Maybe this doesn’t need to be said but this is a different question to which video game genres do you enjoy. For example, I enjoy playing Dota 2. Every few months or so, I’ll play it for a couple of weeks and put it back down. I’ll never play more than two or three matches and I feel ‘present’ for the duration.
Paradox grand strategy games (especially EUIV), however, I can start playing at 7am and in a blink of an eye it can be 11pm and I won’t have eaten or used the toilet or anything. I can do this for multiple days in a row. Furthermore, I don’t often feel like I’m ‘enjoying’ it. I’m just consumed by it.
I’m intrigued to hear whether or not anyone recognises this difference in themselves. If you have any insight as to why you’re consumed by some games and not others, I’d be very interested.
Comment as to why I think PDS grand strategy games have this effect on me. PDS games are ‘real time with pause’ and they have overlapping systems that work on different timelines. It means that there’s rarely a point to ‘offramp’ oneself, when you complete one task, you’re simultaneously 70% through another task, and it’s so easy just to chain ‘well, I’ll wait for this to finish’ endlessly.
Competitive multiplayer matches like Dota however, with discrete matches where everything resets, gives me a (healthy) change to ‘disengage’. I couldn’t ever imagine getting hyper-focused on them but I know that a lot of people are, which intrigues me.
“Just one more…”
So, this is exactly why I started this thread! Rationally, I can see how it’d consume an ADHDer but emotionally, it just doesn’t make sense. Just because I haven’t personally experienced it. It’s why I’m intrigued to hear from people. Though most of the responses so far are other genres I too have hyperfocused on.
I used to love playing DOTA 2, and with the new Ringmaster drop I played a few matches, but I’m being driven away by toxic teammates. Despite playing Unranked Turbo matches exclusively, I’ll still get people flaming my hero pick, or play style, or pausing for mean spirited reasons. It’s seemingly every match now. How has your experience been?
Mute early and often.