Playing More Games and Leaving Them Unfinished

I used to have this idea that "playing" a game meant completing it all the way to the credit screen, but now I have a new definition.

Playing a game is about experiencing its core mechanics, what we designers call the core game loop, and that's it. Finishing the game, whether by playing through the entire story or getting all the achievements and trophies (which is called being a completionist), isn't necessary.

Video games are designed in a way that they introduce the main mechanics, the verbs, and then these mechanics are repeated over and over throughout the game's content until you've done it all. But the mechanics tend to stay pretty similar; once you've played a game for a couple of hours, it's very likely the next 10 hours will play out the same way.

Now that I'm over 30, with work, family, and responsibilities, my time for gaming is limited. I buy games much faster than I can finish them, and my backlog of unfinished games feels endless.

There are games with stories captivating and short enough that I do manage to finish. The most recent one was Death Stranding, although the last few chapters felt a bit long to me. But there are other cases.

I thought Tunic was a beautiful game with great exploration, but the high difficulty and cryptic nature of its story started to weigh on me. The breaking point was when I reached the "second part" of the game; at that point, I dropped it, and I don't regret it.

I also started Isles of Sea and Sky, and I think it's a phenomenal game; the execution based on Sokoban-style puzzles is great design. But after solving about 100 screens, I think that's enough for me.

Other games I've played in recent months were Hogwarts Legacy, Journey to the Savage Planet, and Sword of the Sea. I managed to play about 6 to 10 hours of each.

If I tried to commit to finishing every game I start, I'd probably only be able to play about 3 or 4 games a year. That's why I think this new definition—being content with just experiencing a game's core mechanics for a couple of hours—makes me feel better.

There are still some that I'll surely play until the credits roll. The "favorites" (the Zelda games, without a doubt), but knowing that I don't have to play every game I start for 50+ hours and see the credits lets me relax.

Finally, this way of thinking isn't just limited to video games. Did you start a TV series that got boring, changed direction, or a new season just doesn't hit the same after a couple of years? It's okay to leave that unfinished too.