How to detox yourself as a gamer or game designer

Many times in my career, I had moments of zero inspirations and motivations. The writer’s block is as real for a writer as it is for a game designer. As I discovered that the more repetitiveness of a game I play, the less creative inspirations I could draw from them. Here are some of my tips that could help detox some of those established gaming impressions on my mind that I could not offload. In doing so, I was able to rediscover games and what it means to be a gamer and a game designer.

Before I begin diving into how I got these tips, I want to address word “detox” is an extreme term I am using to describe the toxicity of repetitive gaming. The online multiplayer games that contained social toxicity is not the topic I want to discuss at the moment. The detox here I want to talk about, is a form of self-care.

There was a time when video games are still simple little pixels on the screen with little realism. But in our post console age, how should one actually navigate the oceans of games that is truly worth our precious free time?

My answer is it depends on a person’s preference, background, and culture. A plat-former like Super Mario may intrigue a person who longs for adventure and challenge. While a game of Starcraft II, requires planning, a little art of war, and a whole lot of micros. A survival shooter like the Fortnite, then tends to rewards those with high accuracy, survival instincts, and social bragging.

According to the Bartle’s Test, I am characterized as the exploration and challenge category. So I gravitate towards thinking, planning, and a lot of overcoming player to player obstacles. As I find it joyful to wonder about in a unknown universe. And I also enjoy having human to human competitions for self improvements.

My choices in games lead to my choices in career. My portfolio here describes my past projects and preferences pretty well.

However, there were really only a few that I felt rewarded in developing.

Like a typical gamer designer, I love the endorphin release and the challenge it created for me while I am creating the games. I thought my life was worth living as long as I can bring joy to the players.