I measured out a space in my incredibly small apartment and bought a desk. After rearranging my room, I finally have a space to actually hook up and use my PC. Now what do I do?
I live in New York, where people will live in any space they can get, no matter how tiny. My room has barely enough space to fit my bed, let alone a desk. I found myself in the unfortunate situation of hooking up my PC to my television and gaming uncomfortably on my bed when I needed to use it.
If you’ve never had to use your keyboard and mouse on your bed sheets while craning your neck up to look at your wall-mounted TV, I would suggest you not try it. It was fine, in the way that ordering a breakfast sandwich on a roll and then getting it on a bagel is fine. It’s not what you wanted, but I mean, you can eat it.
After getting fed up with not having anywhere to do work, I measured out a space, moved some stuff around, and then ordered desk and a monitor and all the other accoutrements that I’d need to actually use my PC properly. It makes the entryway into my bedroom very tight, but it works. But now that it’s easier for me to use my PC more, I’m paralysed by choice.
There are simply too many options. All the PC games I’ve bought over the years are now at my fingertips. I’ve played almost none of them, since it was so inconvenient to use my PC before.
Dragon Age: Origins seemed too daunting. I want to finish Divinity: Original Sin 2 or get into another extremely long game of Crusader Kings 2, but I can’t decide which to do first. I have Battletech installed but haven’t touched it. I play a little Rimworld, but then remember all the other games I want to play, too.
How can I spend all my time playing just one game when I have dozens waiting for me? I’ve finally just started playing The Sims 4 because it’s familiar, even though I feel guilty because I’ve already logged almost 300 hours of that just playing on my dinky MacBook Air.
I tend to buy games I know I’ll play on my PlayStation, but my PC has been full of games I wanted to play “eventually,” especially since people kept telling me how much better gaming on a PC is. “Eventually” is now. Choosing a game feels like such a serious choice. What’s the best game to get the most out of my new setup?
I was so excited to set this up, and it still feels like a birthday cake I’ve been waiting to eat. Soon, I’ll just get used to having it, and will be willing to play any old crap to pass the time. I’ll get over the idea that the first game I can really sink my teeth into on this thing has to prove its worth. For now, I have The Sims.
Comments
7 responses to “There Are So Many PC Games To Play, I Can’t Choose One To Start”
I’m finding myself having the same issue. I’ve been a console gamer forever and only ever dabbled in PC gaming on my laptop. I finally got myself a desktop PC, and like you, the world has opened up. I’m spoilt for choice. So where do I start? Minecraft has been my “old faithful” fallback whenever I can’t decide which new thing to try.
I never would have thought I’d find myself with the world of gaming at my fingertips and not be able to pick something. It’s like browsing Netflix; spend an hour browsing for something new, but invariably end up rewatching a staple I’ve seen a dozen times.
It’s a true first-world problem; An embarrassment of riches and an indecisive personality.
Same. I stopped PC gaming for about 8 years when my graphics card failed. After a number of really great PC games came out around the middle of last year, and after I watched a Surviving Mars tutorial that made it look so much better to control with a mouse, I bought a 1050 ti, hooked up my pc to my tv, got a wireless keyboard and mouse and an adjustable laptop table and went at it.
First was those experiences I missed when I was a console gamer. I have 500 hours on Warhammer Total War 2. I finished Baldur’s Gate again with the Enhanced Edition (I was shocked how playable this was). Played some of the Shadowrun games, played some Thief, recently Battletech, Dead Space again (initially played it on PS3), Gothic Armada and Stellaris.
Those would be my recommendations. Those experiences that you can’t find on a console. Or those experiences you can’t find on a console because they belonged to a previous generation (I also picked up Alan Wake, Vanquish, Metal Gear Revengance, Bayonetta, Dead Space 1 and 2, Dragon Age Origins, and so on)
Although nowadays, like the guy in the comment below me, I’ve bought so many games for $1.00 off Gog that I haven’t started, but I’ll just end up watching youtube instead. Or just play Warhammer Total War 2 again because it’s one of the few games I can do an audiobook with.
I have the same problem and rather than deciding I end up just watching YouTube for a couple of hours…
Choice is hard especially if you got an overwhelming Steam library of games.
Since your reintroducing yourself to the PC experience I would try to aim for a title genre that you dont get to play often on them.
Otherwise there is a website called The Wheelhaus, it randonly picks games from your Steam Library
I think that’s a pretty common problem for a lot of people. I have the same issue. Dozens of unplayed games on Steam and in boxes on the shelf but it seems like so much work to get into a new one and I fall back to Diablo or WoW.
For me at least, part of the problem is the social aspect of MMOs so WoW isn’t just a game it’s a bunch of friends to hang out with. I think back when games were (mostly) single player experiences or shooters against anonymous enemies on the internet it was easier to move on because you weren’t leaving friends behind.
I’ve had a similar problem but now with much less free time, I’ve found a solution: stop buying things for the sake of it. I used to buy lots of things on Steam sales because it was cheap and I ‘might’ want to play it soon, but most of them sit in my library unplayed (or barely played).
If the title doesn’t grab me from its premise, I don’t buy it (no matter how cheap it is). If I’m curious, I’ll check out a Let’s Play or something and then decide whether I want it based on that. The only exceptions are games I know I’ll love (like Doom).
I’m spoilt for choice with no limiting factor other than time – so I’m going to pick something I know I’ll actually want to keep playing. Anything else is noise, and if I have doubts about it, I’m not going to pick it up unless something dispels those doubts.
WoW, what an insightful article. We have come far as a species.
Same!
An interesting article and adult discussion.
Being 45 and a long time player of PC and PS3/4 games I find myself going through phases.
Enjoy PS with my son, but PC gaming will always be my first love.
With so many steam games, I have found that you have to manage your catalogue the same way you would your work inbox – with ruthlessness.
I uninstall 80% of the catalogue and only view favourites.
My recent recommendations:
Frostpunk
Into the Breach
Slightly older but still a blast:
SUPERHOT
Mini metro
XCOM 2
Just play Age of Empires 2