Can’t find anything to play? Nothing really clicking for you right now? It’s ok. This sort of thing happens. We’re here to help you out of your gaming slump.
Now, there’s no sure-fire way to get you back on track when it comes to finding games you’ll enjoy. Gaming funks can hit you hard! Some of these tips might work for you, some might not. All are worth a shot, though.
Play Better Games
Why waste your time playing just any old game when you could be playing the best games on your system? Thankfully, we’ve already selected a collection of games that we think are absolutely worth your time — we call them The Bests, and you should play them if you can.
If this doesn’t work, you could always fall back on some of your personal favourites, too — these, more than any other game, are likely to push the right buttons for you.
Play Different Games
Maybe what you need is a palate cleanser. Do you have genres you don’t usually touch? Now might be a good time to try them. Or maybe instead of ‘better’ games, you need to try different games — weirder, non-traditional games. Stuff that isn’t afraid to experiment.
That’s where indie games come in handy — we highly recommend checking out the indie games we cover, along with staying on top of sites like Indie Statik, Forest Ambassador, Free Indie Games. These are all good resources for non-traditional games that do the sorts of things big triple-A games would never dream of. PC gamers in particular will have an easier time when it comes to trying out different types of games, though systems like the PS4 and Vita are really embracing indie games, too.
Use Your Friends
Friends make everything better — even crappy games can be fun with the help of a good friend. Sure, there are games you should play with your friends , but friends are also good for recommendations of games you should play, too. Ask around, or pay attention to what your friends list seems to be playing.
Steam can be handy here, in that not only does it recommend games based on your purchases (something which the Xbox One also does), but it also shows you what your friends recommend, too. Steam tags are also useful, in that you can peruse unorthodox game types/categorizations — like ‘walking simulator’ and games with female protagonists (amongst many others!) Look around tags, not just for stuff that you know you like, but categorizations of games that sound new and interesting. And services like Raptrcan show you what your friends are spending time with, and how much — which is a good vote of confidence for any game.
Use Your Backlog
What better time to dive into your backlog than when you can’t find something to play? Remember, buying a new game means taking a gamble — and you don’t have to do that if you have games lying around that you haven’t played or beaten yet.
Here, services like the Backloggery can be useful, as they help you keep track of your backlog, as well as your progress on said games.
Watch Other People Play
Sometimes, watching a game can be more entertaining than playing it. Services like Twitch allow you to see all sorts of people streaming old and new games alike on their hardware — and some of these folks are pros and speedrunners, which makes watching them play all the more fascinating. Who knows, maybe watching a pro could give you some new ideas for approaching a game you play. Many games, like League of Legends, also offer a spectator mode — check out if some of the games you love do too.
Take A Break
Losing interest in something for a while is natural and happens to everyone, whether it be because of boredom, needing a change of pace, or because depression has made you lose interest in the things you love.
It’s worth remembering that you don’t have to force yourself to find something new to play, especially if you’re having trouble making something click. Maybe you just need to spend time with a different hobby — there have been plenty of times when games have become more appealing to me after I stepped away from them for a little while. So, as sacrilegious as it might sound, don’t be afraid to stop playing games for a little while and do something else! It might help.
Do you have any tips for finding new games to play, or getting out of a gaming funk? While hopefully some of the advice we’ve offered helps, we’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments.
Comments
20 responses to “How To Get Out Of A Gaming Funk”
There was a moment where I was in a funk and didn’t want to play any other games. Even Halo, my favourite series. Then on a whim I purchased Blur, despite not being a fan of racing games, which manage to pull me out and enjoy other games again.
Blur; under-rated game. Still play it sometimes because of it’s unique aesthetics and physics. Fun with friends, like Split Second 🙂
and it even has local only search options. Which is more then I can for many triple A games *coughHalo4cough*
With a total amount player count of 30, I still managed to play in an Australian hosted game.
Cool, wouldn’t have guessed that anyone would still be playing online in it, same w/ Split Second I guess. But yeah, the local multiplier options are great, my friends and I especially loved doing battles with only Shunts turned on haha
I have to wonder when the trend to stop putting a region select in started?
I get the feeling it was a studio exec rather than an actual developer who came up with the idea of removing regional settings so the game looked more popular rather than being in a region with few people.
I’m in a funk now. I’ve got great games at home waiting for me, Tomb Raider, Max Payne 3, Dishonoured and a few others but I look at them and just go ‘ugh’.
I’ve been considering Stick of Truth because Its different but lose motivation to play it here and there.
I think the biggest thing is getting off the release treadmill. Every week or two there’s something new coming out and everyone’s talking about it and everything. Trying to keep up can be a really crushing thing, and it’s a good idea to step away from it sometimes and realize that you don’t always have to be playing the latest and greatest. Don’t even go to your backlog – if your backlog is anything like mine just thinking about it is depressing, and there’s a good chance that anything you started and didn’t finish won’t hold your interest in the frame of mind you’re in anyway. Instead go re-play a game that you really like. Something that will remind you why you enjoy gaming as a hobby.
For me the last time I got really worn down trying to keep ahead of the release grind, I was getting to the point that I was questioning if I even wanted to continue with the hobby at all. So i went and replayed Okami, which was one of my favourite games from the PS2 era. And then I was back into it again.
I agree with this statement. I used to Manage a Video Game store and the release schedule is so apparent and in your face when working in the industry. You see the cyclical release schedules, there is usually SOMETHING every week, and if not, a pre-order deal or something of that nature. When I first started, I tried to keep up with this cycle, but it is too taxing. You churn through too many games and spend too much cash. You also get burned out, it all becomes a blur and everything seems like everything else.
I had to stop the release cycle for me, to truly get back into gaming. I said “Fuck it, new release games can wait, I really want to smash some GTA”, got back into 4 online and was refreshed. Quality over quantity, gaming time is limited and treasured, no time for “filler” games. After this, I waited for release and gauged the general mood of customers buying it over a few days, then make a decision.
The problem is the lack of mind blowing titles… Halfway through the free PS Plus release of Metro: Last Light I really had to struggle to force myself to finish it, whereas you couldn’t keep me away from a game such as The Last of US…
It’s not all our fault, we are bombarded with sub-par titles, I would rather have maybe 1 incredible release each month, then the maybe 3 per year and 100+ mediocre games.
Tomb Raider is holding my interest at the moment, but I think that’s only because I am dying for another Uncharted.
I was in a really bad one a few years ago. I bought Xenoblade a few weeks before and I only played it because it was pricey, I was determined to get my money’s worth. The game was amazing and once I was ready to stop playing it I found other games fun again.
For me, I got outside more. I was in a funk and found that when I got out and did something I appreciated the laziness of gaming more. I have been riding MTB for 2 & 1/2 years now and am thoroughly enjoying my gaming more, instead of overdosing on it. Fit and healthy and found a new love in gaming that I thought I would not get back.
I thought this would be in the article: “Go outside”.
Cos games are great, but you can waste a lot of time playing them. So if you’re not in the mood, for gods sake make the most of it and get out there and do something with your time.
So damn true. After spending a lot of time playing I found out there is NOTHING better than experience. Been traveling like mad ever since, been more fit, new hobbies started a business. Gaming is good but only in responsible portions. It is no longer an escape for me. 🙂
Gaming is good in any portion. Any hobby is great as long as you can personalise it and gain some kind of fulfilment from it. Don’t judge people who play games. I’ve got a great job, i’m moving forward, exercise every second day of the week, have a fiance, travel AND play games irresponsibly.
Not in ANY way passing judgement. I had my own personal reasons for why I gamed excessively. My journey and my view.
I’d suggest the option of buying into an older system/console that you’ve never owned. I recently bought a used DS and picked up 5 of it’s highest rated games for a pittance on eBay, ended up costing under $100 bucks for the whole lot. I’ve never owned a DS, so its kind of like have the excitement and novelty of new gaming hardware, with a bunch of new games that are different to my usual fare, and it cost roughly the same as a single new release game. It helped that the DS was in pretty good condition too.
I was experiencing this kind of gaming funk, even though I got a PS4 on launch day!
Im in the funk right now. 250+ steam games and i only play tf2 or gmod and they dont hold me as long as they used to. I tried fable 1 hd or what ever its called but i find it to slow.
Waiting for watch dogs or mario kart 8 or super smash bros.
this is effectively why i own all the consoles. i only want to play the absolute best games.
i have so many games and there are so many times where i end up watching tv instead because i cant get motivated to play anything.
i also cant bring myself to replay games other than ones i played as a kid.
The overwhelming size of my pile of shame was what put me off. Being a nit of a completionist I was daunted by the time I’d have to expend to go through all of the games in the pile and it sopped me from playing anything. I had to stop and make a conscious decision to stop worrying about completion and just play games until the closing credits – or as long as I can be bothered.
I’ve still got a large pile of shame but I’ve also played quite a few more games in the last 3 months.
I was in a bit of a gaming rut a couple of months ago so I decided to do a full upgrade on my 2011 pc and now I’m loving gaming again! Battlefield 4 with an r9 290 is awesome!