The gamers’ guide to finding something new to play
There are so many games released every single day across consoles, PC, and mobile, that not only can it be tough to keep track of them all, but ironically, tremendously difficult to find something that you actually want to play. Reviews, ratings lists, and trailers can only go so far. It’s a conundrum that even the gaming platforms are looking to solve, as is the case with the most popular PC launcher, Steam.
So, many gamers look for something that will invoke what they love in video games but in a slightly different way. Sometimes, you’ll get lucky and find an indie gem, or you’ll finally get around to that must-play game from years ago. But much of the time, gamers are left a bit frustrated with the searching and just revert back to something that’s tried and trusted. So here, we’re exploring the ways to find something new as well as some top picks.
How to Get Started to Find Something New
The most important place to start when aiming to find something new to play is to recognise your limitations. This factor primarily concerns your platforms of play. So, do you play on an Xbox, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, Apple smartphone, Android smartphone, gaming PC, or a less powerful laptop? Knowing your range in this regard is important as you don’t want to find your ideal game only to realise that you can’t play it without putting up hundreds of pounds.
Most gamers will have had the chance to play a range of different titles that span several themes, genres, gameplay mechanics, and features. Some mostly stick to sports games, others enjoy story-driven games like RPGs and adventures, while a growing audience likes the more casual but real-life derived games like Farming Simulator. In any case, it’s best to stick to the genres that you know that you enjoy overall, perhaps dipping into cross-genre games like action-RPGs, adventure-puzzlers, etc.
Once you know your general direction regarding potential platforms and genre, home-in on the finer details that you liked about previous games. This could boil down to superb swordplay (Ghost of Tsushima), a free-roam driving experience (Forza Horizon) or challenging action (Dark Souls). Maybe you prefer building a new sports team (NHL), going off on your own explorations and side quests (Skyrim), or using skill to defeat enemy teams online (Call of Duty). Alternatively, collecting items and playing mini-games (The Witcher III) may be more to your taste.
Some Inspiration to Set You on the Right Path
Our first suggestion concerns one of the most popular genres in gaming and tracking back to its roots, but in an advanced, modern form. RPGs regularly sell well and boast a tremendous amount of longevity – particularly if they’re made with multiplayer adventures in mind. So, combining all of the core character-building, item-collecting, quest-completing mechanics of these video games with multiplayer aspects, why not turn to tabletop RPGs?
The very best span some major franchises, such as Cyberpunk, Warhammer, and Star Wars, and there are even some digital-physical RPG-lite games like the new Descent, which sets the bar for app-powered board games. In some games, players will spend an inordinate amount of time playing mini-games, some of which are tied to collectables. For the most part, the mini-games are either games of luck or involve a bit of skill, but most of the time, they result in some form of high-value reward.
If the games of poker in Red Dead Redemption 2, table games in New Super Mario Bros., or slots in each Pokémon game up to Generation IV had your attention, online US casinos may be your platform of choice. Most bonuses pertain to free spins on slots or bonus funds for the table games, but some of the best just offer no-deposit bonuses, so that you can try these real casino games for free.
For seasoned gamers who can identify the best parts of several games, as well as where some fall short, a different direction might be the best choice. Instead of finding something new to play, pivot and craft your own experience. There are now several game-building and sandbox games. Minecraft is, naturally, the biggest sandbox game out there, with loads of modding opportunities or the ability to do as you want in the base game.
As for games designed to let you build games specifically, the likes of Super Mario Maker 2, RPG Maker, Dreams, Little Big Planet, Game Builder Garage, and classics like Spore and Halo 3 let you craft games and stories yourself. So, if you’re a bit stuck between professional games, just make your own with the tools provided.
At some point, all gamers hit a wall with the games that they’ve been playing, but hopefully, the tips and suggestions above will help guide you to your new gaming obsession.
