• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Confession: I'm an ADD gamer

//ARCANUM

//ARCANUM

Member
So I have this problem. I buy more games than I have time to play and I rarely finish a game. The problem isn't that I don't like the games I'm getting (though sometimes that is the case), the problem is that there's just too many amazing games that I want to be playing.

Do any of you experience this problem as well? What do you do to get yourself to finish games?

Hello, I'm Paul and I'm an ADD gamer.
 
I read that as AMD gamer >_>

I just play what I feel like playing at the time, if I get my money's worth from it I'm happy. If I want to finish a game, a mission or something a day is an alright way to do it.
 
Too many choices these days. I used to be able to commit but i think that was the achievement addiction, tbh.
 
I'm in the same boat. I play too many games at the same time and will stop playing them to play another. I finish all my games it just takes me some time. I try to lock myself in my apartment on weekends to finish games but sometimes I get distracted by friends visiting or wanting to go out. I try to finish all my games but sometimes it just does not happen.

Hi, I'm littlegrasshopper and I'm an ADD gamer.
 
I posted this in the other thread, but the Steam Sales work for me and against me.

One, it's nice having a huge log of games so I always have a choice in something to play even if I don't have the time... but at the same time I don't feel the motivation to play some of them because I have such little invested in them financially.

I find that games I purchase full price, I always actually spend the time to finish. Maybe it's because I want them so bad I pay full price in the first place?
 
i just dont care if i finish a game or not, i just play many of them and eventually they reach the end.

just had to find some willpower to not buy games anymore, and mess with my wishlist so i would sort the games i really really want to play.

finishing a game is not a duty you know? its not a job nor a chore nor a task. its meant to be fun. so just enjoy what you are playing when you are playing

inb4 i dont even know why i am posting this because i know its not gonna get read, im just probably wasting my time.
 
If you actually enjoy what you're playing limit yourself to say play 3 games to finish. If you don't like at some point no sweat drop it.
 
Hi, Paul. I'm Jason, an ADHD gamer. I have the same problem and sometimes I might get distracted and sucked into something else for awhile like the internet and all its cool things. I need to finish a lot of games but I'm here on GAF talking about them instead.
 
Just don't buy games unless you've finished your old ones. Once you buy them, you'll play them.

It's like me and eating. I will eat anything not nailed down in my apartment. But if I don't buy anything at the shop, there's nothing to eat (except healthy shit). Discipline starts while shopping. Once you buy something, temptation becomes to strong.

Do not buy unless you really need something. Do that long enough and your problem will be solved.
 
Crimsonclaw111 said:
I read that as AMD gamer >_>

I just play what I feel like playing at the time, if I get my money's worth from it I'm happy. If I want to finish a game, a mission or something a day is an alright way to do it.
Click to expand...

Yeah I generally try not to buy games when they're full price for this reason. Only time I will buy full price is usually a Persona/Danganronpa type game or Halo.
 
paulgandersman said:
So I have this problem. I buy more games than I have time to play and I rarely finish a game. The problem isn't that I don't like the games I'm getting (though sometimes that is the case), the problem is that there's just too many amazing games that I want to be playing.

Do any of you experience this problem as well? What do you do to get yourself to finish games?

Hello, I'm Paul and I'm an ADD gamer.
Click to expand...

That isn't an add gamer. My cousin is an add gamer. He can't play the same game longer than twenty minutes before swapping it and playing something else for 20 minutes, rinse, repeat.
 
I buy tons of games but I try to only buy the MOST amazing ones, I've skipped tons of games this year but I have played the ones that I really needed in my life. I hate how the games I love the most are soooo fucking long(usually JRPGs)
 
Shiokazu said:
i just dont care if i finish a game or not, i just play many of them and eventually they reach the end.

just had to find some willpower to not buy games anymore, and mess with my wishlist so i would sort the games i really really want to play.

finishing a game is not a duty you know? its not a job nor a chore nor a task. its meant to be fun. so just enjoy what you are playing when you are playing

inb4 i dont even know why i am posting this because i know its not gonna get read, im just probably wasting my time.
Click to expand...

Lol I read most posts, just don't reply to all. Actually i used to be ADD gamer but now I focus on only 2 games at a time. Dont even touch a 3rd one.
 
I lose interest in mediocrity super fast these days, but good games I can play forever and then some.

Maybe it's not add, maybe it's just fatigue with formulatic mediocrity in AAA gaming

Played some blands: the presequel this week, I lasted about 6 hours into it.
It's bland allright...
 
Yup. Buy every game I can on release. Even if I've only played one for an hour, I'm still happy it's there and I get to play it whenever I want.

But pile of shame issues are huge if you operate like this.

Still got to get to Shadow of Mordor.
 
I'm diagnosed with ADHD. I play video games. It kinda sucks when I'm not medicated because I just switch what game I'm playing every 20 minutes.
 
I also buy more games than I will probably ever have time to play, much less finish. I'm a sucker for a good sale, and I like having a large selection of games to choose from. I've just come to accept that with adult responsibilities, games just have to take a back seat. Maybe one day when I retire I can sit down and finish them all ;)
 
I am the same way. Just bought Bayonetta 2 and Tropical Freeze from that Best Buy sale. I look at it as somewhat of an investment more than anything. If worse comes to worse and I don't play it, I can just make my money back on Craigslist.
 
I've got 231 games on Steam and all the consoles and handhelds, and I'm having a hard time thinking of the last game I finished. It's a horrible sickness.
 
Not to make light of ADD/ADHD at all, but to those who actually have it and play video games, do you at all prefer games with shorter minigames like WarioWare?
 
My name is David and I have a similar issue.

I pick up a new game and put 3 to 4 hours into it, and then the next shiny new game comes along and I start playing that instead.

As a consequence by backlog has gotten fairly out of control.

Worst still, I tend to replay old games I've already beaten when I know I could be playing something else to get my backlog under control.

Looking at my backloggery of 678 games the last time I've updated, the list sits at 495 games unbeaten, more then 70% of my library. It's gotten to the point I no longer go for full completions or 100% done, and rather just getting to the end credits.

I also have a rather healthy mentality of treating my games, as just that, games. So If I try to force my way to the point I'm not enjoying it, then it becomes a chore, and at that point it's no longer a game about having fun and thus I move on to play something else I find more enjoyable.
 
Hi Paul and Jason, my name is Charles and I have a problem of buying games, starting games and never finishing them. I just bought a Xbox One even tho I own a PS4 and a Gaming PC. Why? The price was too good to pass up and I want to play Halo. Will I be able to spend time playing Halo? Most likely no. Too many RL things are preventing me from playing Halo.
 
I buy more games than I can play but most of the time I play and complete them soon after buying them. PC is the only platform where this doesn't happen for me. I'll buy some games on some sale that I want to play but it takes me a bit to get to them after. Handheld games also make it a bit difficult because I play those most often of all since I can play them wherever I please. Nowadays I kind of like having short games as I actually can beat them and move on to other ones.
 
I have stacks of games and way too many platforms, between the 3ds, PC, Xbox 360 and Xbox one its really hard to pick what to play. Recently my friend has borrowed me his PS3 so I can play the Uncharted games and The Last of Us and I haven't even touched those. I can't decide what to play, so I end up not playing at all.
 
I made a long list of games I intend to finish (or at least play), I'm sticking to playing games only in that list. It's fun to make lists. You should try it.

Then again, I keep adding games to that list but I don't necessarily buy them immediately.
 
My backlog is gross! I have so many games I haven't played at all or for less than an hour from last gen and on Steam. I rarely beat anything these days but if I do complete it that's a great engaging game.

The generational transition helped me a lot with this because I don't have a CC attached to my Live account. If I need points I can get them from Amazon anytime but that extra step saves me from a lot of dumb impulse buys.

I used to buy games to keep me busy but now they have to really capture my interest. I don't have time to play mediocre shit games and maybe I'm just losing interest in general. New experiences that were not possible last gen would help. I'm still waiting for this gen to really get rolling, very few games have grabbed me and I'd like for that to change.
 
blurr said:
I made a long list of games I intend to finish (or at least play), I'm sticking to playing games only in that list. It's fun to make lists. You should try it.

Then again, I keep adding games to that list but I don't necessarily buy them immediately.
Click to expand...

Yeah I probably need to start a list and stick to it.

Also, it's good to see I'm not alone in my "problem", lol.

I do wish games were shorter actually. I'd love to know a game is only 8-12 hours long because it would probably encourage me to beat it, knowing it is attainable with my attention span and schedule. Knowing a game takes 30+ hours to beat just discourages me at some point.
 
paulgandersman said:
So I have this problem. I buy more games than I have time to play and I rarely finish a game. The problem isn't that I don't like the games I'm getting (though sometimes that is the case), the problem is that there's just too many amazing games that I want to be playing.

Do any of you experience this problem as well? What do you do to get yourself to finish games?

Hello, I'm Paul and I'm an ADD gamer.
Click to expand...

to be honest

I go dark i don't goto any review sites even here (only when i'm at work) but a night if the game does not need it i disconnect he console and play.

obviously i have a computer next to me but i tend to not surf while playing either

good luck
 
Gamefly solved this problem for me, 1 game out at a time.

By solved I mean your not wasting tons of money.
 
Common problem when you buy too many games at once, I went through that issue in the PS2 era. I wasn't really appreciating games because I was treating it like an addiction. Just remember, the games wont disappear if you don't buy them straight away, enjoy gaming enough but not too much that it becomes a destructive hobby, and most importantly let friends and family be aware so they can help.
 
I was like this. First of all have to be honest with yourself and admit you can't play everything you have an interest in.

Secondly you have to take a sober look at what you have in front of you and decide whether they're worth the time to play.

Thirdly you then pick a game and be disciplined enough to finish them.

I've cut out most multiplayer games in my life, especially team based ones and made sure to tackle the games I've bought over the years. Steam is redundant for me now other than being an im client.
 
paulgandersman said:
So I have this problem. I buy more games than I have time to play and I rarely finish a game. The problem isn't that I don't like the games I'm getting (though sometimes that is the case), the problem is that there's just too many amazing games that I want to be playing.

Do any of you experience this problem as well? What do you do to get yourself to finish games?

Hello, I'm Paul and I'm an ADD gamer.
Click to expand...

I'm kind of the same way. Buy all the games I'm interested in, barely play any of them and rarely finish the ones I start. So many games I play now-a-days actually don't have ends per se, like Payday 2 or Borderlands TPS. The one game I'm working on getting 100% is FC4 though.
 
I have terrible attention span with entertainment in general but games suffer the most since they are longer experiences.

I try to stay focused and finish them but well, doesn't work every time. I'm trying to reduce the amount of games I buy and trying to focus on a single or a couple of games at a time to see if I can improve.
 
I used to do this, but don't anymore. Reviewing keeps me grounded, because I push myself to finish just about everything I start before writing.
 
Not at all. I'm cheap so I only buy a few games I know I'll love or have a strong interest in, and almost always 6 months after release when they're on sale. The other way just seems wasteful, and would encourage many disapproving looks from the wife.
 
I dont think the problem is having ADD, its more that when you were a kid, you were lucky to get a couple of games per year. I remember having the double whammy of being the owner of an Atari ST which had a limited selection of games to begin with, coupled with being a kid with no money, meant that any games i did get, i played the living hell out of them.
Nowadays, people give away codes for free games like hare krishnas handing out garbage leaflets. Ive got enough unplayed games on steam to keep anyone else content for a year.
Games used to be an event, like when SF2 or MK came out back in the day. A coupel of times a year youd get a big name release if you were lucky, now its every other week something huge comes out. Theres just too many games to deal with now. There was no such thing as a backlog in 1992.
 
I've stopped wasting so much money on games I'll never finish. It was getting ridiculous. Now I'm rarely buying new games and just waiting for the bargain bin.
 
I thought this was going to actually be about people who suffer from ADHD who also game. Not really sure this qualifies. Just sounds like you buy more than you can consume.
 
Brerlappin said:
I dont think the problem is having ADD, its more that when you were a kid, you were lucky to get a couple of games per year. I remember having the double whammy of being the owner of an Atari ST which had a limited selection of games to begin with, coupled with being a kid with no money, meant that any games i did get, i played the living hell out of them.
Nowadays, people give away codes for free games like hare krishnas handing out garbage leaflets. Ive got enough unplayed games on steam to keep anyone else content for a year.
Games used to be an event, like when SF2 or MK came out back in the day. A coupel of times a year youd get a big name release if you were lucky, now its every other week something huge comes out. Theres just too many games to deal with now. There was no such thing as a backlog in 1992.
Click to expand...

This is a good point. I feel like I'm at a point in life (with games coming out and having the money to buy them) that I dreamed of as a kid. Only factor I didn't consider is TIME.
 
ANDS said:
I thought this was going to actually be about people who suffer from ADHD who also game. Not really sure this qualifies. Just sounds like you buy more than you can consume.
Click to expand...

Meant for it to read more like I want to play so many games that I have trouble finishing them. Apologies if I've caused any offense to anyone using the term ADD, none was intended.
 
Yeah I'm finding myself in the same situation. Buying a decent computer 3 years ago combined with my first steady stream of income led to tons of steam titles bought that I wouldn't usually have interest in through humble bundles and Steam sales. This led to me not being able to decide what to commit to, and I now own about 150 too many games on Steam.
 
I have the same issue. Been combating it by treating games like they are more like a chore/work than games (some task you like though)

1) One game per month
2) Get one extra game for every game I finish
3) Set a certain amount of time aside for playing a game.
4) Focus on one game (or two if you do handhelds and are away from home)
5) For games that are not the kind you finish (eg animal crossing, The Sims etc) only allow yourself playtime if you've done step 3

Edit:

This is my first year really being active on steam and I've given in to sales more than I care to admit. I've started buying them as gifts so that I can give them away if I don't get to them withing 3 months.

Also, I have ADD, it was slightly irksome as a title but not enough for me to initially comment.
 
I don't fall into the hype of games anymore , I just stick to what I like and don't play other games just because sites overhype it. It's the reason I haven't played Shadow of Mordor yet.
 
I'm an ADD gamer as well. List of games I've bought in the past 2-3 months.

Shadow of Mordor
Driveclub
GTA V (PS4)
Wolfenstein
Destiny
Dragon Age Inquisition
Valkrye Chronicles

A list of games I've finished in the past 2-3 months...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

I confess, I'm loving these AI VG Music remixes
27
401
MMaRsu replied
Who's the worst gamer that streams?
2
81
924
Breakfast at Noon replied
Directive 8020. I'm hyped.
41
197
existensmaximum replied
I'm becoming an agentic videogame player
2
61
940
ReasonBeing replied
  • Poll
What is the most annoying type of gamer?
3 4 5 6 7
311
2K
rodrigolfp replied
Top Bottom