When I started playing video games I was maybe 5 years old. Ever since then I have always played games. Specifically, I have always completed the games that I had. From classics like Jak and Daxter to broken messes like Sonic the Hedgehog, I have somehow completed these games. It was always something I have found a way to do. There was a portion of time that I had every game but one beaten in my extensive library (curse you, Ty, the Tasmanian Tiger 2), but that time has passed. Now I have come across a problem that I never thought I would experience. I am having trouble finishing video games.

In the past, I was able to pop a game into my console, play it for about two days, and see the end credits roll upon finishing the main story of the game. It was a feat that many who were young could perform. Now, I cannot seem to keep my interest in a game unless I am extremely hyped up about it. The last game I completed, for instance, was God of War. Don’t get me wrong, God of War was a phenomenal game. It takes its place as one of my favorite games in recent memory. However, before I beat that game, I could not tell you a single-player game that I played until the end. I am unsure if that is because of a lack of single-player games lately or if it is harder for me to beat these games now. For example, five years ago I was able to beat Grand Theft Auto V’s main story mode in about three days. It took me almost two weeks to beat God of War. The game difficulty is something that I could handle in an action game, but I think the way I play games has changed.

I find myself now wanting to space out a game for more than a few days at a time. Part of it is that I am a college student with both school work and a job to worry about, but the other part is that I don’t buy games nearly as much anymore. When you’re a kid, you can ask your parents to buy you new games every so often when they come out. In my case, I saved my birthday money for a game that I really wanted. In contrast, I understand how much these games cost now ($64 after taxes) and will only shell out so much for a game that I really care about or wait for a sale on Steam or PSN. Another part might be what type of games I enjoy have changed.

I used to only want to play platforming, racing, and shooting games for a very long time. As I got older, my interests started to change towards strategic and story oriented games and not a quick, fun romp through an action-packed COD game. It is interesting how those games became less appealing as I have played them so much over the years. I guess if I wanted to “fix” this issue, I would take a hard look at the library of games that I already own and start to experiment with game genres I have not played. I have never played a horror game, a walking simulator, or a point-and-click title. I should start to branch out into what type of games that may interest me to expand my knowledge of different genres.

The same could be said for anyone at my age. It is a difficult thing to think that we are at a crossroads in our life now. We have jobs, college, partners, debt, cars and so much more on our plate that it changes how we think about certain situations. Similarly, our thoughts as gamers change based on what is going on in our life. There are times where we want to lay down on the couch after a long day at work and play a calming game like Journey or link up with friends on Sea of Thieves. The benefit of this is that there are so many games out there to play that any mood that you may find yourself in to play is out there. So what do you think? Have you had a hard time finishing games like I have? Has the type of games you play changed? Sound off in the comments below and contact me on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Medium.