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[64bitmodels]

It's a Warioland clone so good that it's arguably even better than those games

When you surpass Nintendo at anything you're doing something right.

 

[BossLackey]

Less games and only the ones that you prefer… I also suggest not to use gp or psplus otherwise you’ll be overflown and risk not to enjoy games anymore. Few good games you love and that’s it.

I don't use any of those. I'm already drowning from my own purchases. I can't even imagine what adding services would be like.

 

[gaming_again]

I've never been busier in my life at the age of 34. But that doesn't stop me from making time for video games. If anything, I need them more than ever to give my mind and body a reprieve from my demanding job.

Problem is, games are SO fucking long and numerous. We all joke about backlogs, but it's true. It just continues to get bigger and bigger. I don't expect to make a dent in mine, but damn. I feel like I'm buying a new game before I've truly started the last one.

And that's entirely my fault, of course. But I see these large, narrative based games and I WANT to be a part of them. But when I start playing them, they can feel like a slog. I enjoy them in the moment, but it feels like I'm making barely any progress when I only have an hour here and there to commit to them.

I've come to a crossroads where I need to make the decision to just...cut out certain genres even though I don't want to. I recently got into JRPGs more than before. There's a LOT I love here. But they're too damn long and bloated.

We need more Resident Evil length games.

How do you manage video games as an adult? Or are we mostly in the same boat?

Drop games immediately if you stop enjoying them. Nobody is keeping score of how many you finish. Became way more discriminating.

Give something else up. I don’t watch TV or films anymore.

 

[Revolutionary]

Ignore all responsibilities -> game all day err day

 

[LavitzSlambert]

I've never been busier in my life at the age of 34. But that doesn't stop me from making time for video games. If anything, I need them more than ever to give my mind and body a reprieve from my demanding job.

Problem is, games are SO fucking long and numerous. We all joke about backlogs, but it's true. It just continues to get bigger and bigger. I don't expect to make a dent in mine, but damn. I feel like I'm buying a new game before I've truly started the last one.

And that's entirely my fault, of course. But I see these large, narrative based games and I WANT to be a part of them. But when I start playing them, they can feel like a slog. I enjoy them in the moment, but it feels like I'm making barely any progress when I only have an hour here and there to commit to them.

I've come to a crossroads where I need to make the decision to just...cut out certain genres even though I don't want to. I recently got into JRPGs more than before. There's a LOT I love here. But they're too damn long and bloated.

We need more Resident Evil length games.

How do you manage video games as an adult? Or are we mostly in the same boat?

So in all likelihood, during your childhood:

- You had more time to dedicate to gaming
- There was a smaller selection of games to begin with
- Most games were shorter, even large RPGs were closer to 40 hours rather than 60+
- You probably never heard about most games
- Even if you had the desire, you probably did not have the money to spend on everything you would have wanted to play

Now in your adulthood:

- You have less time in general, especially for gaming
- There is a huge selection of games being developed constantly
- Games have ballooned in length in response to the "value" and generic, dynamically generated content
- You are being bombarded with info about all the latest releases constantly
- Games can often be bought for cheap, and money isn't the big blocker anymore


Look at it like an equation. With more content that is produced, and more content that interests you, you would need more time to experience it all even if all other factors stayed equal. That's not the case - you have less free time than before, and many games have become longer. That is three different metrics working against you being able to experience all of that content. Quite simply, you are not going to be able to play everything, even if you are interested in it all. You will need to make choices and prioritize the most interesting titles, and be ok with never experiencing some games. Even if people online and declaring them the second coming.

And it's important that you change the way you look at your backlog. It should NOT be a laundry list of to-dos. It's a library you have access to at any point, without spending any additional money. Right now I'm dipping into my backlog to play some spooky games during the Halloween season, and having a blast. If a game is truly good, you'll still enjoy it years later. In fact, I plan to play the original Dead Space since it's in my backlog. At some point I may play the remake, but I'm in no rush whatsoever. Treat your backlog like an option and prioritize making the most of your time spent gaming.

 

[SiahWester]

I don't think of my backlog as a backlog. A lot of my gaming experiences now are just reliving the past. I have my Steam Deck with all of my favorite games and I just play a little here and there. It's like a portal to the past.

I have a few new games that I try to process, but it's all about retro experiences. Those are the most fulfilling and old games are better in a lot of ways anyways.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

Kind of planning on not having kids. For a LOT of reasons.

For me, my wife likes to watch me play games. Which is a double edged sword. If it's a game she likes, then cool. No problem. I can play it basically all day.

If it's a game she doesn't like? Maybe 30 minutes a day.

 

[Deerock71]

Get a Switch. I work from home, and game WHILE I'm working.

 

[Banjo64]

I am extremely selective over the long games I will play. Elden Ring, TotK yes. God of War, Horizon no. Basically only S tier is worth my time.

I play short burst online games like Rocket League, Splatoon, EA FC, Smash Ultimate, Tetris 99, F-Zero 99.

I actively seek out high quality short single player games like Ori, Tinykin, Uncharted Lost Legacy.

 

[Knightime_X]

Having 2 pcs, multiple platforms, 2 tvs, 1 65'', the other 75 helps tremendously.
When you live with others

 

[ReBurn]

Just understand that a 20 hour game will take 6 months to complete.

 

[El Muerto]

I work from home and do 4x 10hr days, i can usually game for an hour or two on days i work if i'm up to it. I'll sometimes play games while i'm working too. On my days off i can usually play all day if my wife works. If not i can squeeze in a few hours if i have errands to run, or something to fix around the house on my day off. As for the games i play, i'll play anything except for multiplayer. I can beat a Yakuza game in about a month. JRPGS usually 45 days to 2 months to complete.

 

[_Ex_]

I can have a movie on monitor 2 while playing a game.

Smart, and I often do the same thing if I'm just playing a pure aught action game.

 

[Reckheim]

I buy a game and play until I finish it or grow tired of it. Don't start a new game until I do. There is no such thing as backlog, just need to prioritize the games you want to play the most.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

One thing that helps is as you get older, you cut out the kinds of games you don't like and just focus on what you do. No more trying to keep up with the joneses and play everything that comes out.

 

[Bkdk]

I just spent hundreds of hours in cp2077, starfield and bg3 in the past 2 months.

 

[Elitro]

I get about 45 minutes to 1hr on weekdays (weekends I’ll get about 3.5hrs in).

It’s always at the end of the day before going to bed, which is when my wife and I have our own “me” times to do what we want. I never game during the daytime unless I’m sick.

I don’t watch movies really and only the occasional. TV shows. So there’s rarely any of that bogging me down.

Pretty much me atm.

Lots of different advices here. Personally I took the approach of carefully picking my games instead of just creating a backlog.
Yes it takes forever now to finish a game (you can imagine trying to finish bg3 on such a limited time schedule) but it's fine. If the game is good you always feel engaged in every playthrough.

 

[Dacvak]

Been feeling this way for years. I would much rather have 8 hour AAA games than 30+ hour. I wish modern games had an “adult mode” which would just cut out any of the fluff of the game and let you blitz through it.

Like, last weekend I got a little drunk and decided I wanted to play a game that didn’t matter at all. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 was on sale for a few bucks, and I was like “hey, I watched DBZ as a kid, maybe this is cool.” So I grabbed it, hoping I could have a couple hours of nostalgia and fun.

I think I spent more than like an hour on just the intro/tutorial, which just seemed to go on foreverrrr. Then I looked it up, and apparently that game is 30+ hours or something. I will literally never play it.

 

[BootsLoader]

I’m 33 and I am on the same page, no time for Video Games. To be honest, I’m not in the mood to sacrifice sleep time for gaming. I think it will have big impact on your health, both mental and non mental health. At this age, don’t play with fire. Try to game early in the day if possible, otherwise just sleep.

 

[March Climber]

Cut RPGs out of your playlist, and fight the urge to be a completionist with every game(especially those with meaningless side content), and you'll suddenly find yourself blazing through multiple games in a year.

 

[MaestroMike]

only 2 or 3 gaming a sessions a week maybe 1 to 2 hours long usually on my days off in the mourning when I'm fresh. I'm not going to run through games so I have to be picky about what to play and I don't want to do long gaming sessions anymore anyways cuz time is really flying by. I'm okay with that

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Been feeling this way for years. I would much rather have 8 hour AAA games than 30+ hour. I wish modern games had an “adult mode” which would just cut out any of the fluff of the game and let you blitz through it.

They already have that, it's called youtube.

 

[Muffdraul]

"Family, religion, friendship. These are the three demons you must slay if you wish to succeed in video games." - Mr. Burns

Seriously, being in your 50s and having no family and getting together with your oldest friends only maybe three times a year helps a lot!

 

[Rudius]

I have recently become a father and playing VR became almost impossible. I can still play for one or two hours on the TV or laptop.

 

[kvltus lvlzvs]

I've never been busier in my life at the age of 34. But that doesn't stop me from making time for video games. If anything, I need them more than ever to give my mind and body a reprieve from my demanding job.

Problem is, games are SO fucking long and numerous. We all joke about backlogs, but it's true. It just continues to get bigger and bigger. I don't expect to make a dent in mine, but damn. I feel like I'm buying a new game before I've truly started the last one.

And that's entirely my fault, of course. But I see these large, narrative based games and I WANT to be a part of them. But when I start playing them, they can feel like a slog. I enjoy them in the moment, but it feels like I'm making barely any progress when I only have an hour here and there to commit to them.

I've come to a crossroads where I need to make the decision to just...cut out certain genres even though I don't want to. I recently got into JRPGs more than before. There's a LOT I love here. But they're too damn long and bloated.

We need more Resident Evil length games.

How do you manage video games as an adult? Or are we mostly in the same boat?

Steam deck has helped me a lot

 

[UnNamed]

Vagina is overrated. More time to spend on games.

 

[Raven117]

Either late at night or early in the morning. That's really all you get.

And be selective about what you play.

 

[nikos]

Work less.
Don't be with somebody who has a problem with you gaming.
????????
Profit.

Life's too short to not do what you love.

 

[dezzy8]

Get a steam deck. I’ve beaten so many games this past year by playing on the deck.

 

[Dick Jones]

Pretty easy to accomplish when you dont have a family or kids

Can confirm. I once spent a half hour on a basic enough Metal Gear Solid V level. Then the results came up (well over an hour and a half dicking around the mission). Since being married and a kid, I've never not known my playable time. It's fucking precious.

 

[rofif]

What are you guys doing? I work 8-16 and then have at least 8 hours left to game.
Wait… don’t tell me you made kids? God damn fools!!!!

 

[Kenneth Haight]

Kilau knows the score

generally play from 9/10-12 most nights but starting to study for some professional certifications again now so that’s going to eat some time.

It’s the only way if you have children.

 

[Fbh]

To me it has basically just boiled down to giving up on playing every (or even most) new releases. I just slowly play through games that interest me and if I'm 2-3 years late to them I don't really care anymore (unles it's a souls game by Fromsoft).
There's multiple benefits to it too:
- Games are way cheaper
- Games are usually better as you are playing them after months (or even years) of patches and updates
- As someone who usually doesn't go back to games to buy DLC you can pick up the "complete edition" and play through all the content in what feels like one big experience

Also 2 "rules" I've set for myself which I didn't use when I was younger:
- If I'm not consistently having fun with a game I'll just drop it. I won't force myself to finish stuff I'm not really enjoying anymore just for the sake of it.
- I try to only play stuff that really interests me, I mostly no longer bother with games that look "just ok". Like before I'd have picked up games like Far Cry 6 or Forspoken if I saw them on sale because "as long as it's decently fun to pass time it's ok", now I wouldn't bother playing them even if they are "free" on ps+.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

That's why Hi-Fi Rush length video games are complete perfection.

 

[BossLackey]

So in all likelihood, during your childhood:

- You had more time to dedicate to gaming
- There was a smaller selection of games to begin with
- Most games were shorter, even large RPGs were closer to 40 hours rather than 60+
- You probably never heard about most games
- Even if you had the desire, you probably did not have the money to spend on everything you would have wanted to play

Now in your adulthood:

- You have less time in general, especially for gaming
- There is a huge selection of games being developed constantly
- Games have ballooned in length in response to the "value" and generic, dynamically generated content
- You are being bombarded with info about all the latest releases constantly
- Games can often be bought for cheap, and money isn't the big blocker anymore


Look at it like an equation. With more content that is produced, and more content that interests you, you would need more time to experience it all even if all other factors stayed equal. That's not the case - you have less free time than before, and many games have become longer. That is three different metrics working against you being able to experience all of that content. Quite simply, you are not going to be able to play everything, even if you are interested in it all. You will need to make choices and prioritize the most interesting titles, and be ok with never experiencing some games. Even if people online and declaring them the second coming.

And it's important that you change the way you look at your backlog. It should NOT be a laundry list of to-dos. It's a library you have access to at any point, without spending any additional money. Right now I'm dipping into my backlog to play some spooky games during the Halloween season, and having a blast. If a game is truly good, you'll still enjoy it years later. In fact, I plan to play the original Dead Space since it's in my backlog. At some point I may play the remake, but I'm in no rush whatsoever. Treat your backlog like an option and prioritize making the most of your time spent gaming.

I love this. And you're 100% right. There is simply a fixed amount of free time (which has greatly lessened over the years) to enjoy games. Sacrifices must be made. It's that simple.

I'm very much a spreadsheet and data type of guy. I'm going to make a spreadsheet of genres/series I enjoy or want to play or have in my backlog. It's gonna get slashed.

I think JRPGs are first on the block. Not all of them, but most of them.

Action RPGs and Soulslikes are probably going to be my "long games" because they're pure gameplay and there is a limited pool of them (of which I've played most of the good ones). That gives me a sense of completion when I finish one, yet isn't as daunting as JRPGs since I'm newer to taking that genre seriously.

Luckily I'm very into what I like to call the "Arcade Quartet". Beat 'em Ups, Shmups, Run 'n Guns, and Fighting Games. Outside of taking FGs seriously (which is an on-again-off-again thing with me), the others are very short and inexpensive (unless you're trying to go physical on Shmups ).

I also like boomer shooters which are shorter and survival horror. Both great lengths (but I think I'm cutting boomer shooters. They're fun, but get old fast for me.)

I think about genres more than I care to admit. Every time I hop on discord with my best friend I hit him with the "alright, here's my mix right now" and it's basically a mix of genres/types of games I'm currently holding. With JPRGs out, that helps a lot.

So I'm thinking current mix is:

1. ARPGs/Soulslikes/3rd Person Action/Metroidvanias/Survival Horror as the meat of it all. Fewer cutscenes so I can watch or listen to something during if I want to maximize my time. I have a very good dent in all 5 of these.
2. Counter-Strike 2 for that git gud competitive feel that I can't really live without.
3. "Arcade Quartet" for that hyper easy to pick up and put down goodness. Also fun to collect and master without breaking the bank or sinking all my time.

Beyond the time sink that they are, I also don't think I just have any patience for narrative heavy games. I feel like I'm waiting on the game itself, whereas the above games I just don't feel that.

Goodbye Yakuza: Like a Dragon

 

[Flabagast]

Stay single

 

[Kenneth Haight]

Who are you talking toKind of planning on not having kids. For a LOT of reasons.

So wait, you don’t have kids?

So you’re an adult with ALL your own free time?

Sympathy denied

/j

 

[gatti-man]

I play way way less games and never serious multiplayer games bc I’ll never get good enough to justify the time. Took me like 2 months to beat Jedi survivor for example and I really had to push to get through.

 

[BouncyFrag]

Look forward to retirement home gaming. Imagine where gaming will be in 30+ years if humanity hasn’t destroyed itself by then. Also, Elder Scrolls 6 should be out by then.

 

[BossLackey]

So wait, you don’t have kids?

So you’re an adult with ALL your own free time?

Sympathy denied

/j

You joke, but I'm seriously tired of this shit.

I have a very demanding job where I often work late and part of the weekend. Plus I'm the the cook in the relationship and my wife has health issues that keep her from doing too much around the house without a lot of pain involved.

I only have a couple hours a day of free time at most, which usually I'm so beat I just use to sit and recoup.

 

[Ansphn]

I usually game for a few hours in bed through my phone with remote play.

 

[BossLackey]

Stay single

Too late. But yeah, when I was single, my life was significantly less complicated and time consuming. My job also ended at 5 and I didn't take it home with me. That's long behind me, unfortunately.

But I do love spending time with my wife.

 

[Arsic]

Butt ass naked. Best way to play.

As for time management look at your job schedule, family schedule, etc and carve time. I’ll stay up to midnight and sacrifice sleep to play in evenings once the family is asleep. Weekends my wife gives me 4 hours each day to play, then I’m with the kids the next 4 hours so she gets her time to herself too.

Pick digestible titles or just give up on the idea of completion. Play until satisfied and move on.

 

[Rockondevil]

My wife and son are both asleep by 9. I then get 2 hours to myself.
Sleep 5.5-6 hours.

Probably not sustainable long term, but hopefully my kid will move out before then (he’s 5).

 

[GetInTheRobot]

I work from home so I often can game during the day but I find balance comes in when I don't try to play everything. Every game I miss isn't in my backlog...I work, go to gym daily, have a long term gf and must fit gaming in. But it doesn't mean I must fit every game in. I might do an hour of COD for level grinding then an hour or two of starfield...before that BG3 and still have time to watch an episode or two of a show before I go to sleep. It's different for everyone and I realized im privileged but I think finding balance is always a challenge no matter your hobby.

 

[Tams]

Get a Switch, portable PC of your flavour (GPD Win 2 2023 for me), and/or a PlayStation Portal.

If you want Xbox to be more accessible... get the portable PC. They'll just release it on PC anyway.

 

[existensmaximum]

easy infinite gaming time cheat

don't get a wife or have kids. ez gaming time 100% win.

You mean, get a girlfriend/wife who likes gaming and don't have kids. Easy as pie!

 

[Solidus_T]

 

[anothertech]

Learn to live on 4 hours of sleep. Tony Robbins and Elon Musk do it. Why can't I lol.

I run a gym, train parkour, make feature films, shoot commercials, teach kungfu at night and raise 4 children with a happy wife. 12am to 4am are my gaming/movie/TV hours.

Your life is childs play

 

[Kings Field]

I work 3 12's a week at th hospital so it gives me time to game the othe four days a week I'm off after the kis and wife go to bed. I usually game from about 9pm-2am on my days off when they are sleeping. My body is also accustomed to four-five hours of sleep a night for the past 15 years.

I also have very little interest in stories in games so I skip all cutscenes and bullshit dialogue unless the game really interests me. I'm in it for the game play.