I love my favorite games and have been playing them for years, but I disliked about 99% of the games I played.

I don’t think I have FoMO or anything; I just find it weird because my taste in music, film, or art/media in general is usually fairly broad. I guess I just wonder why my taste in games is aggressively limited.

It’s not for the lack of trying new games; I’ve tried more or less anything I could find, sometimes because it’s popular, other times because it looked interesting, but nothing really hits the mark like my favorite games.

I just don’t like what most developers create, I guess?

I’m hoping, by posting this, maybe I can find others who are having a similar experience, and we can share thoughts.

  • Elgenzay@lemmy.mlEnglish
    0·
    20 days ago

    Do you play indie games often? Most of my favorite gaming experiences have come from indie studios. They put more love into them

    • mohab@piefed.socialOPEnglish
      0·
      20 days ago

      I try them often, but haven’t had much luck finding a favorite other than Crimzon Clover. Nex Machina and Furi got close, but not quite.

      Some experiences were nice, but not replayable, which ruled them out as a favorite for me, like Hyper Light Drifter.

      Some I had some fun with, but took issue with some of the design choices, like Dead Cells and Hollow Knight.

      Some I outright did not enjoy at all like Hades or Stardew Valley.

      Most recent indie game that got close for me was Kill Knight.

      What are some of your favorite indies?

      • Elgenzay@lemmy.mlEnglish
        0·
        20 days ago

        I recommend CrossCode, if you haven’t tried it. It’s a top-down twinstick shooter/fighter so the gameplay is comparable to some of those you’ve listed and the story is long and unforgettable, with tons of fun optional content. Probably my favorite game narrative; there’s nothing like it.

        Some other favorites of mine are Revita, but there’s little in terms of story, and Outer Wilds, but it’s a slow burn. And if you’re looking for games to play with friends, these are some of my favorite multiplayer indie games:

        • Deep Rock Galactic
        • Roboquest
        • Gunfire Reborn
        • Don’t Starve Together
        • Risk of Rain 2

        (Also Starbound, Terraria, & Core Keeper but those are bigger time investments)

  • ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.netEnglish
    0·
    21 days ago

    I have a very similar experience to @Zarxrax@lemmy.world. When I was younger, I’d play just about anything I could get my hands on. But now, it’s like you, where 99% of what’s out there doesn’t interest me.

    I think this happened for a few reasons for me:

    1. Games are a pretty big time commitment compared to other media, and my time has only become more valuable as I get older. I’m just not willing to invest it in a game that isn’t really scratching an itch effectively
    2. There are more games out now than ever before in history. Combined with the previous point, there’s never been a better time to be picky.
    3. AAA games are stagnating pretty badly due to profit incentive. While there a still some that break the mold and show artistic value, most of them are so commodified and painfully derivative, it’s difficult for an older gamer who has already played things like it to get excited
    4. I’ve become more attuned to my preferences in genre, and know what I will and will not enjoy, which is something I didn’t have as much when I was younger, since everything was still relatively new and therefore, interesting enough to play.

    But this last one is the biggest reason for me: games are not reaching the potential they have locked within them.

    I say that as someone who is a massive fan of storytelling, good writing, and immersion in games. Compared to books and movies, writers are still given extremely low priority in the gaming industry, which results in a tremendous amount of cognitive dissonance, simplistic writing, and a lack of innovative gameplay inspired by said writing.

    Indies have been the most willing to experiment, but that’s mostly with pure mechanics or themes, and writing is still often neglected.

    There have been a few titles that I think reach that potential, but most of them are quite old now. With so few to truly tickle me in that way, I’ll instead opt for arcade type games that manage to create a tight gameplay loop, as it let’s me not lament the lack of a good story so much.

    • ElectroVagrant@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      21 days ago

      There have been a few titles that I think reach that potential, but most of them are quite old now.

      Don’t leave us hanging! Quality endures the ages, well, mostly.

      • ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.netEnglish
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        20 days ago

        Personally, I would say:

        • Thief 1, 2 & 3
        • Indiana Jones and The Fate of Atlantis
        • Mafia 1 (not the remake)
        • Gemini Rue
        • Deus Ex (Game Dungeon has a great video on why the story punches so high, link to relevant segment here)
        • Disco Elysium (even though I personally didn’t really care for the game due to the setting, the writing is undeniably high quality)
        • A Mind Forever Voyaging

        All of those games have, IMO, a tremendously good sync between gameplay and story, where everything lines up to the point where you can become fully absorbed into whatever experience the writer/designer crafted. I would say Thief accomplishes it the best, while Mafia’s and Deus Ex’s clunky gameplay hold them back, but I can see what they were trying to achieve, and overall are close enough to my ideal.

          • ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.netEnglish
            0·
            20 days ago

            Oddly enough I actually pre-ordered a physical copy of Primordia, and got a ways into it before stopping for some reason. I should really go back and finish it!

  • acosmichippo@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    21 days ago

    I think my tastes have remained mostly the same, it’s the industry that is losing me as a customer for two reasons:

    1. more and more games now are based on shit that I hate - multiplayer, GaaS, micro transactions, copy and paste gameplay mechanics with new coats of paint, etc.

    2. studios that used to make my favorite games have really gone downhill over the last decade, like Bethesda, Bioware, and maybe CDPR (hopefully the cp2077 release was just a fluke but we’ll see).

    • ElectroVagrant@lemmy.worldEnglish
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      21 days ago

      maybe CDPR (hopefully the cp2077 release was just a fluke but we’ll see).

      Cyberpunk 2077 was Witcher 1 repeat tbh, people forgot Witcher 1 was a mess at launch since they patched it up a bunch and some other stuff to try to make amends

  • aedelred@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    21 days ago

    I think you just described me exactly. I constantly replay a few specific games but very little grabs my attention like the few I love.

  • Voroxpete@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    0·
    20 days ago

    This just means you’re figuring out what you like, and refusing to force yourself to enjoy trash.

    Remember, 90% of anything is shit, and of that 10%, not all of it is going to appeal to your tastes.

    On top of that, AAA gaming is a fucking wasteland right now. Publishers have squeezed all the life out of the medium in search of ongoing profit bonanzas. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a AAA game, unless we count Cyberpunk which had the benefit of being self published, so I don’t really think that counts.

    Oh, my bad, Elden Ring would definitely count as AAA. That was awesome (still need to finish it, and the DLC). But let’s be real, Elden Ring is great because it’s so different from the vast majority of the open world games out there.

    Anyway, I mostly spend my time on mid-shelf, indie and self-published stuff, and even then the number of games I like is pretty small. My main go tos are Darktide, Warframe, Insurgency, Chivalry 2, The Finals (I guess that’s kind of mainstream?), Stellaris, and Total War Warhammer. I’ve also recently enjoyed VA-11-Hall-A, Slay The Princess, Shadows of Doubt, and Space Marine 2. Those were all pretty great.

    I like that a lot of games get more long term support now. That’s really cool. It’s fun to be able to keep coming back to a game I like and finding new stuff.

    But yeah, you don’t owe it to anyone to enjoy everything, and you owe it to yourself to not waste your time on things you don’t enjoy.

    • mholiv@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      20 days ago

      Strong recommend for Satisfactory. It’s first person factorio but in a beautiful world that isn’t all brown.

      Personally I think it’s better.

      • caut_R@lemmy.worldEnglish
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        20 days ago

        Counterpoint: Building something big in first person is a lot more bothersome than in 2D/topdown

        I have Satisfactory and like it btw, I‘m just saying it‘s something to keep in mind. It‘s also a lot heavier on the hardware, obviously.

        • mholiv@lemmy.worldEnglish
          0·
          20 days ago

          Fair, Satisfactory is a lot heavier on the hardware for sure. But it’s a first person 3D game with a much bigger emphasis on beauty.

          I find top down to be less interesting. I like to build factories in 3D with many vertical manufacturing layers in addition to spreading out horizontally. I think 3D factories is a more fun challenge. To each their own though. They’re both interesting games.

  • Altima NEO@lemmy.zipEnglish
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    21 days ago

    I used to buy tons of games and I enjoyed them all. These days I rarely buy any, unless it’s something that’s really got my attention. But I’ve got a ton of old games to play.

  • ElectroVagrant@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    21 days ago

    Saw where you mentioned being into fighting games, action games, & shmups, so I wonder which games you find yourself bouncing off of more.

    Along with reasons other have mentioned that are similar to my own (many games demanding a lot of time, better finding what games really click with me, etc.), I’ve also been put off by other details (hyper-monetization, big budget photorealistic & cinematic styles, etc.). Personally it’s less being into very few games, and more being into more specific kinds of game design and creative style, which are sometimes harder to find.

    Like not being into drawn out progression systems immediately narrows one’s options pretty significantly, especially among many recent games.

    • mohab@piefed.socialOPEnglish
      0·
      20 days ago

      Oh, absolutely. It probably has a lot to do with falling out of favor with current design and monetization trends, I agree.

      Some of the games I’ve been playing for years: Guilty Gear, Under Night In-Birth, Bayonetta, The Wonderful 101, Crimzon Clover, Smash TV, and Catherine.

      Which games do you keep going back to?

      • ElectroVagrant@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        20 days ago

        Mainly games built for replaying, so arcade puzzlers like Super Hexagon/Tetris Effect/Mixolumia/Equaline/etc, roguelikes such as FTL/BrogueCE/etc, or strangesims like Powder Toy or Vilmonic. Although even with those it’s more occasional, like when I’m uncertain of what I’m wanting to do.

  • robocall@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    21 days ago

    I still enjoy playing rollercoaster tycoon and have been playing it since I was… 10 years old.

    I’ve played other games over the years but put 1000 hours of game time into them. I think it’s abnormal to constantly chasing and trying new games.

  • Carnelian@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    20 days ago

    Lots of people have replied with similar experiences.

    But personally? I’m having the time of my life currently playing tons of new games. I love trying new ones and getting surprised, and maybe falling in love with a genre I hadn’t considered before.

    I feel totally contrary to what others are saying: as I’ve gotten older, I find myself enjoying games way more. My time is more valuable to me now than ever before, so I want to fill it with things that are joyful and meaningful. Often those things are art. Games to me have always been very special in the way they can deliver a powerful artistic experience.

    I think they also have a special power to be blatant disgusting soulless cash grabs, to be fair. As the years go by I feel like many aspects of the industry have become particularly unpalatable. But many studios are still releasing good games, and so far I’ve continued to find joy in seeking them out.

    Not too many people on this post are actually listing games. So, in no particular order, here are some games I absolutely adored that I played recently. Games from the last ~year that have touched and moved me in some way. Experiences I don’t think I’ll forget.

    Sable
    Chicory: A colorful tale
    Manifold Garden
    Signalis
    OneShot
    The Talos Principle
    Night in the Woods
    Citizen Sleeper
    Webbed
    Rusted Moss
    Armored Core VI
    Iron Lung
    Slay the Princess
    Ghostrunner
    Mundaun
    Crosscode
    Eastward
    Animal Well
    Pseudoregalia
    Dave the Diver
    Nine Sols
    Patrick’s Parabox
    Cocoon
    Smushi Come Home

    Not to imply that I expect you or anyone else to take a deep look here or to try any of these games. Just wanted to throw my perspective out there, and to show the games in concrete terms that have left an impression and continue to motivate me to keep looking and keep trying more

  • FuryMaker@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    20 days ago

    I find it’s not that I don’t like them, it’s just a decent commitment to get into it.

  • Alex@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    20 days ago

    You see a new game as an investment. Nothing wrong with that. There’s different genres to games and once you’ve explored them it can be hard to put up with something you feel you’ve already played and that one of your favorites did better. You’re probably at the point where you’d have more fun playing with friends / exploring an mmo. Stay curious and be bold.

    • mohab@piefed.socialOPEnglish
      0·
      20 days ago

      I’m mainly into fighting games (Guilty Gear, Under Night), action games (Bayonetta, God Gand), and shmups (Crimzon Clover, Ketsui)

      I’ll occasionally like an Atlus game (Catherine) or a Zachtronics game (Shenzhen I/O) but that’s about it.

      What are your favorites?

  • jordanlund@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    20 days ago

    I find the same thing, but I’m really questioning the taste of others.

    Never really did PC gaming, bought a SteamDeck to get into that ecosystem after seeing all the posts about “ZOMG! STEAM SALE!!!”

    Are people just… not discerning? Do you just buy ANYTHING because it’s on sale?

    The signal to noise ratio on Steam is just nuts to me… Yeah, some game might be $1.99, 90% off, but if it’s not worth the bandwidth to download, why are you bothering? Do you lack the ability to tell good games from bad games?

    • deus@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      20 days ago

      The thing is, there’s just so much stuff on Steam that even if you only care about the crème de la crème (hell, even if you only care about a specific genre), you’ll still find yourself with a wishlist longer than you’ll possibly have the time to play. I often go “ZOMG! STEAM SALE!!!” so in my case it’s slowly becoming a backlog but I do intend to play everything I buy.

    • The Snark Urge@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      20 days ago

      We don’t really teach appreciation of art enough. People unabashedly “hate watch” shows or go out to see blatant cash grabs in theatre, and buy games they don’t enjoy…

      I’ve had arguments with friends who defend shows they admit have no redeeming value, and are only watching it because there’s a lot of it. Like there’s a hole in them that can only be filled with sufficient volumes of content. I can’t even talk to them anymore.

      Art is in a way the study of choice. To simply make things without meaning anything by them, without doing anything on purpose except to make money, to me is little more than cheap nihilism - without adding to the conversation in the way that considered nihilism can.

      A few game makers actually do contribute to the conversation of games as art, following on what came before and enriching us with new ideas. Those few should be followed closely and supported, when you find them.