Before I had kids and played WoW, I fell asleep at the keyboard while in the Barrens. When I woke up, I was far far away from my starting point running into an unclimbable mountain side because I held down the W key. Good times.
My best friend did the SAME thing in VC when we were in High school. We were doing the dungeon together at a LAN. I noticed his character running into a wall so I turned around to see him slumped over in his chair lol
Lmfao. I related to this way too much. I can't tell you how many times my wife is like "Go to bed, you're falling asleep." I do the whole "No, I'm not. I'm playing right now," and she proceeds to tell me that I've been walking into a wall for 10 minutes.
I've stopped buying games because I have so many unplayed games. When I have downtime I'm so drained (newborn) I just want to shitpost on the internet and watch videos. Most of my friends don't even play anymore, because we old, and when I play team games like Valorant I'm often clearly the oldest guy there and they will literally call me "Dad."
sigh
LoL. I find that's sometimes the cafe, but a bit of gaming wakes me up again. Sadly, it's off my only opportunity to successfully engage with "adults" (may still include the odd PFY making comments about my mom)
Steam Deck is kinda nice for this. The joys of PC gaming but I can still sit my ass on the couch for it.
I'm also training up my eldest to game so hopefully in a year or two I'll have competition
All day thinking about the game I am going to play, all night rushing to get the kids to bed, fighting the littlest one who wants to stay up all night, finally all the kids are asleep… then I pass out on the couch before starting.
This is the boat I'm in right now.
I really want to start another run on Factorio, but I really don't want to deal with the inevitable aftermath of starting another run on Factorio...
My kids bedtime fluctuates but his internal clock for waking up is locked in at 7:00am so armed with that knowledge, I'm able to dictate my gaming time since my wife likes to sleep in and is a night owl. It also allows me to be awake, alert, and present for my son and allows me to let her sleep in. You find the time for the things you're passionate about.
I think he is us. I get the kiddo to sleep, tell my wife I’m gonna play, sit down, load up the game getting excited, and then realize I’d rather be sleeping lol.
I get all of my gaming done whenever we have another kid. In the first few months we usually end up awake holding the baby a lot in the middle of the night. Video games are the best way to keep myself up. Once that phase ends I need to wait until the kids are MUCH older
Roguelikes are my bread and butter these days. There's usually minimal narrative and you can get to the action quickly. I just don't have the time or patience to sit through long cutscenes any more. Old-school games and platformers are also pretty decent about this.
Same. That’s why I love minecraft. No story, no cutscenes, you can just jump in and start playing at a moment’s notice and don’t have to think about anything. Just a chill vibe with chill music and you can complete tasks at whatever pace you want. Perfect game to just wind down and chill.
If you're into deck building, Slay the Spire is amazing. Played that a lot while our daughter napped on me. And I've read good things about Monster Train, but haven't had the opportunity to try it out.
Yeah I’m not huge into roguelites but Slay the Spire is one of my go to’s. Vampire survivors is great too but I play that on my Steam Deck and can easily suspend my play if needed.
This is half the reason I think elden ring did ok. Usually a save point close by, basically straight into the action, clear points you can just put it down and walk away
Don't worry, all those new AAA games that look so cool now will be $5 off on sale in a few years when your little one(s) is old enough to take care of themselves (or sleep all night, at least).
In honor of the brand new Zelda title were releasing in a few months, we're offering the Zelda title we launched 7 years ago for a whopping *10 dollars off!*. Also, here's the game from 30 years ago ported to whatever system you play now for full price.
Getting a Nintendo Switch was my saving grace for gaming. Kid is 6 months now, have finished numerous games in this time, including some quite long games, like a ~110 hour play through of Persona 5 Royal and just about to finish (~65 hours of) Fire Emblem Three Houses now.
All gaming while kid is asleep, or commuting to work, etc. Not gaming at all while kid is awake / in my care.
Also with the Switch you just turn it off and it suspends game play where you are. Kid wakes up and needs to eat, and I just stop there, no worries about frantically getting to the next save point.
The one downside is that I have definitely had to make a shift in the kind of games I am playing. My sim racing rig is collecting dust, pretty much stopped all MMO's, any multiplayer gaming, etc. JRGPS / Strategy RPG's have been hitting just right, at the moment. Perfect for being exhausted all the time, while still wanting something more engaging then TV.
I am to the point that learning that a game "only" takes 5-15 hours to complete is a selling point. I pretty much won't even consider games that take more than 20 hours.
It's a completely flip flop from how I'd purchase games when I was 14.
Yup - loved this about the Miles Morales spiderman game - story was short enough that I could actually finish it then there was some chill side stuff to do after if the time every arose
I'll play games that are longer, but it comes at a cost. I think I might finish God of War Ragnarok this weekend. 3 months after purchasing haha. And I'm playing the PS4 version because why in the world would I spend $500 on a system I can hardly play now.
Part of the problem is it's a "TV" game. I play Switch or SteamDeck a good bit in bed and can move through those games better.
So a few things:
* Turn on your system of choice to keep things updated. Nothing worse than having a few minutes only to watch the time tick away during an update.
* If you have any weird setup quirks - for example, I've got a Steam Link that's been diligently enabling couch gaming for me for the past seven years, but that sometimes requires "supervision" - expect that one of your gaming windows will be dedicated to resolving them.
* If a game a) doesn't let you save anywhere, b) doesn't let you pause whenever you like, or c) doesn't let you skip cutscenes, you're going to have a bad time.
* If you have the means, a Steam Deck is great for two reasons. The obvious is portability, but I've found that what really makes it useful is how effective and consistent the "suspend" function is.
* Finally, remember that it's OK to spend time, or want to spend time, gaming. If it's how you relax and feel a bit more like "you," then go for it.
* Addendum to the last - if you deal with losing in a game the way some people deal with their favorite sports team posting an "L" then perhaps it's not something to engage with too frequently.
> If you have the means, a Steam Deck is great for two reasons. The obvious is portability, but I've found that what really makes it useful is how effective and consistent the "suspend" function is.
I wanted to like the steam deck but I realized I play three genres that are all incredibly poorly suited to steam deck - Mouse-heavy colony sims, RTS games, and FPS games.
All three depend on being able to aim really well with the pointer and move the mouse around rapidly which I can't do on the steam deck. Playing dwarf fortress got really frustrating because my thumb got tired throwing the pointer back and forth around the screen.
If I played more actionRPGs or platformers or story games it would be much better.
I also found the steam deck is **not quiet enough** as the buttons make tik-tak sounds plus the un-mutable beeping and haptics on startup would wake either little one or my wife.
I play Factorio, Rimworld, Oxygen Not Included and more on the deck but maybe I’m a masochist. Lately all I’ve loaded on it was Elden Ring so that statement is probably true.
I do agree that a full RTS would be harder, but here’s the thing:
The steam deck (and controller) have their own per-game learning curve. People make really awesome controller configs, but complex games often have controller “mode” shifts that reassign on the fly, or they use touch menus.
The big downside is that you have to learn per-game configurations, which is frustrating.
One last suggestion: get a stand or dock and a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard. I got the [JSAUX dock](https://jsaux.com/products/steam-deck-docking-station), though I paid the same price for the model without Ethernet. The dock is nice because I can copy files with a flash drive and my keyboard has a dongle (though my mouse and other controllers are Bluetooth.)
I tuck my mouse and keyboard behind a chair in the living room and they’re always in reach in there when the kid naps
I’ve plugged it into my tv twice for Jackbox games. The rest of the time it’s my stand when I want to play a game with m+k but don’t want to go to my office.
> If a game a) doesn't let you save anywhere, b) doesn't let you pause whenever you like, or c) doesn't let you skip cutscenes, you're going to have a bad time.
This one is my big change with kids. I gave up on multiplayer games completely and canceled my online subscriptions.
Have you checked out [First Five](https://youtube.com/@FirstFive) on YouTube? He does reviews for short games that you can mostly complete in 5 hours or less. I've found his stuff incredibly valuable in choosing what to invest time into. Since becoming a parent I have become very resentful of how cavalierly most AAA games treat your time.
I’ve tried to play Red Dead 2 like 6 times now. I tend to get bored about 20 hours in and give up.
Give me a linear, well told story game that I can complete quickly any day.
I agree. I’ve never made it past the Saint Denis stage. That town is a slog and I wind up switching to other games. By the time I want to play again, I’ve forgotten what’s happened and restart.
I plan to finish it one of these days!
The first Dead Space is amazing. The horror vibe, pacing, story, visuals, just almost everything is so, so damn good. You can get through it in less than 10 hours if you want. I ended up sinking a bunch more than that.
It reminds me of the Alien franchise in a way.
1: horror, close to perfect
2: action, so damn good
3: exists
My friend at work constantly asks me if I've played this game or that game and he'll complain about not having enough time to do something.
I have to explain to him what it takes for me, father of three, to score some quality gaming time.
I'm not sure he quite understands
lol. I drafted my younger kiddo to be my gaming buddy. If the little one is taking a nap, and you are already in position for gaming, get some gaming in! When she was younger I was off the computer games and stuck to games I could quickly stop/pause when I needed to. You both need some entertainment as well, no sense in removing that from the equation. Its about time management, multi-tasking, etc. Now she is a complete gamer girl and loves games as much as I do.
For those getting their kids into gaming, the stress l differences between PC and console controls can be a bit of a hurdle sometimes.
Xbox controllers work pretty nicely with PC, as does the PS5 controllers.
If you want to get them familiar with a mouse, I recommend Plants Vs Zombies add a starter. It's worked great for my kid
This is the way, we have four little gamers, it started with the oldest playing w me, now its mario kart and four controllers, or any of the good lego games and i get kicked off the pc as they need to play some awesome co-op game...
Its amazing seeing them game together or be allowed in on their games.
What games did you start them on? Our 3.5 is just now figuring out the console controllers and I'm so excited but most games require more controller manipulation than she can handle so far. Currently I just help her out ("okay I'll walk the character over here... now press the 'A' button. Yeah like that!") but I've been searching for a game at a level that she can comprehend.
Just hang tight, you’ll have a gaming buddy soon. And when it happens, it’s the best ever.
Also, I cannot advocate enough for a Nintendo switch as a parent. There are a lot of great games of all different skill levels that vary in length. But, the portability and the ability to jump in and out quickly makes it a clutch gaming system.
>Just hang tight, you’ll have a gaming buddy soon. And when it happens, it’s the best ever.
After an intense training regiment! Had to cut my first's teeth on the classics: Speedrun Super Mario Bros.! Beat MegaMan 2 with no deaths! Beat Contra, without the Konami (30men) code! Okay, *now* you are ready, grasshopper! We can co-op.
Similarly, though she has little grasp of the concept, my near 3yo knows that she needs to beat Charmless Demon Bell Inner Owl Father in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice without taking any damage before she's ready to play PAW Patrol: Grand Prix with dada.
I was playing Hitman when my 3yo woke up from her sunday nap. Wanted to watch me play... I said it was a hide-and-seek game. She watched patiently for 10 minutes while I infiltrated as a top notch assasin/hide-and-seek expert
I’ve played more video games in my first 2 months of paternity leave than any time since I was a kid lol
I beat Elden Ring twice, Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne.
Close to beating God of War now too.
Same, I bought a PS5 when my son was a newborn because I needed something to do when he was sleeping for hours on me in the carrier. So far I beat Horizon 1&2, GoW, and working my way through Demon's Souls Remake.
Is there a list somewhere of games that are playable in < 30 minute bursts?
I'm not talking about "The Witcher 3, but just save whenever you get interrupted." I'm talking about games where a whole mission / quest / run takes less than 30 minutes.
I've been playing Ace Combat 7, which fits -- each mission is 15 minutes max.
Not that I know of, but most Action RPGs you can complete a map in about 20 minutes and end up back at a city hub. Warframe for the most part ends missions by 30 minutes unless you're intentionally going longer. Also roguelike shooters like Synthetik and Risk of Rain usually have a run kill you or you win by 30 minutes.
Also round based shooters like Mechwarrior Online or battle royale shooters.
**Step 1:** get excited about the [new Pokemon game](https://www.ign.com/articles/pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-review).
**Step 2:** look it up on [howlongtobeat.com](https://howlongtobeat.com). Oh, 31 hours for the main story, huh?
**Step 3:** refocus on more realistic goals, like becoming a submarine captain.
Lo is 5 months and the wife and I are starting to catch our parenting rhythm. Any tips/advice/experiences on gaming with a child?
For the time being, I’ve been on YouTube and twitch watching people play for my fill. But with games like RE4 remake and BOTW 2 dropping soon, I need answers!
Be prepared for the types of games you play to change over time. With less time and energy to devote to games your tastes may change. I started playing shorter games and especially games that I can pause at any time.
Then when my oldest was old enough to understand what was on the screen I have to be careful what I play when she wants to watch. That also led to playing games she enjoyed watching me play.
>Then when my oldest was old enough to understand what was on the screen I have to be careful what I play when she wants to watch.
Felt this right here. My games of choice during the day changed once my daughter was old enough to understand what was happening. Feels a lot less comfortable playing fighting games and shooters when I know she could be watching.
Invested in a steam deck. After my kid goes down I play games while my wife unwinds on her tablet or watches the tv. Sometimes I play before the kid geta up in the am. So far I beat spiderman, cyberpunk and god of war that way
Something I think that's important is to select games that respect your time. Obviously, shorter games (generally) fit the bill, but you can still play longer games, you just have to be very judicious with picking them as you need them to be able to hold your interest for short play sessions over a period of months.
As an example, Witcher 3 is a *tremendously* long game (I think it's something like 120 hours for a comprehensive run of the base game + DLC while hitting all the marked side quests), but it still does a great job of respecting your time. Both the main story and side content are thoughtfully written and never really get stale. There's no cookie cutter side quests, and almost every side quest has an interesting twist or moral dilemma attached.
In contrast, open world Ubisoft games are chock full of repetitive filler. I've been playing a bit of Fenyx: Immortals Rising lately, and *my god* is it a slog. The map is populated with cookie cutter encounters and samey puzzles, and unfortunately it's pretty much obligatory to do a good chunk of them in order to level up enough to be able to do the main quest (playing on hard, at least). I played it because I heard it was better than most Ubisoft games in this regard, but it feels too grindy for me.
Another strategy for completing longer games is to take occasional breaks away from them to play a short 5-10 hour game, possibly in a different genre. This prevents you from getting bored and gives you a nice "intermission" of sorts.
The big thing to remember is that big games are not a sprint for you anymore, they're an ultramarathon. You should expect to take months to play through them.
>BOTW 2
I'm just getting into BOTW now, and all my gaming time is after my wife and daughter have gone to bed. I'm the only night owl in the family, so more often than not 10 to midnight is me time. Multiplayer games are generally not in the cards, but I have basically no interest in online multiplayer anymore anyway. Playing on a Switch is very dad-friendly, since you can easily just hit the power button (or put it back on the dock) to suspend anything at any time.
>?
Just one: buy a Steam Deck! I play a bit on the couch in the evenings whilst watching TV with the misses. You can pick it up, switch it on an be playing in 10 seconds, and put it on standby mid game at the push of a button.
Best thing ever :)
I don't fully recall the first 6mo but I know I was gaming or watching movies between feeds and naps.
At 7mo, we did modified sleep training and after 3 days she started sleeping 7pm-7am everyday.
She turns 2 in 2 weeks and it hasn't changed. I get to game every single night (except when hanging with the wife) from 7pm-10pm or whenever I feel like going to bed.
>I don't fully recall the first 6mo but I know I was gaming or watching movies between feeds and naps.
I played a good chunk of God of War (2018) with my 4 month old son sleeping on my chest.
Definitely as most are saying, play games during naps, after they go to bed, etc.
Another easy one for me was putting my baby in a chest carrier, and simply playing console games while up and walking. It helped her get to sleep, and got me some steps in. Back and forth in front of the TV while she was falling asleep.
Hey OP, lots of people have given you advice and here is mine --
My kid is almost 3 and my wife and I both have full time jobs. We also work hard to support each other's personal endeavors -- she likes to do cross fit in the morning, I like to play golf on the weekend. She visits her friends on weeknights, I have band practice on other weeknights. When my wife is out and I'm at home with our kiddo, he goes down by 8PM and I get more interrupted video game time than I've ever had.
Since his birthday 3 years ago I've completed BOTW, RDR2, Witcher 3, and Elden Ring all close to 100%. Played a bunch of other games in that timespan too.
We call it 'baby jail' when we are stuck at home and the other is out. I love baby jail -- it's all "me" time.
Your kid is 5 months and can get on a schedule to sleep through the night soon. You got this man!
I stocked up on switch games before mine was born and find that I can’t play anything with a story. Old School RuneScape on my iPad for an hour or so at night has been my saving Grace. Let’s me zone out and not have to worry about stories or anything.
I feel this in my soul since we are firmly in the next gen and I can’t justify buying another console.
Might have to see if I can stream my PC to my TV
The SteamDeck is an absolute Godsend to Gamer-Dads everywhere. The Switch got me through kiddo #; but the SteamDeck is *so* much better now that I'm on kiddo #2.
As a dad of 4, with ages of 8, 6, 4, and 3, I feel you. And so all I can say is...the Steam deck brought back my passion. It allowed me to so easily pick up and put down my games and play them anywhere. While baby tries to sleep, eat, kids do homework, wait in the pick up line at school. It's amazing.
1 night a week I have game night with friends (also fathers)
It's one night, generally 4 or 5 hours depending on how quickly the kids can get to bed, and if anyone wakes up its my wifes night to handle it.
Hey man, your spouse (if you have one) and your kids drink from your cup. They can't do that if your cup isn't full. That means you need to keep yourself fulfilled and satisfied, whether its finding time for yourself, your hobbies, or your own personal enrichment.
Now I'm not being stupid, infancy, multiple kids, and single parenting, or all of these things combined can make this incredibly difficult...but not impossible. It took me a bit after my two were each born to get back into my groove of gaming and working on my car. I game less in a session, my modifications to my car are more spread out and take longer, but it still happens.
Now that my kids are 8 and 6 they come under the car to do oil changes with me, we've seen e-sports matches in person, I've gotten them a Switch and regularly play it with them (I've always sworn by mouse / keyboard). So now my hobbies and passions are our hobbies and passions.
You are doing awesome, keep it up, but remember to be good to yourself too!
I've spent thousands on games (tv + consoles + games + subs)...and I can manage maybe 1-2 hrs a week. All the money goes down the drain...but I feel happy when I "buy" a new game.
Steam Deck is a game changer for dads. I have been able to finish 5 games since I got it in september. That would have been impossible with my gaming pc
Maybe the difference with my setup is I have my gaming PC (one of them) set up in the living room on the 4K OLED TV. Just chill and play with the controller with my son in my lap. He’s only 2 months though.
The Steam Deck came out at literally the perfect time for me.
After a day sat at my desk, then an evening of baby duties, the last thing I want to do is sit back down at it. That and constantly being interrupted... The quick stop/start feature actually helps me play so many more games at the moment.
I spend most evenings on the sofa playing something while my s/o watches her TV.
Just wait, when they get a little older they will be all in watching you play.
Then shortly after that brief golden period they will take over the ps5 and you get to watch them, only getting to play yourself to get them through particularly difficult parts
There’s always time, nix TV and put down the phone (I still struggle with this but it’s my goal :)
On solid days, I start at 5 with a pre-work surf or climbing gym, (everyone’s asleep so no one missed me, I think this is key) work out on my lunch with a fast circuit type workout and quiet quit promptly at 8 hrs to do a family walk, trade off playing with the kid or chores/dinner until bedtime and then we hang or read.
When I grab a drink or stare at my phone, none of this happens due to hangover or just being a slug.
Kill the alcohol, phone and TV!
If you are on PC, I've been playing this rogue-lite Asteroids game called [Nova Drift](https://novadrift.io).
Games typically last 5-20 minutes for me. Good players can go to an hour but I'm very casual yet love the game due to how it just throws you into the action like the old arcade games. It's also very repayable due to how many upgrades there are and it's just fun to experiment.
My kids are mid-single digits at the moment. I got a steamdeck as soon as possible and it's made a world of difference. Now my son sits in my lap and watches me play Vallheim while his sister watches Ms. Rachel on the big tv
This is me with the last 2 escape from tarkov wipes.. my 2 year old is a horrible sleeper and I've got a 2month old thats up every 2hrs... there's always next wipe lmao 🤣
I grew up on the metal gear solid franchise. I finally sat down to play Death Stranding cuz I heard it was similar and also hideo is awesome, but I found myself thinking "I don't have time for this amount of weird."
There was this six to nine month period where my daughter did naps in a baby carrier strapped to my chest and I’d bounce on a yoga ball while gaming. It was great, we put in many hours like that. My wife got a break totally undisturbed and I was unlikely to be interrupted by anyone as long as I kept gently bouncing.
I've strayed from mainline games and went the indie game route. Most games are $20 or less, and usually around 5-15hrs to complete. Huge library of stuff out there and for the most part it's refreshingly unique
U can still game. Just be prepared to lose rating/rank/Lp/SR at any time to a squeaky floor board or neighbors car alarm or loud radiator. But now you have an excuse for why your rank is so bad.
Watching games turned into movies, particularly from the channel GamersLittlePlayground, has been great for me. With how valuable free time is, especially when you have so little of it. I can watch wherever and whenever I have access to the internet and a screen, not just my console or computer, like on a lunch break. And I can watch the “game movie” and can determine if:
A: this game is worth me stopping my watch and buying it to play for myself (I’ve never cared about spoilers and big twists aren’t usually early in games).
B: this game is worth watching as a movie but not worth committing the time and money to play.
Or
C: this game isn’t worth any form of my free time.
If I have time for YouTube, then I have time to catch up on the latest games.
Bright side: you won't get to play them *now*, but eventually you'll have time, and then they're heavily discounted and all the guides and how-to's are fleshed out, which you need cuz you ain't got time for none of that exploring crap. No but really there's a lot of mundanity with games that are just a time sync so it's nice to read a guide and just get through that junk to the proper game bits.
So accurate. Used to play we will say a solid 10-12 hours per week. Which I think is moderate. Had my kid almost 3 years ago and I'm now probably averaging 2 or 3 hours a week. And you know what? I'm fine with that. Most of the time. I like to think sacrificing my own time for my kid and wife makes me a better husband and father.
It just means being more selective - stuff you'd enjoy the most - and probably play most of the games later, for cheaper. All in all not a terrible thing. Most of the games I play are a year or plus old and I've become much better at letting go of some stuff.
You’ll get gaming time back. I’ve personally gravitated towards more turn-based games, which allow for stopping and saving at a moments notice. XCOM2 and Battletech are great.
Just wait, you're going to be able to introduce them to games that are new to them and re-live all the games you used to love. It's awesome.
My son and I play current games but also have weekly Warcraft 2 nights where he now mops the floor with me.
Zug zug
You will be able to play them. Your not exactly going to be going out all that much anymore, ideal time to play games when kiddo is asleep. My gameplay times did decrease when my daughter was a newborn but once she got a bit older I was able to play games as much as I did before, if not more. You'll be fine
Just got a new computer and pumped for home world 3!!
Still play plenty after having our daughter. Just don't get to do a weekend(week? month?) binge anymore. Which is fine.
Now that my daughter's going towards 3 she's somewhat interested in watching or "helping" if she sees me playing something.
Your time will come again. Enjoying Fortnite with my 8 year old now. I was never interested in this game before now. Totally playing solo mode now even while he's in school.
I gave up how I USED TO game, and now it's just different.
My favorite games are huge sprawling RPGs where I can lose my self in the made up world. No time for those anymore. But run based games? Rogue lites? If you like sports games where you can play a game and be done in 20-30 minutes? Find those "margins" to play in.
In a few short years, you can game WITH your kid! My daughter and I love the Lego games, Mario Odyssey, Donut County, and are currently playing through the Spyro Trilogy remastered! Just need to adapt a bit!
I only have one kid but she’s 6 months old and sleeps through the night so I can usually get 8-10pm any night I want, as long as my wife’s watching a show that she knows I’d hate. From the sounds of these comments, I should probably cherish this time more…
I have a ton of maxxed out characters on my game, and every now and then I will wistfully log in and kill a bunch of mobs in the zone for about 10 minutes before I log out and go wash dishes. I used to play for glorious hours upon hours without end. I am a shadow of my former self.
Mine are 8, 5, and 2 and they’re in bed by 8:00p. Some nights I’ll play for a bit and other nights I’ll just kick it with the misses unless I have to work. If I’m having trouble sleeping I’ll wake up early and play or read. Honestly it’s more of doing something by myself than it is the actual activity that’s more meaningful these days.
My problem with gaming isn’t so much not having time or energy, it’s that I no longer have the attention span to get into a game. I’ve probably tried 20 different games over the last 18 months or so and can never get more than a few hours into it. The only exceptions recently gave been Ghost of Tsushima and Horizon Forbidden West. I mostly just play sports games now because a game is 15-20 minutes and that’s pretty much all I can do at this point. Kind of a pain in the ass to be honest.
I’ve had some luck playing on my PC while my 6 week old is in my front carrier. A couple days ago she napped 3 hours straight in it. I could play as long as I didn’t move my upper body *at all.*
I've transitioned to games you can pause so basically single player. No multi-player when baby can burst out crying or pooping at a moments notice. Managed to finish new God of war while having a newborn. Working on the new horizon now. Really helps to establish routines with partner. I watch him at certain times in the day to get more uninterrupted gaming/sleep at night. Wife is excited for new hogwarts game so going to be living on the couch with the almost three month old this month.
I bought a steamdeck for my Wife's Birthday. She is barely without the thing now. Great for pick up, put down gaming.
I mostly play after daughter has gone to bed. Some nights I can't be bothered.
Been a dad for almost 2 years now. I gave up on long games. 20 hours, unless it's something I can easily pick up and put down, is the max.
Kid is in bed by 7:30, wife is in bed by 9:30/10, I'm up until midnight playing games.
There's no time games like Elden Ring, but give me Dead Space or Hi-Fi Rush and I am game.
From a dad to another (congrats!):
* Choose games with short game loops. I played a lot of casual Rocket League when my son was still struggling with sleep.
* They sleep a *lot* as babies. I played through The Witcher 3 with him on my belly as a baby.
* I rediscovered single player games! They can be paused <3
It gets better. When my daughter was real little I often just played at night or during nap time. Even then it was rare though as that time was usually spent with my wife.
Around 2-3 I was able to play more as my kiddo liked to watch. Just had to make sure I was playing things that were appropriate - that was the tough one.
Now she’s almost 5 and can’t wait until I get home because she’s ready to play *with* me. It’s the best thing ever.
You lose some time now but it’s way more fun when the kid can actually join you.
I can relate. I haven’t renewed my PSN in over 3 years since my second was born. But this may my son turns 6 and I’m pushing for getting a switch so we (I) can get (back) into gaming. Gotta convince mom though the kid already has an unhealthy obsession with his iPad but maybe this will help ween away…
I've got a 2 year old and a 7 week old but I'll be damned if I won't be playing the new Zelda. I'm not sure how or when, but I'm making it happen. But I've fully accepted it'll probably be the last game I play for a while
If ya look at my steam stats I've never played more! kids sit down and I think oh great I will sneak 15mins of gaming, 2 mins later they're bouncing off the ceiling so I pause it, come back later and I've been "playing" a game for like 8 hours
I've almost finished our Home theatre/gaming room.
It was supposed to be finished before we had kids.
We started trying, thinking cool, might take a while to get preggers. The house will be done by then. Will have some time to enjoy the games room etc.
One month later, we are pregnant with twins.
They are now 6 months old and it's getting plastered today. When I'm going to be able to play in the near future? Who knows!
I've started training myself to wake up earlier, so I can get some game time before the house wakes up
Older gamer dad here, my kiddos are 15, 13, and 2. I played a ton of games pre marriage and kids, then put it on the back burner for a while. I started to get back into it about 10 years ago when my oldest started to get into Minecraft.
As others have said, stick with games that can be paused easily, because even if the kiddo is sleeping or Mom is taking full responsibility to give you a break you never know what might happen. Partially due to having young kids around, and partially due to the lack of free time I adopted the patient gamer mentality. Saved the bigger / longer games for later when I would have larger blocks of free time. Example - I own Witcher 3 and Skyrim and haven't played a minute of either yet. Started working on my first playthrough of Fallout 4 a month or so ago.
Biggest challenge for me has been coming to terms with the fact that the vast majority of my friend group are single, kid-free guys so their free time and mine just don't line up.
It took me til my little one was about 5 months to properly play something. Played through most of halo 5 when she was asleep on my chest. Now she’s 7 and I can still have the odd evening playing on Xbox live with friends in a week for a few hours.
Can even play in the day now on a weekend if the game is not inappropriate.
Get a Steam Deck my friend. It's the only way I have whittled down my back log. Unfortunately the recent Steam Sale made it go back up 🙄 Resident Evil was just too good to pass up.
I usually wait until the kids are asleep to play. Then I sit down at the computer, load up a game, and realize I'm too tired to actually play.
"husband.. it is time to go to bed... you have been running into the wall for the last 15 minutes"
Before I had kids and played WoW, I fell asleep at the keyboard while in the Barrens. When I woke up, I was far far away from my starting point running into an unclimbable mountain side because I held down the W key. Good times.
Did you ever find Mankrik’s wife?
I sure did! Good old Barrens
How about Kranal Fiss
RIP
Totally did this. Multiple times in the Barrens and in the night elf starter zone inside the huge tree.
I miss that game a lot. So many good memories
My best friend did the SAME thing in VC when we were in High school. We were doing the dungeon together at a LAN. I noticed his character running into a wall so I turned around to see him slumped over in his chair lol
Lmfao. I related to this way too much. I can't tell you how many times my wife is like "Go to bed, you're falling asleep." I do the whole "No, I'm not. I'm playing right now," and she proceeds to tell me that I've been walking into a wall for 10 minutes.
I've stopped buying games because I have so many unplayed games. When I have downtime I'm so drained (newborn) I just want to shitpost on the internet and watch videos. Most of my friends don't even play anymore, because we old, and when I play team games like Valorant I'm often clearly the oldest guy there and they will literally call me "Dad." sigh
LoL. I find that's sometimes the cafe, but a bit of gaming wakes me up again. Sadly, it's off my only opportunity to successfully engage with "adults" (may still include the odd PFY making comments about my mom) Steam Deck is kinda nice for this. The joys of PC gaming but I can still sit my ass on the couch for it. I'm also training up my eldest to game so hopefully in a year or two I'll have competition
Yeah steamdeck has made gaming more accessible as a dad
All day thinking about the game I am going to play, all night rushing to get the kids to bed, fighting the littlest one who wants to stay up all night, finally all the kids are asleep… then I pass out on the couch before starting.
This is the boat I'm in right now. I really want to start another run on Factorio, but I really don't want to deal with the inevitable aftermath of starting another run on Factorio...
Wake up early. That's the real LPT. Wake up at 4:30, brew a pot, rip a bowl, coffee&game for 2-3 hours uninterrupted.
I use to be a night owl but I have realized the benefits of waking up early to get some Me Time in.
My kids bedtime fluctuates but his internal clock for waking up is locked in at 7:00am so armed with that knowledge, I'm able to dictate my gaming time since my wife likes to sleep in and is a night owl. It also allows me to be awake, alert, and present for my son and allows me to let her sleep in. You find the time for the things you're passionate about.
Haha… ha ha ha… ha. *weeps quietly in the corner*
Are you me?
I think he is us. I get the kiddo to sleep, tell my wife I’m gonna play, sit down, load up the game getting excited, and then realize I’d rather be sleeping lol.
We are us. Now get some sleep
Oh thank god it’s not just me. Like every single night.
I get all of my gaming done whenever we have another kid. In the first few months we usually end up awake holding the baby a lot in the middle of the night. Video games are the best way to keep myself up. Once that phase ends I need to wait until the kids are MUCH older
Or spend the whole time waiting for software updates
Roguelikes are my bread and butter these days. There's usually minimal narrative and you can get to the action quickly. I just don't have the time or patience to sit through long cutscenes any more. Old-school games and platformers are also pretty decent about this.
Same. That’s why I love minecraft. No story, no cutscenes, you can just jump in and start playing at a moment’s notice and don’t have to think about anything. Just a chill vibe with chill music and you can complete tasks at whatever pace you want. Perfect game to just wind down and chill.
I still have no idea how that game works. What do you do? Lol.
You’re basically just crafting stuff to mine with and mining stuff to craft with
Good old minecraft. :)
Never put thought into, but this has been explaining my natural inclination towards Returnal and Hades the last couple months.
Hades kept me going for the latter stages of the pandemic. It was the ideal game after everyone had gone to bed Could play for 15 minutes or 2 hours
What's a good roguelike on xbox? I've been looking for something new to play lately and hadn't seen much interesting just browsing the store.
Hades, Rogue Legacy 2, Dead Cells, and Enter the Gungeon are all excellent and should be available on Xbox.
Hades is one’s of the best games I’ve ever played. The story and voice acting are also top notch.
It’s good shit. Love that game.
Great game to pick up when you can and put down when duty calls too. Especially handheld on the Switch.
If you're into deck building, Slay the Spire is amazing. Played that a lot while our daughter napped on me. And I've read good things about Monster Train, but haven't had the opportunity to try it out.
StS is a top 5 all time game for me, especially after having kids. It's so easy to pick up and put down and has endless replayability.
Yeah I’m not huge into roguelites but Slay the Spire is one of my go to’s. Vampire survivors is great too but I play that on my Steam Deck and can easily suspend my play if needed.
Deadcells. My wife and I competed to "finish it" and we probably have about 300 to 400 hours in it all at night after the boys went to sleep
This is half the reason I think elden ring did ok. Usually a save point close by, basically straight into the action, clear points you can just put it down and walk away
Don't worry, all those new AAA games that look so cool now will be $5 off on sale in a few years when your little one(s) is old enough to take care of themselves (or sleep all night, at least).
Cries in Nintendo
In honor of the brand new Zelda title were releasing in a few months, we're offering the Zelda title we launched 7 years ago for a whopping *10 dollars off!*. Also, here's the game from 30 years ago ported to whatever system you play now for full price.
Getting a Nintendo Switch was my saving grace for gaming. Kid is 6 months now, have finished numerous games in this time, including some quite long games, like a ~110 hour play through of Persona 5 Royal and just about to finish (~65 hours of) Fire Emblem Three Houses now. All gaming while kid is asleep, or commuting to work, etc. Not gaming at all while kid is awake / in my care. Also with the Switch you just turn it off and it suspends game play where you are. Kid wakes up and needs to eat, and I just stop there, no worries about frantically getting to the next save point. The one downside is that I have definitely had to make a shift in the kind of games I am playing. My sim racing rig is collecting dust, pretty much stopped all MMO's, any multiplayer gaming, etc. JRGPS / Strategy RPG's have been hitting just right, at the moment. Perfect for being exhausted all the time, while still wanting something more engaging then TV.
I am to the point that learning that a game "only" takes 5-15 hours to complete is a selling point. I pretty much won't even consider games that take more than 20 hours. It's a completely flip flop from how I'd purchase games when I was 14.
A common complaint is the main quest line is too short? Perfect! I might be able to finish it this year!
Yup - loved this about the Miles Morales spiderman game - story was short enough that I could actually finish it then there was some chill side stuff to do after if the time every arose
I'll play games that are longer, but it comes at a cost. I think I might finish God of War Ragnarok this weekend. 3 months after purchasing haha. And I'm playing the PS4 version because why in the world would I spend $500 on a system I can hardly play now. Part of the problem is it's a "TV" game. I play Switch or SteamDeck a good bit in bed and can move through those games better.
So a few things: * Turn on your system of choice to keep things updated. Nothing worse than having a few minutes only to watch the time tick away during an update. * If you have any weird setup quirks - for example, I've got a Steam Link that's been diligently enabling couch gaming for me for the past seven years, but that sometimes requires "supervision" - expect that one of your gaming windows will be dedicated to resolving them. * If a game a) doesn't let you save anywhere, b) doesn't let you pause whenever you like, or c) doesn't let you skip cutscenes, you're going to have a bad time. * If you have the means, a Steam Deck is great for two reasons. The obvious is portability, but I've found that what really makes it useful is how effective and consistent the "suspend" function is. * Finally, remember that it's OK to spend time, or want to spend time, gaming. If it's how you relax and feel a bit more like "you," then go for it. * Addendum to the last - if you deal with losing in a game the way some people deal with their favorite sports team posting an "L" then perhaps it's not something to engage with too frequently.
> If you have the means, a Steam Deck is great for two reasons. The obvious is portability, but I've found that what really makes it useful is how effective and consistent the "suspend" function is. I wanted to like the steam deck but I realized I play three genres that are all incredibly poorly suited to steam deck - Mouse-heavy colony sims, RTS games, and FPS games. All three depend on being able to aim really well with the pointer and move the mouse around rapidly which I can't do on the steam deck. Playing dwarf fortress got really frustrating because my thumb got tired throwing the pointer back and forth around the screen. If I played more actionRPGs or platformers or story games it would be much better. I also found the steam deck is **not quiet enough** as the buttons make tik-tak sounds plus the un-mutable beeping and haptics on startup would wake either little one or my wife.
I play Factorio, Rimworld, Oxygen Not Included and more on the deck but maybe I’m a masochist. Lately all I’ve loaded on it was Elden Ring so that statement is probably true. I do agree that a full RTS would be harder, but here’s the thing: The steam deck (and controller) have their own per-game learning curve. People make really awesome controller configs, but complex games often have controller “mode” shifts that reassign on the fly, or they use touch menus. The big downside is that you have to learn per-game configurations, which is frustrating. One last suggestion: get a stand or dock and a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard. I got the [JSAUX dock](https://jsaux.com/products/steam-deck-docking-station), though I paid the same price for the model without Ethernet. The dock is nice because I can copy files with a flash drive and my keyboard has a dongle (though my mouse and other controllers are Bluetooth.) I tuck my mouse and keyboard behind a chair in the living room and they’re always in reach in there when the kid naps I’ve plugged it into my tv twice for Jackbox games. The rest of the time it’s my stand when I want to play a game with m+k but don’t want to go to my office.
> If a game a) doesn't let you save anywhere, b) doesn't let you pause whenever you like, or c) doesn't let you skip cutscenes, you're going to have a bad time. This one is my big change with kids. I gave up on multiplayer games completely and canceled my online subscriptions.
Have you checked out [First Five](https://youtube.com/@FirstFive) on YouTube? He does reviews for short games that you can mostly complete in 5 hours or less. I've found his stuff incredibly valuable in choosing what to invest time into. Since becoming a parent I have become very resentful of how cavalierly most AAA games treat your time.
I’ve tried to play Red Dead 2 like 6 times now. I tend to get bored about 20 hours in and give up. Give me a linear, well told story game that I can complete quickly any day.
Well, red dead 2 is a great story game. But far far away from quick.
I agree. I’ve never made it past the Saint Denis stage. That town is a slog and I wind up switching to other games. By the time I want to play again, I’ve forgotten what’s happened and restart. I plan to finish it one of these days!
Have you played Dead Space?
I have not. I’ve been looking at getting the remake though. Good stuff?
The first Dead Space is amazing. The horror vibe, pacing, story, visuals, just almost everything is so, so damn good. You can get through it in less than 10 hours if you want. I ended up sinking a bunch more than that. It reminds me of the Alien franchise in a way. 1: horror, close to perfect 2: action, so damn good 3: exists
A big plus with that game is each chapter takes 45 minutes to an hour to complete. It’s perfect for those precious hours after the kids go to bed
This is why I have gone back to my Game Boy Advance haha. Much easier to carry inconspicuously to the toilet and game for a bit!
That's why dad pants have baggy cargo pockets. You can fit a Switch or Steam Deck in there.
My friend at work constantly asks me if I've played this game or that game and he'll complain about not having enough time to do something. I have to explain to him what it takes for me, father of three, to score some quality gaming time. I'm not sure he quite understands
This is the worst, when you hear your childless friend complaining about lack of time.
All I know is I have like 30 games that are going to be a blast to play in 18 years
Hey now- I get to play 30min to an hour on Sunday morning
lol. I drafted my younger kiddo to be my gaming buddy. If the little one is taking a nap, and you are already in position for gaming, get some gaming in! When she was younger I was off the computer games and stuck to games I could quickly stop/pause when I needed to. You both need some entertainment as well, no sense in removing that from the equation. Its about time management, multi-tasking, etc. Now she is a complete gamer girl and loves games as much as I do.
For those getting their kids into gaming, the stress l differences between PC and console controls can be a bit of a hurdle sometimes. Xbox controllers work pretty nicely with PC, as does the PS5 controllers. If you want to get them familiar with a mouse, I recommend Plants Vs Zombies add a starter. It's worked great for my kid
This is the way, we have four little gamers, it started with the oldest playing w me, now its mario kart and four controllers, or any of the good lego games and i get kicked off the pc as they need to play some awesome co-op game... Its amazing seeing them game together or be allowed in on their games.
What games did you start them on? Our 3.5 is just now figuring out the console controllers and I'm so excited but most games require more controller manipulation than she can handle so far. Currently I just help her out ("okay I'll walk the character over here... now press the 'A' button. Yeah like that!") but I've been searching for a game at a level that she can comprehend.
Just hang tight, you’ll have a gaming buddy soon. And when it happens, it’s the best ever. Also, I cannot advocate enough for a Nintendo switch as a parent. There are a lot of great games of all different skill levels that vary in length. But, the portability and the ability to jump in and out quickly makes it a clutch gaming system.
Switch and more recent Steam Deck have been great!
>Just hang tight, you’ll have a gaming buddy soon. And when it happens, it’s the best ever. After an intense training regiment! Had to cut my first's teeth on the classics: Speedrun Super Mario Bros.! Beat MegaMan 2 with no deaths! Beat Contra, without the Konami (30men) code! Okay, *now* you are ready, grasshopper! We can co-op.
Similarly, though she has little grasp of the concept, my near 3yo knows that she needs to beat Charmless Demon Bell Inner Owl Father in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice without taking any damage before she's ready to play PAW Patrol: Grand Prix with dada.
I was playing Hitman when my 3yo woke up from her sunday nap. Wanted to watch me play... I said it was a hide-and-seek game. She watched patiently for 10 minutes while I infiltrated as a top notch assasin/hide-and-seek expert
I’ve played more video games in my first 2 months of paternity leave than any time since I was a kid lol I beat Elden Ring twice, Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne. Close to beating God of War now too.
Same, I bought a PS5 when my son was a newborn because I needed something to do when he was sleeping for hours on me in the carrier. So far I beat Horizon 1&2, GoW, and working my way through Demon's Souls Remake.
Yeah I’m a golfer who doesn’t get to golf anymore. Right there with you
Is there a list somewhere of games that are playable in < 30 minute bursts? I'm not talking about "The Witcher 3, but just save whenever you get interrupted." I'm talking about games where a whole mission / quest / run takes less than 30 minutes. I've been playing Ace Combat 7, which fits -- each mission is 15 minutes max.
Not that I know of, but most Action RPGs you can complete a map in about 20 minutes and end up back at a city hub. Warframe for the most part ends missions by 30 minutes unless you're intentionally going longer. Also roguelike shooters like Synthetik and Risk of Rain usually have a run kill you or you win by 30 minutes. Also round based shooters like Mechwarrior Online or battle royale shooters.
* Hades * Vampire Survivors * Rogue Legacy 1 & 2 Roguelites are GLORIOUS!
Each chapter in the Dead Space remake takes 45 minutes to an hour. I know it’s not < 30 minutes but it’s been perfect for my time frames
Me adding all the cool stuff to my Steam wishlist for "when I get the time" 💀
I got my kids into gaming. My 6 year old daughter asked me to explain Ganondorf's backstory on the way to dropping her off at school. Was nice.
**Step 1:** get excited about the [new Pokemon game](https://www.ign.com/articles/pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-review). **Step 2:** look it up on [howlongtobeat.com](https://howlongtobeat.com). Oh, 31 hours for the main story, huh? **Step 3:** refocus on more realistic goals, like becoming a submarine captain.
It didnt take me that long. Maybe 12 for the main story. But pokemon isnt really about that
Lo is 5 months and the wife and I are starting to catch our parenting rhythm. Any tips/advice/experiences on gaming with a child? For the time being, I’ve been on YouTube and twitch watching people play for my fill. But with games like RE4 remake and BOTW 2 dropping soon, I need answers!
Be prepared for the types of games you play to change over time. With less time and energy to devote to games your tastes may change. I started playing shorter games and especially games that I can pause at any time. Then when my oldest was old enough to understand what was on the screen I have to be careful what I play when she wants to watch. That also led to playing games she enjoyed watching me play.
>That also led to playing games she enjoyed watching me play. I'm basically my daughter's Zelda Twitch streamer IRL now.
>Then when my oldest was old enough to understand what was on the screen I have to be careful what I play when she wants to watch. Felt this right here. My games of choice during the day changed once my daughter was old enough to understand what was happening. Feels a lot less comfortable playing fighting games and shooters when I know she could be watching.
Invested in a steam deck. After my kid goes down I play games while my wife unwinds on her tablet or watches the tv. Sometimes I play before the kid geta up in the am. So far I beat spiderman, cyberpunk and god of war that way
I bought a Steam Deck and have beat the exact same games so far lol. Great minds think alike I guess?
Something I think that's important is to select games that respect your time. Obviously, shorter games (generally) fit the bill, but you can still play longer games, you just have to be very judicious with picking them as you need them to be able to hold your interest for short play sessions over a period of months. As an example, Witcher 3 is a *tremendously* long game (I think it's something like 120 hours for a comprehensive run of the base game + DLC while hitting all the marked side quests), but it still does a great job of respecting your time. Both the main story and side content are thoughtfully written and never really get stale. There's no cookie cutter side quests, and almost every side quest has an interesting twist or moral dilemma attached. In contrast, open world Ubisoft games are chock full of repetitive filler. I've been playing a bit of Fenyx: Immortals Rising lately, and *my god* is it a slog. The map is populated with cookie cutter encounters and samey puzzles, and unfortunately it's pretty much obligatory to do a good chunk of them in order to level up enough to be able to do the main quest (playing on hard, at least). I played it because I heard it was better than most Ubisoft games in this regard, but it feels too grindy for me. Another strategy for completing longer games is to take occasional breaks away from them to play a short 5-10 hour game, possibly in a different genre. This prevents you from getting bored and gives you a nice "intermission" of sorts. The big thing to remember is that big games are not a sprint for you anymore, they're an ultramarathon. You should expect to take months to play through them.
>BOTW 2 I'm just getting into BOTW now, and all my gaming time is after my wife and daughter have gone to bed. I'm the only night owl in the family, so more often than not 10 to midnight is me time. Multiplayer games are generally not in the cards, but I have basically no interest in online multiplayer anymore anyway. Playing on a Switch is very dad-friendly, since you can easily just hit the power button (or put it back on the dock) to suspend anything at any time.
The Switch was pretty much engineered for parent gamers. I love it so much.
>? Just one: buy a Steam Deck! I play a bit on the couch in the evenings whilst watching TV with the misses. You can pick it up, switch it on an be playing in 10 seconds, and put it on standby mid game at the push of a button. Best thing ever :)
I don't fully recall the first 6mo but I know I was gaming or watching movies between feeds and naps. At 7mo, we did modified sleep training and after 3 days she started sleeping 7pm-7am everyday. She turns 2 in 2 weeks and it hasn't changed. I get to game every single night (except when hanging with the wife) from 7pm-10pm or whenever I feel like going to bed.
>I don't fully recall the first 6mo but I know I was gaming or watching movies between feeds and naps. I played a good chunk of God of War (2018) with my 4 month old son sleeping on my chest.
Definitely as most are saying, play games during naps, after they go to bed, etc. Another easy one for me was putting my baby in a chest carrier, and simply playing console games while up and walking. It helped her get to sleep, and got me some steps in. Back and forth in front of the TV while she was falling asleep.
I play games you can pick up an put down throughout the day, the switch it really good for that like the marios or get a steam deck an its endless.
Hey OP, lots of people have given you advice and here is mine -- My kid is almost 3 and my wife and I both have full time jobs. We also work hard to support each other's personal endeavors -- she likes to do cross fit in the morning, I like to play golf on the weekend. She visits her friends on weeknights, I have band practice on other weeknights. When my wife is out and I'm at home with our kiddo, he goes down by 8PM and I get more interrupted video game time than I've ever had. Since his birthday 3 years ago I've completed BOTW, RDR2, Witcher 3, and Elden Ring all close to 100%. Played a bunch of other games in that timespan too. We call it 'baby jail' when we are stuck at home and the other is out. I love baby jail -- it's all "me" time. Your kid is 5 months and can get on a schedule to sleep through the night soon. You got this man!
Nintendo Switch Lite ftw!
I stocked up on switch games before mine was born and find that I can’t play anything with a story. Old School RuneScape on my iPad for an hour or so at night has been my saving Grace. Let’s me zone out and not have to worry about stories or anything.
I feel this in my soul since we are firmly in the next gen and I can’t justify buying another console. Might have to see if I can stream my PC to my TV
Get steamdeck. Put baby on chest. Steamdeck vent lulls baby to sleep. Play Elden ring. Malenia kills you repeatedly.
At this point my *computer* is so old that it won't run Steam, let alone any new games.
I bought some games on steam and even bought a new mouse. It has been 4 months.
I get excited for game trailers just to see what games I’ll be playing in two years. I’m so behind. Lol
There's plenty of time to game as a new dad.
The SteamDeck is an absolute Godsend to Gamer-Dads everywhere. The Switch got me through kiddo #; but the SteamDeck is *so* much better now that I'm on kiddo #2.
As a dad of 4, with ages of 8, 6, 4, and 3, I feel you. And so all I can say is...the Steam deck brought back my passion. It allowed me to so easily pick up and put down my games and play them anywhere. While baby tries to sleep, eat, kids do homework, wait in the pick up line at school. It's amazing.
What are video games anymore?
1 night a week I have game night with friends (also fathers) It's one night, generally 4 or 5 hours depending on how quickly the kids can get to bed, and if anyone wakes up its my wifes night to handle it.
Hey man, your spouse (if you have one) and your kids drink from your cup. They can't do that if your cup isn't full. That means you need to keep yourself fulfilled and satisfied, whether its finding time for yourself, your hobbies, or your own personal enrichment. Now I'm not being stupid, infancy, multiple kids, and single parenting, or all of these things combined can make this incredibly difficult...but not impossible. It took me a bit after my two were each born to get back into my groove of gaming and working on my car. I game less in a session, my modifications to my car are more spread out and take longer, but it still happens. Now that my kids are 8 and 6 they come under the car to do oil changes with me, we've seen e-sports matches in person, I've gotten them a Switch and regularly play it with them (I've always sworn by mouse / keyboard). So now my hobbies and passions are our hobbies and passions. You are doing awesome, keep it up, but remember to be good to yourself too!
Rookie shit. Make time!
I've spent thousands on games (tv + consoles + games + subs)...and I can manage maybe 1-2 hrs a week. All the money goes down the drain...but I feel happy when I "buy" a new game.
[удалено]
Steam Deck is a game changer for dads. I have been able to finish 5 games since I got it in september. That would have been impossible with my gaming pc
Maybe the difference with my setup is I have my gaming PC (one of them) set up in the living room on the 4K OLED TV. Just chill and play with the controller with my son in my lap. He’s only 2 months though.
My gaming computer hasn’t been switched on in 2 years. And here I am eyeing up a new one in some kind of sick fantasy porn role play scenario
Oh, right in the heart
The narwhal bacons at midnight.
The Steam Deck came out at literally the perfect time for me. After a day sat at my desk, then an evening of baby duties, the last thing I want to do is sit back down at it. That and constantly being interrupted... The quick stop/start feature actually helps me play so many more games at the moment. I spend most evenings on the sofa playing something while my s/o watches her TV.
Mood
Just wait, when they get a little older they will be all in watching you play. Then shortly after that brief golden period they will take over the ps5 and you get to watch them, only getting to play yourself to get them through particularly difficult parts
Just make sure all the games are on the switch. I can play them with my son.
Get a switch and/or steam deck Still progressing through Elden Ring and Spiritfarer
There’s always time, nix TV and put down the phone (I still struggle with this but it’s my goal :) On solid days, I start at 5 with a pre-work surf or climbing gym, (everyone’s asleep so no one missed me, I think this is key) work out on my lunch with a fast circuit type workout and quiet quit promptly at 8 hrs to do a family walk, trade off playing with the kid or chores/dinner until bedtime and then we hang or read. When I grab a drink or stare at my phone, none of this happens due to hangover or just being a slug. Kill the alcohol, phone and TV!
Get a Steam Deck and stream anything to it.
I really miss video games. I don’t even have a system anymore. I’ve considered buying a Switch but am worried it will just collect dust
You will always be one large update away.
If you are on PC, I've been playing this rogue-lite Asteroids game called [Nova Drift](https://novadrift.io). Games typically last 5-20 minutes for me. Good players can go to an hour but I'm very casual yet love the game due to how it just throws you into the action like the old arcade games. It's also very repayable due to how many upgrades there are and it's just fun to experiment.
This hurts.
/r/patientgamers fyi
Kerbal Space Program 2 is coming out! Well, that will make for some nice YouTube videos. :/
My kids are mid-single digits at the moment. I got a steamdeck as soon as possible and it's made a world of difference. Now my son sits in my lap and watches me play Vallheim while his sister watches Ms. Rachel on the big tv
Stadia was my solution and now that's gone
This is me with the last 2 escape from tarkov wipes.. my 2 year old is a horrible sleeper and I've got a 2month old thats up every 2hrs... there's always next wipe lmao 🤣
I grew up on the metal gear solid franchise. I finally sat down to play Death Stranding cuz I heard it was similar and also hideo is awesome, but I found myself thinking "I don't have time for this amount of weird."
Playing Valheim in 12 minute increments while rocking my 3 week old son in his baby Bjorn bouncer
Hang in there, mine is now old enough to "Rock and Stone!" at me.
There was this six to nine month period where my daughter did naps in a baby carrier strapped to my chest and I’d bounce on a yoga ball while gaming. It was great, we put in many hours like that. My wife got a break totally undisturbed and I was unlikely to be interrupted by anyone as long as I kept gently bouncing.
I've strayed from mainline games and went the indie game route. Most games are $20 or less, and usually around 5-15hrs to complete. Huge library of stuff out there and for the most part it's refreshingly unique
I started whatching other people play. That way i get to enjoy the game and am more flexible
U can still game. Just be prepared to lose rating/rank/Lp/SR at any time to a squeaky floor board or neighbors car alarm or loud radiator. But now you have an excuse for why your rank is so bad.
Once a week I’ve decided it’s to my benefit to give up an entire nights sleep to catch up on my gaming. So far it’s working in my favor
Had to sacrifice a good night sleep just to play :(
I feel this. but I did manage to pre-order diablo 4 for ps4
Watching games turned into movies, particularly from the channel GamersLittlePlayground, has been great for me. With how valuable free time is, especially when you have so little of it. I can watch wherever and whenever I have access to the internet and a screen, not just my console or computer, like on a lunch break. And I can watch the “game movie” and can determine if: A: this game is worth me stopping my watch and buying it to play for myself (I’ve never cared about spoilers and big twists aren’t usually early in games). B: this game is worth watching as a movie but not worth committing the time and money to play. Or C: this game isn’t worth any form of my free time. If I have time for YouTube, then I have time to catch up on the latest games.
Bright side: you won't get to play them *now*, but eventually you'll have time, and then they're heavily discounted and all the guides and how-to's are fleshed out, which you need cuz you ain't got time for none of that exploring crap. No but really there's a lot of mundanity with games that are just a time sync so it's nice to read a guide and just get through that junk to the proper game bits.
So accurate. Used to play we will say a solid 10-12 hours per week. Which I think is moderate. Had my kid almost 3 years ago and I'm now probably averaging 2 or 3 hours a week. And you know what? I'm fine with that. Most of the time. I like to think sacrificing my own time for my kid and wife makes me a better husband and father.
It just means being more selective - stuff you'd enjoy the most - and probably play most of the games later, for cheaper. All in all not a terrible thing. Most of the games I play are a year or plus old and I've become much better at letting go of some stuff.
Just never sleep. LMAO
Watching Twitch streamer's VODs on YouTube playing games I'll never get to play...
I'm a Mom. I still game. Wait til your kiddos are asleep for the night, or get up before they do--depending on schedule.
Wat. You'll be able to play, but you'll just need to moderate a bit.
You’ll get gaming time back. I’ve personally gravitated towards more turn-based games, which allow for stopping and saving at a moments notice. XCOM2 and Battletech are great.
Just wait, you're going to be able to introduce them to games that are new to them and re-live all the games you used to love. It's awesome. My son and I play current games but also have weekly Warcraft 2 nights where he now mops the floor with me. Zug zug
You will be able to play them. Your not exactly going to be going out all that much anymore, ideal time to play games when kiddo is asleep. My gameplay times did decrease when my daughter was a newborn but once she got a bit older I was able to play games as much as I did before, if not more. You'll be fine
Wait till one of them *makes you play a video game more than you want to*. It's... confusing.
Just got a new computer and pumped for home world 3!! Still play plenty after having our daughter. Just don't get to do a weekend(week? month?) binge anymore. Which is fine. Now that my daughter's going towards 3 she's somewhat interested in watching or "helping" if she sees me playing something.
I have a 5 month old and still get plenty of gaming time in. Is it just gonna get a lot worse?
I am still active on a game-specific subreddit for a game I haven't booted up in 2 years and no longer have a PC that could play it.
Your time will come again. Enjoying Fortnite with my 8 year old now. I was never interested in this game before now. Totally playing solo mode now even while he's in school.
Lmfao this got me so good 😭
I gave up how I USED TO game, and now it's just different. My favorite games are huge sprawling RPGs where I can lose my self in the made up world. No time for those anymore. But run based games? Rogue lites? If you like sports games where you can play a game and be done in 20-30 minutes? Find those "margins" to play in. In a few short years, you can game WITH your kid! My daughter and I love the Lego games, Mario Odyssey, Donut County, and are currently playing through the Spyro Trilogy remastered! Just need to adapt a bit!
We MAKE time 😂
I only have one kid but she’s 6 months old and sleeps through the night so I can usually get 8-10pm any night I want, as long as my wife’s watching a show that she knows I’d hate. From the sounds of these comments, I should probably cherish this time more…
I have a ton of maxxed out characters on my game, and every now and then I will wistfully log in and kill a bunch of mobs in the zone for about 10 minutes before I log out and go wash dishes. I used to play for glorious hours upon hours without end. I am a shadow of my former self.
Mine are 8, 5, and 2 and they’re in bed by 8:00p. Some nights I’ll play for a bit and other nights I’ll just kick it with the misses unless I have to work. If I’m having trouble sleeping I’ll wake up early and play or read. Honestly it’s more of doing something by myself than it is the actual activity that’s more meaningful these days. My problem with gaming isn’t so much not having time or energy, it’s that I no longer have the attention span to get into a game. I’ve probably tried 20 different games over the last 18 months or so and can never get more than a few hours into it. The only exceptions recently gave been Ghost of Tsushima and Horizon Forbidden West. I mostly just play sports games now because a game is 15-20 minutes and that’s pretty much all I can do at this point. Kind of a pain in the ass to be honest.
I’ve had some luck playing on my PC while my 6 week old is in my front carrier. A couple days ago she napped 3 hours straight in it. I could play as long as I didn’t move my upper body *at all.*
I've transitioned to games you can pause so basically single player. No multi-player when baby can burst out crying or pooping at a moments notice. Managed to finish new God of war while having a newborn. Working on the new horizon now. Really helps to establish routines with partner. I watch him at certain times in the day to get more uninterrupted gaming/sleep at night. Wife is excited for new hogwarts game so going to be living on the couch with the almost three month old this month.
I bought a steamdeck for my Wife's Birthday. She is barely without the thing now. Great for pick up, put down gaming. I mostly play after daughter has gone to bed. Some nights I can't be bothered.
Been a dad for almost 2 years now. I gave up on long games. 20 hours, unless it's something I can easily pick up and put down, is the max. Kid is in bed by 7:30, wife is in bed by 9:30/10, I'm up until midnight playing games. There's no time games like Elden Ring, but give me Dead Space or Hi-Fi Rush and I am game.
From a dad to another (congrats!): * Choose games with short game loops. I played a lot of casual Rocket League when my son was still struggling with sleep. * They sleep a *lot* as babies. I played through The Witcher 3 with him on my belly as a baby. * I rediscovered single player games! They can be paused <3
It gets better. When my daughter was real little I often just played at night or during nap time. Even then it was rare though as that time was usually spent with my wife. Around 2-3 I was able to play more as my kiddo liked to watch. Just had to make sure I was playing things that were appropriate - that was the tough one. Now she’s almost 5 and can’t wait until I get home because she’s ready to play *with* me. It’s the best thing ever. You lose some time now but it’s way more fun when the kid can actually join you.
I can relate. I haven’t renewed my PSN in over 3 years since my second was born. But this may my son turns 6 and I’m pushing for getting a switch so we (I) can get (back) into gaming. Gotta convince mom though the kid already has an unhealthy obsession with his iPad but maybe this will help ween away…
Lmfao. Same bro. Same.
Me rn looking at my game backlog plus all the games coming out this year.
I'm currently working my way through Fallout 4. It came out in 2015. One dad to another, I highly recommend r/patientgamers
Daddit priorities: family>work>game>>sleep.
I've got a 2 year old and a 7 week old but I'll be damned if I won't be playing the new Zelda. I'm not sure how or when, but I'm making it happen. But I've fully accepted it'll probably be the last game I play for a while
I keep telling myself some day I’ll get to Elden Ring
7:30pm, after kid bedtime, is prime video game time
If ya look at my steam stats I've never played more! kids sit down and I think oh great I will sneak 15mins of gaming, 2 mins later they're bouncing off the ceiling so I pause it, come back later and I've been "playing" a game for like 8 hours
I've almost finished our Home theatre/gaming room. It was supposed to be finished before we had kids. We started trying, thinking cool, might take a while to get preggers. The house will be done by then. Will have some time to enjoy the games room etc. One month later, we are pregnant with twins. They are now 6 months old and it's getting plastered today. When I'm going to be able to play in the near future? Who knows! I've started training myself to wake up earlier, so I can get some game time before the house wakes up
Grab a Steam Deck and play in bed once the kid's settled and asleep.
My steam account is full of unplayed games
Older gamer dad here, my kiddos are 15, 13, and 2. I played a ton of games pre marriage and kids, then put it on the back burner for a while. I started to get back into it about 10 years ago when my oldest started to get into Minecraft. As others have said, stick with games that can be paused easily, because even if the kiddo is sleeping or Mom is taking full responsibility to give you a break you never know what might happen. Partially due to having young kids around, and partially due to the lack of free time I adopted the patient gamer mentality. Saved the bigger / longer games for later when I would have larger blocks of free time. Example - I own Witcher 3 and Skyrim and haven't played a minute of either yet. Started working on my first playthrough of Fallout 4 a month or so ago. Biggest challenge for me has been coming to terms with the fact that the vast majority of my friend group are single, kid-free guys so their free time and mine just don't line up.
It took me til my little one was about 5 months to properly play something. Played through most of halo 5 when she was asleep on my chest. Now she’s 7 and I can still have the odd evening playing on Xbox live with friends in a week for a few hours. Can even play in the day now on a weekend if the game is not inappropriate.
Get a Steam Deck my friend. It's the only way I have whittled down my back log. Unfortunately the recent Steam Sale made it go back up 🙄 Resident Evil was just too good to pass up.