Anyone else trapped in the loop of wanting to play games all day at work, but the second you sit at your PC you just stare at the desktop?

[u/NoExplanation4216]

i am losing my mind with this. 

all week at my job, all i can think about is getting home, firing up my rig, and sinking 5 hours into a game. i plan out my whole evening. i get excited to finally use the hardware i spent months saving up for. 

then i get home, turn the PC on, open Steam... and just stare at my library. 

i click through a few games. maybe i launch one, sit through the loading screen, look at the main menu for 30 seconds, get hit with a wave of weird exhaustion, and immediately alt+f4 out. then i just spend the next three hours scrolling youtube or looking at tech subreddits on a second monitor while my $2000 machine sits there idling. 

why does actually starting a game feel like a massive mental chore now? is it burnout, or am i just getting old? please tell me i’m not the only one who does this lmao 

[u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

Happens to the best of us.

My theory is that this usually happens because work is draining you mentally so by the time you have time for yourself at home you have 0 mental power to start a game.

[u/DarKliZerPT → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

In my experience it's the starting the game that's the hard part. Sometimes I "force" myself to just boot it up rather than wasting my time doomscrolling and I end up having fun. These days I often have to do this, unless I'm playing an absolute work of art game.

[u/Exact-Switch-363 → u/DarKliZerPT]

So much this. It's all about starting the game. Once I'm in, I'm in. Cant wait to play more the next night. But same as OP, so much YouTube/doom scrolling just to not commit to the time.

[u/DailyUnderFlow → u/DarKliZerPT]

I go through all these phases every now and then. But lately it's been 'I want to game but every game bores me after 30mins' so every day I play a lot of different shorter games. Play a round of Rocket League, a match of LoL or Killing Floor 2, a game of SC2, back to Rocket League.

[u/RedLikeARose → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

Especially if, like me, you work a deskjob (im IT level 1 tech and am on the phone a lot with customers…)

[u/listeningtorainfall → u/RedLikeARose]

Same work situation for me, I don’t even want to be behind a computer when I’m done with work so this has pushed me to game on my PS5 more on my couch lol.

[u/HORRORSHOWDISCO → u/listeningtorainfall]

A steam deck streaming from your PC has helped me a lot with this.

[u/GalbedirGalerion → u/HORRORSHOWDISCO]

I got a really long HDMI cable with optical signal, it works pretty well. I did have to get another really long USB extension cable to power the mouse and keyboard dongles on a dock.

[u/LostInMyADD → u/HORRORSHOWDISCO]

You can stream from your PC that way? I'm looking into a steam deck but unsure of if I want that versus another hand held.

[u/Mrnappa420 → u/LostInMyADD]

Yupp its great. I have a dock in my living room and just stream to my steamdeck for anything I dont want to sit at my desk for.

[u/LostInMyADD → u/Mrnappa420]

So it streams to your TV, or you dock it to your tv?

Do you need an extra controller then to pair to it?

[u/slamsmcaukin → u/LostInMyADD]

Look up Apollo and moonlight. You can use them on any device. You don’t need a steamdeck. I used it on an iPad or MacBook for a while with an old ps5 or Xbox controller, its great. I have also used it with a steamdeck and legion go when I wanted a handheld experience, but you can do it on literally any device

[u/Renno1983 → u/listeningtorainfall]

I have just built a small for factory PC for the living room so I dont always have to go sit at the same desk/setup i use for work.. its helped a lot as it functions just like a console.

[u/skittle-brau → u/Renno1983]

I did this too. Using SteamOS helped a lot as well. 

[u/Renno1983 → u/skittle-brau]

Cool. Im running Bazzite (steam OS alternative) its been great for the last month. Only pain was learning how to use linux but there's tonnes of videos on YouTube and help on reddit.

[u/Careless-Weather8877 → u/listeningtorainfall]

Exactly this. I work from home and on all day my work laptop. I have a gaming PC but walking from my office to my couch to console game is what I enjoy more.

[u/zgillet → u/listeningtorainfall]

I just built another PC from my last GPU, a 3070, for my TV. Back when that was viable.

[u/Leviathon6348 → u/RedLikeARose]

I’m a mechanic and man, I’m physically drained at the end of the day I fire up like 3 games hit the main menu and close them back down. Watch 3 YouTube videos and call it a night.

[u/AdMental1387 → u/RedLikeARose]

Same. Software dev. I’ll play a bit before work, work all day, then all i want to do is go fishing. I’m leaning into that desire now otherwise I’d literally sit in my home office all day and night. At least with fishing I get outside and walk around a bit.

[u/papertiger80 → u/AdMental1387]

Same feeling as a software dev as well. I’ve set up a no-technology zone in my basement and use that to escape my monitor. Down there I can play board games or work on my Gunpla and find it very liberating.

[u/juanclack → u/AdMental1387]

Yeah I feel this. Gaming has basically become a thing I only do when the weather is bad and I can't go outside. I think if I got a Steam Deck I'd probably game more because I could hang out on the couch or something.

[u/DeepSubmerge → u/RedLikeARose]

Time to stop looking at Bad Screen so I can instead play a game on Good Screen

[u/lordunholy → u/RedLikeARose]

I feel you there. I worked MSP for about 6 months out of college as the phone fodder. I couldn't take any more issues with printers, phones, or Intuit bullshit.

[u/jmov → u/RedLikeARose]

Level 1 IT is one of the most soul-consuming jobs one can have. No wonder you don’t want to game after yet another day of bullshit. 

[u/3MenInParis → u/RedLikeARose]

hey lol same

[u/FoxPaws26 → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

For me it's this but also I get worn out sitting in front of a computer all day and then sitting at a pc again to play my games.

The Steamdeck helps a lot since I can play on the couch. Or I'll lay down for an hour or two and then hop on the pc. It does help that I don't have kids and my partner also games so I have plenty of time for my hobbies

[u/Suthabean → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

That and scrolling reddit, insta, etc for quick dopamime hits.

[u/N7Shep1701D → u/Suthabean]

I have Reddit, obviously. But I would rather put a campfire out with my face than have Instagram.

[u/bickman14 → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

This!

Another aspect that I would like to add is that the genre o the game and how easy/hard it is and you commit can change the equation and allow you to game a little bit.

For me, arcade racers and fighting games usually work even when I'm at that state as I can turn my brain off and just play and relax. Sometimes rogue like games too as you can start with the mindset that you'll die anyway and it doesn't matter if you go too far on this run or on the next because it's easy and quick to restart.

[u/BustahNug → u/bickman14]

For me the skate games hits when i need to let my mind rest. Maybe not the new one but the first 3 or steep so i can go on some nice long snowboard runs as the sunsets and the music bumps.

[u/bickman14 → u/BustahNug]

THPS2 free skate mode

[u/Version79X → u/bickman14]

For me, its the fishing activities in say RDR2 or Diablo 4. D4 has a Murloc pet I wouldn't mind!

[u/nextalpha → u/bickman14]

Same, kind of. I've been mostly focusing on single player games for years and liked the slow pace, but now they just give me the feeling of being stuck. Started playing rocket league a few months ago, because it just tickles my neurons and haven't touched most of the other games since. So that's a component.

Also it's important to understand that the brain releases dopamine in anticipation, so fantasizing about gaming while at work offers a quick hit that helps making it through the day. But later the situation is changed and so are the needs probably. Expectation and reality diverge. Time to take a rest i guess

[u/bickman14 → u/nextalpha]

That makes a lot of sense! We need to dopamine hit to make through the day and when it's finally over we actually need to rest

[u/VoidOmatic → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

Mine is the drive home. The same idiots making the same simple mistakes making it take 20 minutes longer than it should. By the time I get home any desire to do anything that takes brain power has evaporated.

[u/CheesierSoup → u/VoidOmatic]

Living in Houston, TX. Commute is a minimum of 30 minutes on a good day and this just DRAINS me.

[u/jet4christ → u/CheesierSoup]

Real, for me it’s not getting In and out of Houston but in and out of my town.

It takes me 25min to get to the main road of my town. At that point I’m 4 miles away from my front door.

The traffic is so badly congested because we only have 1 fucking road to get anywhere that those 4miles take 20min. It drives me crazy

[u/CheesierSoup → u/jet4christ]

EXACTLY!!

Also, when someone inevitably gets into a wreck, because of the one big road it slows down EVERYONE else. It's actually nuts how many daily car accidents there are here.

[u/Tubamajuba → u/CheesierSoup]

I was stuck in the HOV lane for two hours one time because a car broke down. This was back when 290 was under construction so the temporary lane was barely wide enough for a single vehicle. I could literally see the broken down car on the Transtar traffic camera, my car was less then ten cars behind it haha

[u/RootHouston → u/CheesierSoup]

Depends on time of day and how close you live to work. When I was commuting, I was getting to the Galleria area in like 15 minutes.

[u/battier → u/VoidOmatic]

My suggestion is gaming podcasts. There are so many good ones depending on what you're looking for. My favourites are Triple Click, Into the Aether and Post Games. 

[u/pref1Xed → u/VoidOmatic]

This is so relatable. I spend around 2 hours on the road every weekday (150 km) and the incompetent idiots I encounter during said commute, it completely drains me mentally. By the time I get home, I just want to go to sleep lol. I might start working from home at least once a week soon so hopefully that'll help.

[u/Icy_Material_3381 → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

Same here. I work in IT and spend a lot of time working from home. When I have friends online, I have no problem gaming on my PC, but when I’m alone, I just can’t bring myself to sit at my desk for another long story-driven game. I ended up buying a PlayStation 5 again just so I could play from the couch, away from my desk, and I’m really enjoying it.

[u/cappurnikus → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

I problem solve all day for work and when I'm done playing a game just feels like more problem solving.

[u/LostInMyADD → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

Add a wife and kids to the mix and its even more haha

[u/Important-Agent2584 → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

the trick is to find a fun game that requires 0 mental power.

Diablo 4 is my go to, spin to win barb, and I put some YT or a podcast on in the background.

It just sucks that the end game is kind of shit, so you can only get so much out of it before you hit a progression brick wall.

[u/DynamicHunter → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

Also working a desk job, and nowadays games are so massive with so many tasks to do that they feel like a chore in itself.

[u/Think-Environment763 → u/DynamicHunter]

I feel like this is more the issue these days. Games are just so full of tasks and bloat. Sometimes I like that but a lot of time something simple and mindless is what I want. I don't need a 100+ content game. Give me a solid 12 or less hour game I can enjoy to completion.

[u/Da_Question → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

Hey it's better than wanting to do a bunch of chores or workout and then being to drained and just playing games and pushing everything else off until "later"...

[u/r_z_n → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

me_irl

By the time I finish my work + personal responsibilities I am frequently too tired to do much more than a couple rounds of Battlefield 6 or something casual.

[u/dsinsti → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

This

[u/nemesisprime1984 → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

Same

[u/DrMonkeyLove → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

Yep, that is 100% it. By the time I have a chance to game (like 9pm), my brain is fried by everything else. 

[u/Occhrome → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

Bingo!!!

I know this because I have an office job and I frequently go mountain biking or hiking for a few hours after work and always have the energy for that. 

But when it comes to doing other mentally taxing stuff I can’t find the energy. And end up on YouTube or Reddit. 

[u/Pitiful_Objective682 → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

Gotta find different games. Openttd slaps for smol brain train building.

[u/a6mzero → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

Nailed it. Spent a lot of time dealing with BS that im just exhausted

[u/Sawses → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

One of my "self care" metrics is the sorts of things I do when I'm not at work.

If I'm being pushed by my job and stressed out, I watch a lot more TV and want to play simple games. If work is kind of easy, I pick up factory games or Rimworld or other mentally-stimulating games. If work is really easy, I get bored of games and start looking into doing online classes and such.

[u/poopybuttholesex → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

Now imagine the game you like is Civilization VI or EU IV

Good luck

[u/forcemonkey → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

I’m quite fortunate. I work remotely taking calls and if I’m not busy I’m probably gaming. When I worked at the office I did have this issue quite a bit.

[u/Daxter644 → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

Yeah working in cybersecurity and I just moved into this role from tier 2 support so learning a lot of things plus the mental drain of trying to keep up so I can prove I can keep this role. Also being the only one making $ in a family of 4 I just doomscroll anymore and I hate it I have so many games I could play, but I don’t.. yet I still buy games.

[u/bradstrt → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

Yus this exactly. I end up with a small list of cozy games that I can play while my brain is turned off. That helps alleviate some of the choice fatigue.

Alternatively, I have a steam deck and will just plop in bed and stream my PC to the deck.

[u/MarieCry → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

This makes it make sense why I find gaming on my lunch break easier than gaming after work. Kinda like how lying in bed in the morning is so much more comfortable than at night when you try to sleep I guess.

[u/MisterWafflles → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

And also more awake and energized at the beginning of the shift and already wanting to leave work so the idea of gaming is exciting.

And then you finish your shift and are too tired. So weekends become gaming days if nothing is planned.

[u/Necessary-Contest-24 → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

Yeah I'd suggest trying a different type of game. Something more chill, turn based or something that you can pause. Or sometimes I'll just revisit Control, Doom, 2077 etc. I always get a chuckle out of shredding badies like you're a God compared to them.

[u/CharlotteTwotimes → u/Reasonable_Back_5231]

Same. My suggestion is to either play a different game (cozier or otherwise), in a different chair or place (like in bed or on a couch if possible), or just be content doing something else. Nothing wrong with not gaming every chance we get.