My New Game Journey
I love getting new games for the holidays. I especially love the special times when I can play new games with friends who haven’t played the game before.
Over time, I’ve noticed my engagement with a new game follows a predictable arc with three specific stages. I’ve tried to analyze my thoughts and feeling at each stage to better understand my own gaming experience.
The Plunge into a New Adventure
At first, I’ll dive headlong into a new game. I’ll gain a lot of interest quickly at this point.
I’ll often become so hooked that I lose a lot of sleep. In this stage, the developers have devilishly captivated me. I’m enthralled with the narrative and have quickly grown attached the new game mechanics.
I find new game worlds interesting, at least initially. I love seeing what the writers and designers have envisioned and what story they want me to play through. The journey is even more rewarding for me when I can experience it with friends.
Exploring Limits
I love good mechanics that work in tandem with a great story. One of my favorite experiences with dynamic mechanics is in Magicka. Your seemingly simple spells quickly reveal themselves to be more complicated than they appear.
Elements can be combined in a staggering number of ways. The available combinations add depth and complexity to an otherwise simple looking game. I loved trying new random combos to see if I could discover any epic spells before my next boss battle.
Mastery of game mechanics is only the beginning. After I complete the game, I’m invested in discovering as many secrets, easter eggs, and cool things as possible. This is the height of a new game experience for me.
I also try to break the game and push its limits. In other words, I like to test the boundaries of things like invisible walls, duplication bugs, etc. Although I’m usually unsuccessful, once in a blue moon I discover something cool.
A new discovery gives me almost as much pleasure as playing through the well-paced adventure. I enjoy boundary-breaking for a different reason. I’ve always found that pushing the boundaries of anything to be an enjoyable exercise for me.
I’m able to test limits fairly well in games with mechanics I understand. Breaking a game becomes possible because I understand the entire rule set and where that may fall short. An added bonus of pushing boundaries in a virtual environment is that my actions don’t harm anyone.
I’m thankful that there is a medium where I can both try to break boundaries and test limits while ensuring my exploration doesn’t cause harm to another human.
The Fall After the Novelty Wears Off
Nothing good lasts forever. Boredom will eventually set in, usually after I’ve beaten the main story and found most of the collectibles. I dub this phase the new game drop.
Once my interest starts to wane there’s usually a rapid decline in play time. Before I know it, the game is installed on my computer, but I haven’t touched it in six months.
Wrapping Up
I love playing through new games. I’m introduced to new (or old) characters, a new (or expanded) world, and new adventures. I carve the unique voyage a new game takes me on.
In my mind, a new game is one of the best gifts you can give.
