How many and which bad games did you play this year?

  • OK yes I play mostly casual games…

    You say that like it’s something to be ashamed of. “Casual” is an underrated genre, because sometimes, it’s nice to just take your time and enjoy the experience. Life has enough complexities that escaping to a world of simplicity and calm can be truly rewarding.

    • Well to be truthful, it feels like people DO put casual gaming in sort of a “not really serious” category. And that’s somewhat true; I don’t like overly complicated games that have tons of drop down menus you can’t even read onscreen (tiny fonts). I’ve always been more into puzzle or even sim games because there is no platforming usually (I SUCK SO MUCH AT PLATFORMING!). I love casual games because they usually are easy going, I can play for 20 minutes or an hour, it’s up to me.

      • Oh, for sure. But so what if it’s “not really serious?” Isn’t that kind of the point of the Casual genre? Play the games you like; don’t listen to a bunch of tryhard, self-important gatekeepers.

        • That’s a good point. I mean, why should games not be as unserious as possible? That’s one thing that always kind of bothered me about video game evolution. At first, it was this little square dot you swatted with a white “paddle”; my family bought that system and I was about eighteen.

          I’ve been a video game addict since and probably have owned every system at one time. But I really hoped to see it grow in the direction of fun but other the top sim games and casual but engrossing puzzle games, not so much in the direction of let’s go shoot people and kill as many other sim-humans as we can.

          Not that’s there’s anything wrong with that! I mean, I have a special love for the God of War games, but to me those are so crazy with mythological creatures and stuff that it really appeals to me more than, say, GTA type games.

            • That’s so true! It’s kind crazy to me how many new games are in the jagged style of old arcade games (pixelated). I think the old and new all have a place in gaming, but – I can’t keep up with all the new consoles. I mean, I really don’t want to have to get a PS5. But - i don’t want to be left in the pixelated dust of yesteryear either!!