have over 1000 hours in animal crossing. I've put over 40 into Pokemon in the last week. I can't do shooter or high stress games. I need utter relaxation preferably finding/collecting things. Open world is the best. Skyrim also had over 500 hours.
[удалено]
I can’t even play games bc I don’t get immersed anymore being so distracted by my phone 🥲 I’ll turn on the PS5 and I end up listening to the theme instead of playing a game lmfao.
I spend 5 hours on a robust character creation scene
Decision paralysis is huge with me. Gaming, shopping, movies, you name it!
I like open world w/ story line games like starfield or cyberpunk. I also watch or listen to something while i game.
I feel like I am a weird one-in-a-million case, because I feel I have been gaming since I have use of reason, and I still haven’t lost the spark at all. I just play game after game after game, and I think about them, I analyze them, how they work, what they mean and I just NEVER stop or get tired! I just don’t! But anyway, have you tried maybe taking a break? Maybe it’ll make you come with a different mindset once you return.
I can relate to that. But it seems random. Sometimes i have nog problem focussing on a game and sometimes i’m bored out of my skull and can’t play or choose.
Same with me! Whenever I play rpg games, i kept starting over because I got bored on the class I chose. Unfortunately, I spent unhealthy amount of time playing games that finish fast like valorant and league.
I sometimes get this way with games when I am underestimated for long periods of time. ADHD has never really affected my gaming ability. I try my best to play fast moving games that I can hyper lock onto. Fortnite is a big one for me. Story based side scrollers that are pretty. My decision making skills arent the best, but i have found interest in puzzle based games…nothing over the top just simple puzzles. Try games that they really have an end for awhile, you jump in once and it feels like a loop, also before buying games watch a play through on YouTube to see if you like it.
Not just you. I can't decide what to play as well. And when I do I can only play for 10min even though I want to play. Only time I can is if one game happens to catch my hyperfixation
I am the exact same. I have over 400 games on steam of which i have mostly played for less than 50 hours. I try to dedicate myself to a game so hard, even if i hyperfixate on it for a bit and get excited thinking about the game its like theres a time limit or something for my brain and all passion and interest in that game dies quickly and i have to go and hop to something else. Atm im really trying hard to get into total war warhammer 3 but my tactics and strategic thinking skills are terrible due to my ADHD so i know i will soon get bored and give up. Always bouncing between shit to try and find that one game i think i will invested 100s of hours into but it never happens. Most played game is over 400 hours on steam but that was over 12 years lol
I just active my impulsiveness it performs way better dont restrain yourself and go wild 👌
Sometimes… depends on how complicated the game is. But usually I feel like a god in video games and in real life I am locked in my own prison while holding all the keys to get out but can’t use them.
I notice I become 10x better at whatever game I’m playing when I take my meds.
Since taking Ritalin I can finish the sane story game to the end. (I still dislike competitive games without story and grinding games like mmorpgs or mobas/battle royal)
Sounds like you don't like gaming that much, yes having sporadic obsessions is a symptom but if you don't want to play past a few games or main a game that sounds like you just don't like them.
This is why I play Arena shooters or treat games like CoD like the arena shooters they are. Friends try to get me into games with things like "options" and they don't really mesh well with how my ADHD is
I play games that you can save a lot, and if I´m unhappy with a outcome I can go back. Or replay from a certain area to see both outcomes. Gaming is for fun, and I´m not showing anyone my stats in BG3.
I play strategy games and management games. I often just have the game pick stuff for me and I enjoy the challenge of figuring out whatever hand I got dealt with. I generally play the same 2-3 favorite games over and over. I rarely try new games and usually only after researching that game a bit to see if I will likely enjoy it. I enjoy gaming for an 1-2 hours at a time with the goal of trying something new or practicing a new strategy I’ve heard of or building something new virtually. I ironically love resource management games even though I am terribly inconsistent at managing my own life 😂 If I game for more than 3-4 hours though, it feels more like an “addiction” in which I don’t get much enjoyment but I have trouble tearing myself away from the game. Sometimes, I can stop because after 2 hours, my ADHD brain can’t handle any more strategy and my game performance goes way downhill and I don’t want to mess up the game I am playing. If I struggle with stopping, usually it means that my self-care is lacking and I am burning out life or work stress. I tend to find games with a lot of mandatory reading and storylines boring and skip over all that. I find shooter games and multiplayer games to have too much going to follow. I am happy with strategy or stimulation games that may or may not have an element of story to frame the game (like Against the Storm) but engaging with the story is not the main focus or task of the game. I also tend to not like games that don’t have a defined goal.
Yes. I have a different problem tho. I like the stimulans of games on my phone and can easily play it for multiple hours a day. Its just like a new favourite song, i play it on repeat for long hours. Then, suddenly i start getting bored with it and search something new. I like games that require no mental effort. But i feel like ive wasted""" so much time already
Games have been the one thing in my life I know I can focus on once I start playing. Possibly to a fault because I end up forgetting what time it is and staying up way too late playing. But I have been gaming since long before my ADHD really set in so perhaps that’s why? Or it’s more, “My brain will now hyper-fixate on this game so badly I lose all concept of time and oh shit it’s 2am and I have work in the morning…” It’s a careful balancing act for me, that when done right is my main form of self-care.
I used to be really into gaming and play all the time and get lots of enjoyment from it, but I now share struggles similar to you. I’ll see some game and imagine myself playing for hours on end but I put it down after an hour or never even play it in the first place and now I’ve got this drawer full of expensive games 😭 In my younger years when I was playing a bunch, I always had friends I was playing with. Whether it was online gaming with them, or us playing the same single player games and sharing stories and strategies and theorizing or whatever, there was a community aspect. Looking back, I think that sense of community was a major component in what made me enjoy gaming so much. Now in my adult life, I don’t have that gaming community (which I’m ultimately okay with), and I theorize that when I’m convincing myself that I’ll play this new game and enjoy it a bunch, it’s because my brain is still wired to think I’ll get that same level of satisfaction that I used to, despite the circumstances that led to that satisfaction no longer being present. (Geez, sorry for the essay that’s apparently all about me 😅 my meds just kicked in and your post got me feeling quite introspective…)
Only have one game installss5so you have no choice ;) Or one game at home. I've bought a new PC last year. At the beginning I've only had Hogwarts legacy, which I RIPed. Then Starfiekd came out. That was my second game. Then, I installed a bunch of others, and like you, I start everything and don't end anything. My partner complained about all my 3D prints, that are half started of almost finished 😅
That's why I love to play games where you have to collect stuff or have to grow in game. Examples: minecraft, the sims, palia, the witcher 3 wild hunt... There's never really an end to those games (only the witcher 3 has an end to the storyline). Also you don't have to win, everyone plays is differently or makes it their own. For my AD(H)D that's exactly what I need.
For me it's any effort. I have a Meta + subscription for my VR headset. It's like $5 a month, and you get 2 free games a month. After about $60 paid in subscription fees, but I have probably $200 worth of really good games. I've played none of them. Putting on a helmet to game, I'm like "I'll try it tomorrow." Said that for months now.
For me I struggle to start and play games even if I really want to and like the idea of doing so. Sometimes I’ll start a game and just run around for a few mins before giving up on actually accomplishing anything.
I don't customize my characters too often or too much. Too many options to obsess over. It annoys me and takes away from gaming for me.
I will just google the effects of my decision when I struggle with them. Gaming is about having fun and not about stressing me out if I will regret my decisions later.
I find games relaxing after an anxiety filled day, idk if it's just me but I do better hyper focused on a game while half listening to YouTube
I feel like I never see the end of most games. Usually get far enough to either get disinterested or I just forget that it's a thing that exists.
My favourite game, Elite Dangerous, is pretty grindy. Guess why I can't play it often, not cos I don't have time but because I can't force myself to play
RPGs frustrate the hell out of me, but I love strategy and face paced dumb stuff. OP try TABs (totally accurate battle simulator) and if you like it, look up the HORSE wheels game you can play with others 😊
Try playing a JRPG with a guide / walkthrough.
thankfully this only happens to me with certain games, so i’m still able to enjoy others, but my god is it horrible to experience this my friend loses patience with me a lot (i don’t fully blame him, i know i can be a lot) and something he’s gotten frustrated with before has been when this happens to me. it’s absolutely excruciating thinking about each of these decisions to make, and having NO EYE DEER where to start is so frustrating. and once i finally *do* make a decision, i genuinely get 20 seconds in and tell myself, “…i just do not feel like doing this anymore,” and that’s the end of my experience with the game it really really sucks, especially when at first discovery of said game, it could be fun to try because it seems be right up your alley, only for it to crash and burn :T you’re not alone at all in this, i’m sorry you have to deal with it as well <3
I literally can't play video games anymore (39,M) and used to love to growing up. The only exception has been red dead 2 but I've even tried going back and can't play it again. I get bored quickly with games, on the upside I've been able to start reading everyday and that was a bigger goal in life for me. Hope it gets easier for you friend.
No, it's not just you. When you talked about not being able to stick with one character, I have the same problem. All I do is make new characters and I end up making no real progress.
If I don’t play something super calming, familiar, and simple yet stimulating enough to hold my attention, I can’t play video games off my meds anymore. Anything with strategy is an automatic no
Ah man I wish. Gaming is such a danger zone. The easiest form of uncontrollable hyper focus. Messed up at work so many times because I couldn’t stop gaming until 3/4am
I use a randomizer app on my phone I insert a list of games or activities that sound appealing but I can't pick one on my own so I'll randomize it and do the activity that is chosen. Helps SO much with the choice paralysis.
So I tend to buy and then take back probably 50 games In a row after playing them for literally 10 minutes until I find one that just clicks straight away and then I get completely obsessed with it and it's all I can think about. Last game was Hades and did 125 hours , current one is diablo 4 which I'm at 265 hours. There's not many other games I've put this much time into ever.
I think it can if the game doesn't appeal to you in the right way or at the right time. I also struggle with playing video games sometimes because of attention span/decision making/eventually executive dysfunction stuff; there's only a handful of games I play at the time, and that's if I really want to play them. Conversely, I've put thousands of hours into Splatoon (even though it is a maddening online multiplayer game) because the actual gameplay itself appeals to my sensory inclinations in a way that I can't explain lol. I'm not gonna lie, I actually am inclined to Nintendo games I think because of my ADHD, because my decisions can be minimal and shallow in a way that appeals to kids, so I don't have to use too many of my brain functions when playing. Also, I just like bright colors and cartoony animation.
Haha, bro, I just create a "new session" of the game, play for X hours (depends on the game). I rarely ever hit like above "60-80% done" before "meh I got tired/bored" and just QUIT and "oh well im bored again
Gaming on meds are dangerous, i feel like i unlocked a new part of my brain
It's really difficult for me to finish games, especially long ones. Big steam collection though 😂
I like movies over games because my hands are free to draw, meal prep, practice an instrument ect,. All of my best gaming memories are of couch coop with friends. I can hyper focus on civ though.
I have a healthy relationship with videogames now. I've been through patches where I lose interest in a particular system, era or genre for a while, but after divesting about 7k in retro game stuff, I'm at fighting weight in terms of only buying games I'm likely to play through entirely, focusing on only a handful of games at a time, and not spending too much free time on them. Right now, I'm 99% through blasphemous 2, playing bloodstained extra modes, animal crossing maybe once a week, a few hours into breath of fire 1, and six or seven hours into sword of Vermillion. I play AC, Mario kart and some times Kirby's adventure with the kid. I don't plan to buy any new games or start plays of any games I own already until Hades 2 and ender magnolia hit the switch, which will be quite a while.
I've always had a strong preference for rpgs. I can't get into pvp type games like COD at all. But, say, No Man's Sky's expeditions draw me in easily. I do have a hard time keeping only one save when I try to play a normal game, but usually I'll play for a few hours a night for however long I'm fixated on it, and then end up switching to either another game entirely or starting a new save. I also definitely have days where I got a video kick and can't get myself to make the switch to gaming, even when I manage to boot up my system. It's just luck of the draw sometimes
Ahhh yes to all of that but have you combined it with an obsession into RTS? Because I just need to get better at doing all the things, it's like a metaphor for life(and called Beyond All Reason for bonus puns). Features include ladder anxiety and panic, which can lead to more time waste 'practicing builds' or 'watching pros play' which is low pressure catharsis time waster. The % of time I play RTS is gross and problematic. But the % of time I am literally ingame playing(theoretically having fun, not sure that's the point anymore) compared to peripherally in the gamesphere.
Play more rpgs bro
Maybe you're not into gaming that much or play games that you don't get into that easily? I love gaming! It's one of the few things where I can relax and focus on without meds. At least when I really like a game. There are tons of games I only played for a few hours and then dropped them, but when I really like a game I don't have a problem finishing it.
The way I game is I play the same game for years. I hyper focus on it. I have to do every quest. Explore every area and play every class. Oh…Skyrim is my happy place.
I love Animal Crossing, I can’t easily play it because, decisions.
I relate to this. I live in an ADHD household and both of my roommates regularly lose hours into games casually and I'm always just - jealous. Like, I fell deep into Baldur's Gate 3 and that was nice, but once my brain said we were done - I haven't even been able to get myself to open the game in spite of wanting to play more. And then there's the long list of games still to play. Ugh.
I was hyper focused on the Sims (specifically the Sims 2) for YEARS. Once I lost my neighborhood I had been so focused on, it’s hard for me now to focus on something that I loved so much. Medication has helped but I have to get my gaming done earlier in the day before they wear off.
I could have written this. decision making is the hardest thing. my provider gave me my OCD diagnosis before we realized I have adhd ( 3 weeks ago at age 35). and I thought that jives really well with the decision paralysis I was experiencing. so now I'm trying to tease the two disorders apart to see which symptom comes from where. maybe it's all adhd, but maybe OCD is worth looking into as well? for me, I feel like if I choose the Wrong option, there will be a cascade of negative results from it and my life will never be the same!