Gaming is many things to many people. For most, it’s a recreational activity they engage in to have fun. But games can be more than that, too. For instance, some stream their video game playing online, engaging and curating a fun community in the process. Some play e-sports competitively and may even play for a professional team.
In addition to this, gaming as an interactive medium can provide artistic experiences that are hard to emulate in other formats. Puzzle games, for example, can become equal parts artistic presentations using multi-media formatting, and smart 3D renders of puzzle spaces.
If you feel that gaming is getting a little tiresome, or perhaps you’re looking for a way to get more out of your hobby, you’re in the right place. Of course, to begin with, taking a break might be a good place to start. If you find yourself playing six hours a day or more, it’s important to realize that the ‘tired-out’ feeling you have may just be overstimulated.
Okay, that’s our parental talk out of the way. Now let’s discuss how gamers of all stripes can get more out of their virtual experience, and why sometimes going out of your comfort zone can be so helpful.
Without further ado, please consider:
A Healthy Gaming Approach
The following may sound strange for a gaming post, but the advice, we believe, is sound. Games often require us to sit down for long periods of time, and while our minds will be racing and fully engaged, our bodies can sometimes slump into the sofa or chair, tiring us out and making us doze off.
A little daily exercise always helps you come back to your gaming experience with a much more pleasant sense of focus and alertness. So if you’ve nothing planned for the weekend, why not take your dog for a long walk before you sit next to your computer? You’ll notice the difference right away. But it’s also important to recognize that even games can be fantastic means by which to exercise, too.
Ring Fit Adventure for the Nintendo Switch, Beat Saber for virtual reality headsets like the Oculus (now Meta) Quest 2, HTC Vive, or Valve Index, and dancing games like Just Dance can be a great way to get in some morning cardio. You’ll be stunned at how effective they are.
Moreover, working on your physical well-being helps your mental health, allowing you to feel more focused and alert while soaking in your favorite titles. It can also be a great idea to replace your dietary intake or substitute certain snacks you enjoy. For example, switching out sugary sodas for fruit teas, limiting caffeine, or even trying supplements like Delta 8 THC Vape Carts instead of drinking when playing at night can help you have a healthier, more fun time too.
Join A Community Or A Trusted Group
If you’re into a particular game, no matter how retro, you’d be surprised just how many more people will be into that also. It can be fun to join an online community dedicated to playing the game, as ‘looking for group’ pages on sites like Reddit, or public community spaces on apps like Discord can connect you to many other people.
Joining a community or a trusted group like this (and never feeling as though you have to stick with those who aren’t positive or fun to play with), can be a good time. Note that you don’t have to force this, generally. If you find someone pleasant in your team who has good communication and works with you, then throwing them a friend request and matchmaking together with them can also be a good idea.
A good headset with a nice microphone is a good investment. It may help you make gaming friends the world over who really provide you with something helpful and pleasant going forward. There’s nothing quite like finding a community of people who share this hobby with you, and who you appreciate, genuinely, not just as online friends but as friends in general.
Try A New Genre & Widen Your Gaming Taste
It’s fun to learn of the history and wider culture behind gaming, but also to enjoy titles that may be further afield from those you usually take part in. For example, bibliophiles may find themselves returning to classic literature, and cinephiles will often focus on an area, such as 50’s French noir films, and have a great time exploring the medium in that way.
You have no examinations to pass here, of course, but perhaps you could engage in a similar approach for fun’s sake. So for instance, if you’re usually into multiplayer shooters, perhaps you could try a long-form role-playing-game with good combat mechanics. If you’re just started with computer gaming for the first time after transitioning from a console, why not try a fun strategy game like Frostpunk or Civilization 6?
Again, you don’t have to feel obligated to do so. But someone who does try and challenge their tastes and sees what else is out there will feel informed by the effort, and will no doubt find a new favorite rather quickly. With Xbox Game Pass on console and PC, as well as bundle packages like those offered by the Humble Bundle, the cost of trying new titles is much reduced.
Consider Playing Retro Games
You’d be amazed at just how much retro gaming fun is out there for you to enjoy, and sometimes entirely for free! For example, the Marathon project aimed at porting those titles to the PC and fixing up their control scheme has allowed you to play the series that inspired Halo, for no entry cost at all.
In addition to this, storefronts like Good Old Games have taken time to refine and reinvigorate older titles by patching them to run on the computer. It’s fun to chart the history of certain franchises and sometimes even witness a golden age that’s past, such as by playing the older PC cRPG’s like Planescape: Torment, Baldur’s Gate, and Icewind Dale.
These aren’t for everyone of course, so don’t be ashamed if you can’t really agree with those titles. We’re willing to bet there’s something out there for you though, and with the website PC Gaming Wiki, learning how to make older titles run on your computer can be a tremendously gratifying experience.
Why Not Make Some Content?
If you’ve been playing games for a little while, you no doubt have some thoughts on them. Why not share that with the class, as it were? Creating content such as by recording gameplay clips and showcasing them, streaming through sites like Twitch or YouTube, or even crafting a video review of certain titles can be helpful and worthwhile.
This is a great video that can showcase how to get started with YouTube game reviews, and why you might even want to do so in the first place. Sure, the market can seem saturated at this point, but does that mean you should never throw your hat into the ring? Absolutely not.
You never know, you might even build a small community and collaborate with other people who have the same impression. You’re sure to have a blast if you take things perhaps not seriously but sincerely, all with the intent of having a good time.
With this advice, we hope you can get even more out of your gaming experience. You’re free to do everything or nothing on this list, but we hope it was helpful regardless.
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