Gaming as an Adult – Struggling to Find the Right Balance

[Monster Beast Giran]

Now that I’m 32, with a full time job, home responsibilities, and a wife, my approach to gaming has changed. I still love games, but I have to be more selective with my time.

I find myself liking the idea of playing deep RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3, Skyrim, WoW, GW2, etc., but when I actually sit down to play them, I struggle to get into them. For example, I tried BG3 when it launched, and after an hour, I was still barely through the first area (the ship), buried in exploration, menus, and systems. I love the depth, the lore, and the stories, but getting started (or committing to longer play sessions) feels daunting now.

Even simple things like spending time walking to turn in a quest now feel frustrating instead of immersive. I used to love WoW (played for 10 years) and beat Skyrim when it came out, etc. but these days I think I need something that fits my lifestyle better.

I guess I’m looking for a game that:
- Is easy to jump in and out of for short sessions.
- Still has depth for those longer play sessions when I have time.
- Cuts out unnecessary time sinks like long travel.

Does anything out there fit this balance? Have you gone through something similar? Would love to hear recommendations or thoughts!

[ShelLuser]

With all due respect(!!) => why not take this up with your wife?

No, I really mean that... my best gaming moments? Shared with my gf! Why not take this up with your wife and go find some fun stuff to do together?

Of course if this is a solo idea.. then my take is Skyrim =>
https://store.steampowered.com/app/489830/The_Elder_Scrolls_V_Skyrim_Special_Edition/
Not only is this a sheer classic, it's also easy to pick up and move away from.

[PurpleCreativeValiant]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1102190/Monster_Train/

[Noma]

I'm 35, work six days a week, have "home responsibilities" (whatever that means) and I have a wife. I still have the time and the will to play long and deep video games, because that's a problem of mindset, not of allocated time.

You may be busy in real life, but it seems like you transfer that aspect of your life in game. You're not playing games to be productive, we aren't talking about Ubisoft slop here.

Anyway, I'm playing Mount & Blade : Warband now, aside from Monster Hunter : Wilds (which may also fit the request) with the wife, and I think that it's deep enough while letting you do stuff and see progress fairly quickly every time you start it.
You could probably complete 5-6 quests in one hour, or take a castle after a long-winded battle. There's always armies roaming the map so you can also have bite-sized and rather easy battles.

If the looks are a point of bother to you, there's the newer instalment, Bannerlord, but I still find it a bit rough if unmodded. About that, modded Warband is a must, and it's quite easy to set up. Downloading Diplomacy or Floris Expanded and just dropping the files. Surely you could spare ten minutes to vastly enhance your gameplay experience.

Originally posted by ShelLuser:

With all due respect(!!) => why not take this up with your wife?

No, I really mean that... my best gaming moments? Shared with my gf! Why not take this up with your wife and go find some fun stuff to do together?

Of course if this is a solo idea.. then my take is Skyrim =>
https://store.steampowered.com/app/489830/The_Elder_Scrolls_V_Skyrim_Special_Edition/
Not only is this a sheer classic, it's also easy to pick up and move away from.

The dude literally wrote that he tried to play Skyrim, read.

[timabe10]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, fallout or halo might be good.

[🍋 Lemonfed 🍋]

when I don't feel like playing long games I go for retro or arcade styles games.

there is a lot of games you can finish in a few hours , sometime even games that can be done in less then 30 minutes.

when I feel just playing a short 5 minute session , I just pick something like Virtua Fighter 5 and have a go with the computer on easy.

same with metal slug , each games like less then an hour , it's fast paced , non-stop and still satisfying.

older final fantasy are also easy to get into , you can do a bit of grinding when you just want to play a little bit and only do dungeons when you're ready for them.

[Philco7a]

Planet Crafter, buy the extra Humble map for $7. Good time killer just running around finding things and building stuff.

[ShelLuser]

Originally posted by Noma:

The dude literally wrote that he tried to play Skyrim, read.

Emphasis: tried, 'nough said.

[Ray Rook]

I like the same games... and I know it's outside the genre...

But I got a ton of enjoyment out of Terraria. Don't hate it til you try it.

[robwarrior]

I think i have an idea that is good. Ask your wife if she wants to play a game called it takes two. I dont think you guys will regret it. (If you havnt played it already). Its main theme is about divorce but it is charming, well designed and fun for all ages. We havnt beat it yet. But now i got a 3 week holiday i think we probably will

[GunsForBucks]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/220200/Kerbal_Space_Program/

Time warp for long trips, stop when you like and come back .... or just do sandbox stuff
you can have multiple game saves for different things and jump between them

[Le fishe au chocolat]

I'm in the same situation with you, I have a full time job and a family to care about, so spending a lot of time to play videogames won't fit my timetable.

Anyway I think Vampire Survivors may suit you. It's easy to jump in and out, don't have to spend a lot of time in a run (30~40 minutes per one run), you can grind it to complete the story when you have time and no long travel. The similar game is Holocure but it's a fan game for vtubers.

[Tiberius]

Maybe Arpg like diablo or poe, or looter shooter like borderlands.

[Fake]

Cyberpunk 2077
Just make sure you lock the door so that your wife doesn't see you playing. . . .

That's not a joke. Things will get. . . . weird.

[salamander]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1794680/Vampire_Survivors/

each run is 15-30 minutes, gameplay is very simple and stress free. you can easily sink hundreds of hours into it, with all the contents.

[TwisterCat]

Caves of Qud might be worth a look.