Adult gamers of Lemmy how do you find time to game without being exhausted of the screen?

Submitted ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨ModernRisk@lemmy.dbzer0.com⁩ to ⁨gaming@beehaw.org⁩

I recently got a job after finishing university, all is good. However, after 5 full days of being behind desk job, I feel a bit exhausted of being behind desk.

Thus my desire to game on PC has soured immensely. Despite having a huge backlog and actually want to finish games.

I’m debating to purchase a Steam Deck OLED in the hope, I can actually play some decent games on there without getting fatigue of desk/ screens but that’s a big investment (€670-700).

So I was wondering; how do the adults of Lemmy with 5 full days of work still get the time and desire to play their games?

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bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
That’s my secret cap. I’m always exhausted.

The Steam Deck has been a literal lifesaver. Enabling me to play in bed.

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- Midnitte@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  Playing on the couch is a godsend.
  
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Zaleramancer@beehaw.org ⁨18⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
My suggestion is to either change the context you play games in, or pick games that are very cognitively different from what you normally do at work.

You can change your context with a new console, but I think it may be cheaper to do something like buying a controller and playing games while standing up, or on your couch/armchair, or playing games while sitting on a yoga ball. The point is to trick your brain, because it’s associated sitting at a desk in front of a computer with boring tedium. Change the presentation and your subconscious will interpret it differently.

You can also achieve this by identifying the things that you have to do in your job that mirror videogame genres you enjoy and picking a game that shares few of those qualities.

I worked at the post office for years, doing mail processing, and my enjoyment of management and resource distribution style games went down sharply during that time because of the cognitive overlap- I played more roguelikes and RPGs as a consequence.

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- knokelmaat@beehaw.org ⁨17⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Any portable console is amazing for this, as you can literally change the whole context on a whim. A steam deck is nice, but even a used older console like a PSP / Vita or 3DS is amazing for a reasonable amount of money. As most of these systems no longer have legal ways to buy new games, I see no harm in pirating the games. I am doing this with a 3DS right now and going through the systems hit games is just an amazing ride. Currently enjoying Super Mario 3D Land and Bravely Default.
  
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  - Zaleramancer@beehaw.org ⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Yeah! Also, sometimes I use emulators that work well on phones to play older games, I had fun playing Final Fantasy Legends 2 with RetroArch.
    
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Doctor_Satan@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Image

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DjMeas@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
My gaming sessions on my Steam Deck are about 1-2 hours around 2-3 times a week. It takes me about 4-6 months to finish an RPG.

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- Anahkiasen@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  I second the Steam Deck, best way to pick games up and down and actually play whenever you can instead of having to plan it!
  
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- Robbity@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  Accurate.
  
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prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨23⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Work/life balance.

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- Quexotic@beehaw.org ⁨17⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  I cannot upvote this enough.
  
  Without Work-Life balance, you will be miserable and it won’t matter what you plan to do outside of work you won’t want to do it.
  
  The fact that you’ve just left college and already have a job is a fantastic thing, but the ideal is to have a good work-life balance so that you can actually live life. It took me a long time, too long, to figure that out.
  
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CurlyWurlies4All@slrpnk.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I remember when I first started working full time. The exhaustion is real. It doesn’t ever really go away but you will eventually learn to live with it.

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- O_R_I_O_N@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  Fuck capitalism. All my homies hate it
  
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- Hansae@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  I am becoming more and more attracted to doing a masters before I graduate… stave off the misery for another year.
  
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  - CurlyWurlies4All@slrpnk.net ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Probably worth doing if you can afford it
    
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olicvb@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
If you want, just get a bluetooth controller and use the SteamLink app on your phone. It let’s you lounge back and play games just like the steam deck

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MrIlves@sopuli.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I simply started playing less. At first I felt sad and angry, recalling my previous gaming years, but once I started to accept the fact that I was growing up and life changes, the sadness passed. Nowadays I rarely can sit on the PC to play for more than an hour every couple of days. But it’s fine. There really are not that many good games that are “must” play and there is no rush to finnish them.No stress about the back log. Also saves money on games, when you can just wait for the sales.

I do still play games on my phone, when I discover some what worthy games to scratch the itches.

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Commiunism@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Sounds like you’re mentally drained after work to be honest. Nothing you can really do about it except play on some days only when you have the energy for it, or on the weekends.

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zenpocalypse@lemm.ee ⁨17⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
While, I sometimes go a while without touching it before picking it up again, the Steam Deck DID take away that “ugh computer desk” feeling that kept me from gaming.

So I recommend it, BUT it’s not a cure, either. It’s just an unfortunate side effect of desk jobs that will never completely go away.

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matte@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I use my PC as a console an play from the couch on the TV with a controller!

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muhyb@programming.dev ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
That’s the neat part. You don’t.

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PonyOfWar@pawb.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Making my gaming space more comfortable. I work at home on my desk, so I’m also often tired of sitting there when I’m done with work. A few months ago, I purchased a projector, which I can use while comfortably sitting in an armchair. I also play on my couch using my Steam Deck.

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Mallspice@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
At work and in game, every 90 mins try to take a 5 min breather and relax as much as possible, definitely stretch.

Beyond that, keep in mind how much sun and socializing you are getting and eat a protein heavy diet. That can drastically affect your stamina and will.

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KingOfTheCouch@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I watch other people play the games. Then when I’m tired I close my eyes and I have a nap. I can wake up, fully rested and maybe get to see the final boss! Or not. Maybe I just go to bed.

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- Kissaki@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  Username checks out.
  
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GooberEar@lemmy.wtf ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
To be honest, I don’t get a lot of time to game as an adult. For the past several years, my gaming is mostly restricted to fall/winter, like November through early March and even then, it’s primarily around the holidays when I have extra time off work. Even during my “gaming season”, I’m usually only able to get in a 45 minute session a few times a week. The rest of the year, I’m lucky to have the down time more than a couple times a month.

So, the big thing is: I have to really consider my time limitations and that restricts the types of games I play. No point in trying to play games with super complicated control schemes, complex story lines, or which require a lot of time dedication to “get gud” because I’m going to forget how to play, what I need to do to advance, and I’m just going to suck compared to kids who play 18 hours a day 7 days a week.

The Steam Deck actually did help me do a bit more gaming. Like you, I sit in front of a computer all day for work, so being able to game elsewhere and in a variety of locations is nice. Plus, I can fire it up when traveling.

I also stick to games that I feel like there’s a good chance I can “beat” over the course of my gaming season or games with simple mechanics and limited stories. Like this past winter I played Doom. The year before it was Cult of the Lamb. The year before that it was Hades. Short enough games (at least the main story line) and simple enough controls. Then there are games like Vampire Survivors that offer short, simple, self-contained and satisfying mini gaming sessions if and when I have a random bit of down time and feel like playing something.

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chloyster@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Steam deck is good! And if your Internet is good, any device that can do moonlight streaming.

I have my steam deck plugged into my TV in my living room. I’m all hardwired and can use moonlight to stream my PC to my steam deck with no noticeable latency. I’m usually very picky about input lag / latency and I legitimately cannot notice it. Moonlight/sunlight is wayyyy better than steam remote play imo. And for indie games that the steam deck can run well, I can play natively from that. I hardly ever play at my desk anymore

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terminhell@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Lol…you don’t! Welcome to adulthood and having real world responsibilities. For me it’s turned into maybe 1-2hrs a night at best. Weekends I can sometimes get a bit more in.

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- PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  My job is half field based, half desk based. That, and I study part time too, so the simple unhelpful answer is the same: I don’t.
  
  Recently I’ve taken to building a list of five or six games I’m interested in, booking a week or two off work in the summer, buying a month of Game Pass and just hooning through the games, and if I’ve got any time left then I’ll smash through some Doom WADs and that’s me.
  
  Otherwise, I try and stay away from screens and try to read or run more.
  
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Kolanaki@pawb.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I don’t have a desk job. 🤷🏻‍♂️

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t3rmit3@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I don’t burn out on screens. I can enjoy a game for 4 hours to unwind from 6 hours of work.

If you’re just starting out working, I wager to say you’re still… unoptimized. Putting in a lot more effort than necessary. New jobs are always stressful. Working for the first time even worse. Give it 10 years of working, and you’ll (hopefully) find your groove where you don’t let work drain your entire battery, and you still have energy left for relaxation.

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Faydaikin@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I take a lot of breaks. Just a few minutes doing something else.

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who@feddit.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I usually sit at a desk all day and all evening, and find that these things help:

Good chair. Height adjusted for my keyboard/mouse height. Upright back. Lumbar support. Comfortable-but-supportive seat.

Good posture (when I remember to pay attention to it).

Split keyboard. Mechanical switches that don’t require too much pressure.

Good display. IPS panel. Brightness turned down much lower than the default. Calibrated, optionally to a slightly warm color temperature.

Muted room lighting. Nothing behind me bright enough to reflect much on the screen.

Comfortable clothes.

Cup of water. Regular trips to the kitchen to keep it filled.

Frequent short breaks. Start the laundry. Get a snack. Look at objects outside. Wash a dish. Bring in the mail. Make the bed.

Exercise. At least 10 minutes daily; preferably 30 minutes or more. Stretches. Squats. Rhythm games that require movement.
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Walican132@lemmy.today ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I play on console mostly these days.

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- Quexotic@beehaw.org ⁨17⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  This has been my go to anymore, especially now that I can afford it.
  
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  - Walican132@lemmy.today ⁨17⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    It’s like the circle of life. Children start with console, move on to PC, return to console. Then LAN parties in the nursing home. I’ll touch back if I can ever afford to retire and let yall know.
    
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YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Weed helps, but not much. What really helped was getting out from a screen most of the working day.

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orca@orcas.enjoying.yachts ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I recently bought 2 of these for my partner and I. Worth every penny if you’re going to lay in bed or sit somewhere with it.

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scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I don’t mind sitting at a desk, but some care tips.

Stand up at least once an hour, even just to get coffee, go to the bathroom.

Always have a (full) bottle of water with you. If it’s there, you’ll drink it, you won’t even notice it. Keep it in your eyeline

Eyedrops. If you’re in an office job, you need eyedrops. If you game on top of that you need them more. I actually dried out my eyes from coding and gaming too much, it’s very easy to do. Talk to your eye doctor, get some artificial tears. Look away from the screen every 20 minutes or so and just blink.
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variants_of_concern@lemmy.one ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I usually wake up early before wife and baby, i play for about an hour or so on the weekends but usually by the time I make my coffee and sit at my desk and update they are awake so I mostly just collect steam games that maybe ill pass down to my child

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sculd@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I know this is not for everyone, but may I suggest you to try Hoyoverse games?

Since they are designed to be played both on desktop and mobile, the game play session can be short but still meaningful.

At least this is what I do. I still play other indie games but Hoyoverse really made be forget the need to buy “AAA” games that are designed to waste players’ time.

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- balssh@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  The story and graphics are top notch, but at times can be pretty grindy.
  
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  - sculd@beehaw.org ⁨9⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Yup The key is to do it bits by bits. Still pretty fun!
    
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PunkRockSportsFan@fanaticus.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I fall asleep with sticks in my hand

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- fossphi@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  Me too. But sometimes I don’t even play video games
  
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  - PunkRockSportsFan@fanaticus.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    Ha
    
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eezeebee@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I nap almost every day.

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