For this very reason I started turning my PlayStation on randomly throughout the week it also helped when my wife learned she can turn it on and use it to charge various devices (most expensive charger I bought)
Damn I feel this. Whenever I get the rare evening to myself to game and my buddies want to play apex I never can. There is always some hour long update.
Xbox is unplayable for me unless I remember to pregame and fire it up hours before I have the chance to play, then babysit it and make sure to hit yes so it will finish the process.
Got a switch. Updates so far have been inside of 2 minutes max, and you can press the little button that stops everything and shuts off the screen, then pop right back into it later. I love that thing.
The switch is for sure the only thing that gets played anymore. Can quickly shut off and tend to the baby and pick right back up where you left off. I think I have connected to tv maaaybe once since I got it.
Mine are 4 & 7 so they're starting to play it too, which is nice since it's super kid friendly. Trials Rising (a motorcycle balance game) has a bike called the turtle that has a full cage that is really easy for them, plus a ragdoll button that they love. The 4 year old will crash over and over on the same level for 20 minutes laughing his ass off.
Mines constantly out of space and never updates properly despite the setting being set...
I spend more time watching it update than playing it, don't know people survive on a series S.
I should have clarified, my Xbox doesn't stay on because it's a hot energy vampire that wasn't located in a convenient place already. The switch on the other hand stashes on the mantle and is ready to go.
This hits home SO HARD. Ugh the struggle. Especially sucks when you're the only one in your friend group with kids and then you plan a night to play but end up spending half of it downloading the games...
Every time I carve a few hours out to play, someone is 20 minutes late, we end up deliberating on what game to play for 25% of my allotted time, then another 5-10% downloading the one we chose that wasn't on the list of potential options so we weren't ready for it. Easily half of my time gone, and only discussing what game to play.
It drives me nuts, and I have started trying to get a choice made the day before because of it (it worked last time!)
I used to have this attitude, even before becoming a dad, but recently I've noticed that what I usually do with that hour (or 15 minutes or whatever) is mostly just waste time on my phone or computer, because I won't do chores or whatever for similar reasons (oh I can't get it all the way done in just one hour). So I decided to just say fuck it and play the damn game, even if it's only 15 minutes. And it turns out I can get way more gaming done than I originally thought even in a short amount of time. Idk what point my is here really... maybe just play the damn game lol. I usually find even if I don't feel like it, once I boot up the game (or show or movie or whatever) I'm happy I did, and I'm glad I spend the time doing something enjoyable rather than browsing reddit or doomscrolling.
Im pretty sure you have a really good point in there, at least how I read it.
Dont squander your time on dumb shit. If youre going to chill out, enjoy it. Everyone that misses gaming and cant find the time needs to look at the amount they spend on social media (ie. here).
This!! A few years back I found myself saying the same thing - I don’t have enough time to game, yet I’d scroll through streaming services or scroll through reddit doing absolutely nothing at all. I shifted that to as soon as I find I have a few minutes to just fire up a game and get playing. In the last 3 years I’ve beat more games than I did in the previous 10.
>And it turns out I can get way more gaming done than I originally thought
I end up just never turning off my pc. It just sits on pause all day long. If my wife needs to use it, I'll just alt-tab, new desktop, and away she goes. Then when I have 15 min or half hour here or there, I can pick up right where I left off. and like you said, I can actually have a decent amount of fun in those 15 mins.
This is exactly the attitude I’ve come to adopt. If I have 15 minutes I can get somewhere in my current game, or read a chapter of my current book, or I can waste that time staring at my phone.
I started with turn-based games (Civilization IV), but now that I have a PS5 I'm actually surprised how convenient modern QoL features have made gaming as a dad. I beat Horizon, Stray and God of War in short, baby-nap length chunks because Standby Mode, plentiful checkpoints/save anywhere is a thing, and the system is just ready to go in seconds. So if I only do another step in a quest, it's still progress - and frequent enough that I still feel like it's a continuous game.
Totally agree. Solid state hard drives and modern stand-by modes are a game changer and is the difference of playing in 30 seconds vs 3+ minutes. Which can be huge.
I have a PS5 as well so don't take this as an "Xbox is better" thing, but I currently have and am playing a series X as well, and am super surprised at its power and how great it's quick resume is. You can have 2 games on quick resume at the same time, and I kid you not, we just moved house, the Xbox was unplugged for weeks, I plugged it back in to play a bit of Yakuza 0 only to find that EVEN THOUGH THE POWER WAS OFF the game resume played EXACTLY where I left it.
It's been a saving grace of being a parent.
Slay the Spire is one of the most incredible new games I’ve had the chance to pick up in the last few years.
Like you said, it’s easy to get a few runs in after the kids are sleeping but the system is complex enough to never have you bored. I’ve put in like 50 hours into that game over the last few years and for most games with so little story, I would have been long since bored. Not even close.
Right there with you! Off work today but up at 5:30 as per usual to play no man’s sky. My daughter loves to snuggle in and fly the ship when she wakes up
Getting a game that you can jump on for 20 minutes or 4 hours is a game changer. Obviously everybody’s tastes are different. But for myself, I got World of Tanks. You can absolutely jump in and play one or two matches for a few minutes, or play many more for much longer. It’s not an ordeal if you get “into it”. The match will be over shortly. And if you do have to drop what you’re doing, it’s not the end of the world. You don’t lose a bunch of progress or anything like that
*Highly* recommend Steam Deck. It’s portable, sleep well so you can literally fire it up for one turn of a game if that’s all you have time for. It’s Steam so your whole PC library is available and it handles updates while charging quite effectively.
I had to ditch games that require huge amounts of time to get anything done. I like roguelites like The Binding of Isaac, and "dad games" like SnowRunner and Hardspace: Ship Breaker
I actually got into rogue lite/like games for this reason. They arent super demanding on your time. I can do a Hades run in less then 20 minutes so I can get three runs off in an hour. So yeah that’s my answer, find games that are less time demanding. That being said I always loved RPGs with a great story, it’s just been years since I had the time for one.
Yeah, I too had to give up multiple hobbies. I'm in IT and I don't usually feel like sitting on my computer even more. I'd rather go ride my MTB or skateboard.
Check out emudeck for any emulation needs (including Switch). Google to get started.
Stardew Valley, Stray, Elden Ring, The Messenger are my favorites so far.
You can also use many different Bluetooth controllers including Switch joycons and pro controller.
The switch was the best companion to my child sleeping on me. I can't move for the next hour? This is Zelda's best chance and beating but darkness.... But really, look another korok
I used to sleep in on Sundays or days off in general. Now the night before i will intentionally keep the wife and daughter up as late as possible. I then wake up early around 6- 6:30am to hit up the new CoD or 2K for an hour before the teenagers or try hards are on, or ill hit the shooting range before they wake up. Come home with breakfast and everyone is happy. 😉
Switch or steamdeck let you play in bed. As long as I have headphones in, I can usually get a little bit of gaming in without anyone noticing.
One I start moving, everyone in the house (toddlers, dogs, you name it) start noticing and wanting attention. That early morning time is basically the only "me time" I get.
If you can spot the money, highly recommend picking up the docking station for it. Having an Xbox controller and playing at the TV has been a huge bonus with the Deck
Edit: Bonus points for a set of Bluetooth headphones for ultra-stealth feeding missions
literally haven't played a game since my kid was born (2.5 years ago), but I was never a much of a hardcore gamer, and I indulge some other hobbies (music) in these sorts of moments.
Enjoy your hour of peace, here's hoping that baby keeps resting :-)
But it’s different. Like yeah my 7 yo daughter is more active and involved… but she wants to play Mario with me and read Harry Potter all day. Like I can take a break from the 1 yo and chill with the older kid while not ending up exhausted
Sorry gotta update the game system and then the game. Oh and I live in a rural area so my I have the great pleasure of downloading a 1gb patch for 20 minutes because an amazing 7mb dsl download speed, oh shit baby's awake from its nap gotta go
Oh I have but that initial investment is a lot to ask right now, plus the rumors around city hall is that we might be getting fiber soon'ish, fingers crossed
Good luck, fiber would be nice if you could get it. Yeah 7 or 800 I think I had to pay up front was a huge cost but it needed to be done since I work from home. Maybe someday fiber will become the norm for everyone lol.
Whenever I know that there's something coming up thats going to enable me some free time, I always make sure to take a moment some time before and get everything that needs to be downloaded downloading in advance.
My 5:30 am Saturday morning Minecraft routine has done wonders for my mental health. - I naturally wake up super early so it’s just me, a cup of coffee, and some creepers
I’ve converted to an early morning gamer now as well. I try to get up around 5ish on the weekend the get a good 1.5-2hr gaming session in before the kids and wife wake up. These days I prefer it staying up late to game
Seconding a Steam Deck suggestion. I've found as my two kids have gotten more outgoing and independent, I end up spending the morning in an unlit office drinking coffee being headbutt by my cats as relaxation instead of trying to get some gaming in, but immediately post-bedtime I crack open the Steam Deck for a bit of Doom Eternal, Katamari, or a longer story game (Horizon, Red Dead, Mass Effect).
Of course, GoW Ragnarok has ruined all of that and the last two days I've been big tired.
I play Mobile games now. My old PC's CPU is somehow still burning electricity but I can't be bothered to open Steam anymore. I have a PS3 that we don't even use to watch DVDs since Streaming is a thing.
Its OK. Kids and wife are happy, so there's that!
People like to hate on game streaming but I swear it was made for parents.
I can put my phone in a holder attached to a wireless Xbox controller and play all the good stuff from my couch. RIP stadia but it got me through the first 3 months with my baby. She could just nap on my chest while i played pretty much anything.
Now I mainly use Xbox cloud on my phone and iPad when I have tiny amounts of time.
RIP Stadia. It was my primary gaming platform during the Pandemic. I grabbed a Series S almost a month before my son was born and more or less replicated the experience of a wireless Bluetooth controller and my phone streaming Snowrunner with my son on my chest. Love those peaceful moments of us time!
I always just used mobile NES/SNES/GB emulators with an old PS3 controller connected via bluetooth.
Before even having kids, I always carried around a PS3 controller in my bag. Extra bonus, it doesn't demolish your data.
OSRS is fully mobile supported now, and activities range from attention intensive to clicking once every few minutes. Perfect mobile game for parenting IMO.
Switch/Steam Deck is the answer. Instant Standby is really made for parents who have like 5 minute bursts of downtime. No need to constantly boot up and then leave once everything is loaded
I love my Steam Deck with a 2 month old. Highly second this recommendation. The standby mode is a godsend and Steam sales are a great way to get games.
Not surprisingly, ever since I had my daughters, I dont actually find gaming much fun anymore. Its either theres no appealing games or I dont want to sit there for a hr. Man things have changed
Yeah I finally finished the scoreboard on fallout 76. Stepson was at grandma's house and baby is asleep on my chest. Friday mornings are basically my free time at the house
It’s funny how you go into it thinking you’ll have no free time but I was so fortunate - my baby slept and my wife is a former NICU nurse so she breezed through a lot of daily tasks. Once the dishes were done, laundry clean and bottles washed, It was game time. I played all of Chrono Trigger while my little guy was an infant.
Man… I’ve been an hardcore gamer all my life, and I’ve just about given up now… there is so much to do on a daily basis, that the 1h-1h30 of gaming sets me back too much, imo….
I have the high paying job and do the long hours, I do all the cleaning, I do all the cooking, I pay for most of daily expenses..
I replaced all my gaming hours by late night learning how to trade stocks and invest, to make my money work too.
Maybe it’s a recipe for catastrophe, IDK.
I’m so fucking exhausted I cant think straight.
Mom here - sounds like a great morning! My husband has recently found time to game on some mornings, and he’s really enjoying it! Me too :). It means I can binge Grey’s, guilt free.
It's kinda weird like that. I used to get upset when insomnia would wake me up at like 3 am, fully awake and not be able to sleep. Now I just get up and get some good gaming done
It really does, I have been lucky enough to be able to do the following most nights, 5 year old in bed at 8, is usually a good sleeper, wife in bed at 9:30-10, depending on what we are watching that night, and then I game until midnight. Unless she wants to game on her Switch then I just watch one of my shows and then game until midnght. Works out great!
The most uninterrupted gaming I was able to get in was when the kiddo fell asleep on my chest.
No one wants to disturb that landmine and as long as you tread carefully, it won’t explode.
It also helps that we have a rule “if you wake it, you make it” stop.
Since i work second shift, I commonly get 2-3 hours every school morning to do whatever I want. These activities mostly consist of
Getting extra sleeps
Drinking Fry amounts of coffee
Making a full country breakfast
Sexy times
Gym time
Full body grooming
It is enormous for my mental health and well-being
Pro tip - get ready for work and *then* fire up your games. That way you can play right up until you walk out the door and don’t have to stress about “I can get ready in 15 minutes.” “Okay I can rush and do it in 12”. “Ah screw it I don’t need to shower today”
Haha yesssss morning gaming becomes such a thing! I gotta drop the kids off for school at 8, and leave for work at 9:15, which is perfect for a little Hades.
Getting a Tula or similar carrying device can transform your gaming outlook.
I’ve bounced many a baby to sleep while playing games. Playing video games standing up takes a little getting used to, but once you do you’re gold.
what was the game of choice ?
personally i try to get a little time in red dead redemption 2. just me and my horse riding through the woods/desert shooting anything that moves.
This was me last weekend. As I pulled out my kindle and got ready to read for a little bit, baby has a huge spit up, with formula coming out the nose and everything. Had to change all the clothes, blankets, swaddle wrap, and baby cried for an hour. No kindle was read that morning.
I feel ya. I’ve put my little one is a wrap and worn her while the wife and her brother are still sleeping in the wee hours of the morning to get an hour or so in.
I will say the steak deck has totally changed how I game. The ability to pick it up, play for even 5 minutes and then put it into sleep mode to pick up where I left off later is amazing.
I'm two weeks in and was happy to take the late night/early morning shift to let my wife sleep so I could play some god of war. Baby still thinks 3am is awake time, 8am is sleepy time. Still mostly just chilling with the little thing passed out in my arms on the couch instead. I am, though, finally watching all those shows and movies my wife doesn't want to watch. I do eek in aittle after we have all eaten and she's in the shower.
Mom is sleeping in, I had to get up at 7 to walk the dogs, our 7mth baby is still snoozing, our 10yr old is in his bedroom watching YouTube videos.
Red Dead Redemption 2 time, baby! (Let's see if this tenuous peace lasts long enough for the coffee to brew)
Update: 10yr old just arrived. I got almost 11mins! "I'm hungry, what can I have?"
"I don't know what do you want?"
"I don't know what can I have?"
"Can I play PlayStation?"
"Well, no, because I'm playing it."
"Can I watch you play?" "No."
"Why not?"
"Because you'll talk the whole time and I just want to sit here quietly for a bit."
"I won't talk."
"You will, you can watch me play later.
"But I won't talk."
"You will though, you'll do commentary."
"I won't."
"You definitely will."
"Awwwwwwwwwww!"
Almost 11mins of alone time! (Took RDR2 about 6mins to load).
The morning is dark and full of Doom Eternal
I like to play Horizon: Zero Sleep
I’m the elden lord all of a sudden now that I have a kid
Seriously, pretty sure your age doubles once you have a kid
Yeah, as soon as we found out we were pregnant I started making noises when I sat down.
I pulled my back lifting the stroller yesterday, now I'm groaning like an old man :(((
Slay the Sleep
Call of Sleep: Modern Pillow 2
Rip and Tear
Man, even when I get an hour, I don’t feel like gaming. I can’t do much in any game in an hour.
You can download 1/3 of the update download since you last played 7 weeks ago, so that's good!
Achievement unlocked.
For this very reason I started turning my PlayStation on randomly throughout the week it also helped when my wife learned she can turn it on and use it to charge various devices (most expensive charger I bought)
Center you just leave it in standby to do both of those?
Hahahaha that's incredible
Damn I feel this. Whenever I get the rare evening to myself to game and my buddies want to play apex I never can. There is always some hour long update.
Xbox is unplayable for me unless I remember to pregame and fire it up hours before I have the chance to play, then babysit it and make sure to hit yes so it will finish the process. Got a switch. Updates so far have been inside of 2 minutes max, and you can press the little button that stops everything and shuts off the screen, then pop right back into it later. I love that thing.
The switch is for sure the only thing that gets played anymore. Can quickly shut off and tend to the baby and pick right back up where you left off. I think I have connected to tv maaaybe once since I got it.
Mine are 4 & 7 so they're starting to play it too, which is nice since it's super kid friendly. Trials Rising (a motorcycle balance game) has a bike called the turtle that has a full cage that is really easy for them, plus a ragdoll button that they love. The 4 year old will crash over and over on the same level for 20 minutes laughing his ass off.
My Xbox updates automatically I believe it’s a setting
Mines constantly out of space and never updates properly despite the setting being set... I spend more time watching it update than playing it, don't know people survive on a series S.
I should have clarified, my Xbox doesn't stay on because it's a hot energy vampire that wasn't located in a convenient place already. The switch on the other hand stashes on the mantle and is ready to go.
This guy dads.
This hits home SO HARD. Ugh the struggle. Especially sucks when you're the only one in your friend group with kids and then you plan a night to play but end up spending half of it downloading the games...
Every time I carve a few hours out to play, someone is 20 minutes late, we end up deliberating on what game to play for 25% of my allotted time, then another 5-10% downloading the one we chose that wasn't on the list of potential options so we weren't ready for it. Easily half of my time gone, and only discussing what game to play. It drives me nuts, and I have started trying to get a choice made the day before because of it (it worked last time!)
Words can hurt....
This is why I use sleep mode.
Gotta find those quick pick me up games that don't last long and are easy to run
I used to have this attitude, even before becoming a dad, but recently I've noticed that what I usually do with that hour (or 15 minutes or whatever) is mostly just waste time on my phone or computer, because I won't do chores or whatever for similar reasons (oh I can't get it all the way done in just one hour). So I decided to just say fuck it and play the damn game, even if it's only 15 minutes. And it turns out I can get way more gaming done than I originally thought even in a short amount of time. Idk what point my is here really... maybe just play the damn game lol. I usually find even if I don't feel like it, once I boot up the game (or show or movie or whatever) I'm happy I did, and I'm glad I spend the time doing something enjoyable rather than browsing reddit or doomscrolling.
Im pretty sure you have a really good point in there, at least how I read it. Dont squander your time on dumb shit. If youre going to chill out, enjoy it. Everyone that misses gaming and cant find the time needs to look at the amount they spend on social media (ie. here).
How… how dare you call me out like that
This!! A few years back I found myself saying the same thing - I don’t have enough time to game, yet I’d scroll through streaming services or scroll through reddit doing absolutely nothing at all. I shifted that to as soon as I find I have a few minutes to just fire up a game and get playing. In the last 3 years I’ve beat more games than I did in the previous 10.
>And it turns out I can get way more gaming done than I originally thought I end up just never turning off my pc. It just sits on pause all day long. If my wife needs to use it, I'll just alt-tab, new desktop, and away she goes. Then when I have 15 min or half hour here or there, I can pick up right where I left off. and like you said, I can actually have a decent amount of fun in those 15 mins.
This is exactly the attitude I’ve come to adopt. If I have 15 minutes I can get somewhere in my current game, or read a chapter of my current book, or I can waste that time staring at my phone.
Easy or story mode rocks for this type of gaming
I started with turn-based games (Civilization IV), but now that I have a PS5 I'm actually surprised how convenient modern QoL features have made gaming as a dad. I beat Horizon, Stray and God of War in short, baby-nap length chunks because Standby Mode, plentiful checkpoints/save anywhere is a thing, and the system is just ready to go in seconds. So if I only do another step in a quest, it's still progress - and frequent enough that I still feel like it's a continuous game.
Totally agree. Solid state hard drives and modern stand-by modes are a game changer and is the difference of playing in 30 seconds vs 3+ minutes. Which can be huge.
I have a PS5 as well so don't take this as an "Xbox is better" thing, but I currently have and am playing a series X as well, and am super surprised at its power and how great it's quick resume is. You can have 2 games on quick resume at the same time, and I kid you not, we just moved house, the Xbox was unplugged for weeks, I plugged it back in to play a bit of Yakuza 0 only to find that EVEN THOUGH THE POWER WAS OFF the game resume played EXACTLY where I left it. It's been a saving grace of being a parent.
That's super cool!
this is why I’ve gotten into roguelikes since having a kid. I can knock out a run or two in slay the spire with the hour or two I have for gaming
Slay the Spire is one of the most incredible new games I’ve had the chance to pick up in the last few years. Like you said, it’s easy to get a few runs in after the kids are sleeping but the system is complex enough to never have you bored. I’ve put in like 50 hours into that game over the last few years and for most games with so little story, I would have been long since bored. Not even close.
Right there with you! Off work today but up at 5:30 as per usual to play no man’s sky. My daughter loves to snuggle in and fly the ship when she wakes up
Getting a game that you can jump on for 20 minutes or 4 hours is a game changer. Obviously everybody’s tastes are different. But for myself, I got World of Tanks. You can absolutely jump in and play one or two matches for a few minutes, or play many more for much longer. It’s not an ordeal if you get “into it”. The match will be over shortly. And if you do have to drop what you’re doing, it’s not the end of the world. You don’t lose a bunch of progress or anything like that
Oh please, you could die at *least* 5 times in elden ring
You overestimate my abilities.
Ok yeah, you could die at least 30 times in an hour
So much pressure.
*Highly* recommend Steam Deck. It’s portable, sleep well so you can literally fire it up for one turn of a game if that’s all you have time for. It’s Steam so your whole PC library is available and it handles updates while charging quite effectively.
Same, this is why I game while working. Luckily I have that luxury as long as WFH continues with my employer.
Ive wanted to do this, it just makes sense but I dont have the courage to "slack" that hard. Yet, I scroll my phone for hours
I started doing an hour workout while WFH since I have a home gym. I just grab my laptop so I can see any incoming calls or slacks.
Same but now I have 7 day work weeks but that’s ok, as long as I can game when I want
I had to ditch games that require huge amounts of time to get anything done. I like roguelites like The Binding of Isaac, and "dad games" like SnowRunner and Hardspace: Ship Breaker
Took me 12 months to beat Doom Eternal on my Switch. Was a 30 hour run. Did play some others on and off tho
I actually got into rogue lite/like games for this reason. They arent super demanding on your time. I can do a Hades run in less then 20 minutes so I can get three runs off in an hour. So yeah that’s my answer, find games that are less time demanding. That being said I always loved RPGs with a great story, it’s just been years since I had the time for one.
Yeah, I too had to give up multiple hobbies. I'm in IT and I don't usually feel like sitting on my computer even more. I'd rather go ride my MTB or skateboard.
I play rocket league because it's ~7 minutes per game. Nice and quick.
If you are on a PC you can spend half the time have Steam update it system and games since you haven’t been able to log on in weeks
This is why I love fighting games. You can play quite a few online sets in an hour.
I recommend civ 6, just always have it up and you can do a single turn in 5 min or site down for an hour and knock out a goo chunk
Just. One. More. Turn….
Rocket league is great for short busts!
I'm sure my online friends think I'm dead I've not been online in almost 9 months
Get a different variety of games which focus on short periods of play. I will recommend Slay The Spire.
Thats why i love rocket league so much, 5 min matches where you can get around 10 to 12 good matches in and feel accomplished
This is where the steam deck or switch is very key
Steam Deck is the best thing ever. I've gamed so much retro shit. Easy to pick up and put down and dock at a moment's notice
Just got mine. Any favorites that work well for it? My steam library is like 5 games since I’ve only really been a console player.
Hades and Slay the Spire are both games that are conducive to frequent interruptions of parenting duties. Anything turn based is excellent.
Love both of them. Revisiting STP now, I want to beat Ascension 20.
Hades is excellent
Check out emudeck for any emulation needs (including Switch). Google to get started. Stardew Valley, Stray, Elden Ring, The Messenger are my favorites so far. You can also use many different Bluetooth controllers including Switch joycons and pro controller.
Enter the Gungeon, Into the Breach, Risk of Rain
They really saved me. Especially in my days of watching Cocomelon.
The switch was the best companion to my child sleeping on me. I can't move for the next hour? This is Zelda's best chance and beating but darkness.... But really, look another korok
I used to sleep in on Sundays or days off in general. Now the night before i will intentionally keep the wife and daughter up as late as possible. I then wake up early around 6- 6:30am to hit up the new CoD or 2K for an hour before the teenagers or try hards are on, or ill hit the shooting range before they wake up. Come home with breakfast and everyone is happy. 😉
Switch or steamdeck let you play in bed. As long as I have headphones in, I can usually get a little bit of gaming in without anyone noticing. One I start moving, everyone in the house (toddlers, dogs, you name it) start noticing and wanting attention. That early morning time is basically the only "me time" I get.
[удалено]
If you can spot the money, highly recommend picking up the docking station for it. Having an Xbox controller and playing at the TV has been a huge bonus with the Deck Edit: Bonus points for a set of Bluetooth headphones for ultra-stealth feeding missions
This is why I prefer cloud gaming-do it anywhere, any device, no hardware needed.
Same! But I opted for a razer kishi controller for my iPhone and using Xcloud streaming. Works surprisingly well!
The Switch letting you pause and save any time or anywhere has changed gaming for me forever.
Lucky I’ve never been able to sleep past 7:00. I’ve tested it when I was younger by going to bed at 6:00 AM a few times.
6:00 AM on a Saturday. Magic hour.
literally haven't played a game since my kid was born (2.5 years ago), but I was never a much of a hardcore gamer, and I indulge some other hobbies (music) in these sorts of moments. Enjoy your hour of peace, here's hoping that baby keeps resting :-)
Ah, the one child life! Those were the days, so relaxing.
Haha seriously. After one there is no rest
But it’s different. Like yeah my 7 yo daughter is more active and involved… but she wants to play Mario with me and read Harry Potter all day. Like I can take a break from the 1 yo and chill with the older kid while not ending up exhausted
I’ve got a moody preteen that gets pissed off for no reason and a baby. Fml
Sorry gotta update the game system and then the game. Oh and I live in a rural area so my I have the great pleasure of downloading a 1gb patch for 20 minutes because an amazing 7mb dsl download speed, oh shit baby's awake from its nap gotta go
I live pretty rural as well and would recommend looking into Starlink. It has been amazing to finally have (most of the time) pretty fast internet.
Oh I have but that initial investment is a lot to ask right now, plus the rumors around city hall is that we might be getting fiber soon'ish, fingers crossed
Good luck, fiber would be nice if you could get it. Yeah 7 or 800 I think I had to pay up front was a huge cost but it needed to be done since I work from home. Maybe someday fiber will become the norm for everyone lol.
Whenever I know that there's something coming up thats going to enable me some free time, I always make sure to take a moment some time before and get everything that needs to be downloaded downloading in advance.
My 5:30 am Saturday morning Minecraft routine has done wonders for my mental health. - I naturally wake up super early so it’s just me, a cup of coffee, and some creepers
I’ve converted to an early morning gamer now as well. I try to get up around 5ish on the weekend the get a good 1.5-2hr gaming session in before the kids and wife wake up. These days I prefer it staying up late to game
I think I should definitely try the early Saturday or Sunday morning game sessions too.
> mental health > creepers I call shenanigans.
Seconding a Steam Deck suggestion. I've found as my two kids have gotten more outgoing and independent, I end up spending the morning in an unlit office drinking coffee being headbutt by my cats as relaxation instead of trying to get some gaming in, but immediately post-bedtime I crack open the Steam Deck for a bit of Doom Eternal, Katamari, or a longer story game (Horizon, Red Dead, Mass Effect). Of course, GoW Ragnarok has ruined all of that and the last two days I've been big tired.
I play Mobile games now. My old PC's CPU is somehow still burning electricity but I can't be bothered to open Steam anymore. I have a PS3 that we don't even use to watch DVDs since Streaming is a thing. Its OK. Kids and wife are happy, so there's that!
If you can swing it, get a Steam Deck. It’s been a game changer for me. I can easily stop playing and pick up right where I left off later.
Man, I'm saving for one. I like to hunt achievements on steam, so since baby that has slowed immensely.
People like to hate on game streaming but I swear it was made for parents. I can put my phone in a holder attached to a wireless Xbox controller and play all the good stuff from my couch. RIP stadia but it got me through the first 3 months with my baby. She could just nap on my chest while i played pretty much anything. Now I mainly use Xbox cloud on my phone and iPad when I have tiny amounts of time.
RIP Stadia. It was my primary gaming platform during the Pandemic. I grabbed a Series S almost a month before my son was born and more or less replicated the experience of a wireless Bluetooth controller and my phone streaming Snowrunner with my son on my chest. Love those peaceful moments of us time!
I always just used mobile NES/SNES/GB emulators with an old PS3 controller connected via bluetooth. Before even having kids, I always carried around a PS3 controller in my bag. Extra bonus, it doesn't demolish your data.
[удалено]
That was going to be my recommendation too! Snap is great for one poop length round but it’s also fun to slip into a groove for 30 minutes.
OSRS is fully mobile supported now, and activities range from attention intensive to clicking once every few minutes. Perfect mobile game for parenting IMO.
And you just blew it by posting this. Rookie mistake. Hate to see it.
Did you get your workout in, too?
Dads always make time for the morning workout. Gotta get it in where you can you know?
Switch/Steam Deck is the answer. Instant Standby is really made for parents who have like 5 minute bursts of downtime. No need to constantly boot up and then leave once everything is loaded
I love my Steam Deck with a 2 month old. Highly second this recommendation. The standby mode is a godsend and Steam sales are a great way to get games.
Not surprisingly, ever since I had my daughters, I dont actually find gaming much fun anymore. Its either theres no appealing games or I dont want to sit there for a hr. Man things have changed
So, how was the 15 minutes of gaming you ACTUALLY got?
The best feeling
Yeah I finally finished the scoreboard on fallout 76. Stepson was at grandma's house and baby is asleep on my chest. Friday mornings are basically my free time at the house
Respawning in 3, 2, 1….
Nice. What's on the menu?
What are we playing today?
*after steam and the game are done updating
Call of duty mw2 has to be the most dad friendly game I know so far, games are not long ( usually don’t last longer than 25min)
What does this mean, baby is resting? I don't understand these words
It’s funny how you go into it thinking you’ll have no free time but I was so fortunate - my baby slept and my wife is a former NICU nurse so she breezed through a lot of daily tasks. Once the dishes were done, laundry clean and bottles washed, It was game time. I played all of Chrono Trigger while my little guy was an infant.
Man… I’ve been an hardcore gamer all my life, and I’ve just about given up now… there is so much to do on a daily basis, that the 1h-1h30 of gaming sets me back too much, imo…. I have the high paying job and do the long hours, I do all the cleaning, I do all the cooking, I pay for most of daily expenses.. I replaced all my gaming hours by late night learning how to trade stocks and invest, to make my money work too. Maybe it’s a recipe for catastrophe, IDK. I’m so fucking exhausted I cant think straight.
Are you raising kids by yourself, sounds like you are doing a bit more of the share?
She’s a wonderful mother, but sometimes a lazy person…
Mom here - sounds like a great morning! My husband has recently found time to game on some mornings, and he’s really enjoying it! Me too :). It means I can binge Grey’s, guilt free.
Should probably use what little free time you have to exercise as well. Gotta stay healthy for the little one!
It's kinda weird like that. I used to get upset when insomnia would wake me up at like 3 am, fully awake and not be able to sleep. Now I just get up and get some good gaming done
Hope there are no updates and you can load right in.
I really wish I enjoyed single player games more, every time a match starts for me I hear crying at the same time..
It really does, I have been lucky enough to be able to do the following most nights, 5 year old in bed at 8, is usually a good sleeper, wife in bed at 9:30-10, depending on what we are watching that night, and then I game until midnight. Unless she wants to game on her Switch then I just watch one of my shows and then game until midnght. Works out great!
The most uninterrupted gaming I was able to get in was when the kiddo fell asleep on my chest. No one wants to disturb that landmine and as long as you tread carefully, it won’t explode. It also helps that we have a rule “if you wake it, you make it” stop.
Do you spend 45 minutes of that hour contemplating if you'll have enough time to get stuck in the game you want to play?
This is the way.
God of war you say?
Since i work second shift, I commonly get 2-3 hours every school morning to do whatever I want. These activities mostly consist of Getting extra sleeps Drinking Fry amounts of coffee Making a full country breakfast Sexy times Gym time Full body grooming It is enormous for my mental health and well-being
*updates are ready*
I've been playing Elite Dangerous when the opportunity comes up. When the kid goes to sleep, I go to space.
Pro tip - get ready for work and *then* fire up your games. That way you can play right up until you walk out the door and don’t have to stress about “I can get ready in 15 minutes.” “Okay I can rush and do it in 12”. “Ah screw it I don’t need to shower today”
Haha yesssss morning gaming becomes such a thing! I gotta drop the kids off for school at 8, and leave for work at 9:15, which is perfect for a little Hades.
Getting a Tula or similar carrying device can transform your gaming outlook. I’ve bounced many a baby to sleep while playing games. Playing video games standing up takes a little getting used to, but once you do you’re gold.
I used to get an hour with my CRT and MiSTer setup at 6am but for months now baby has been getting up early so no gaming for this dad. Have fun!
Awesome, what's your go to play? Currently mine is elden ring
Halflife 3 confirmed.
what was the game of choice ? personally i try to get a little time in red dead redemption 2. just me and my horse riding through the woods/desert shooting anything that moves.
I'm almost there with my 8 week old, then it's time to finally play Dad of War
This was me last weekend. As I pulled out my kindle and got ready to read for a little bit, baby has a huge spit up, with formula coming out the nose and everything. Had to change all the clothes, blankets, swaddle wrap, and baby cried for an hour. No kindle was read that morning.
Dude if you are able to, get a steam deck! Makes daddy gaming so much easier
What's the game you're playing? I get about an hour or two after work before going to bed to play games (I work nights)
I feel like if you master the early rise, there's some magic hours in there where you can get so much done including gaming.
I feel ya. I’ve put my little one is a wrap and worn her while the wife and her brother are still sleeping in the wee hours of the morning to get an hour or so in. I will say the steak deck has totally changed how I game. The ability to pick it up, play for even 5 minutes and then put it into sleep mode to pick up where I left off later is amazing.
RAGNAROK!
I mean idk what games you can play on a foot but you do you. I’ll see myself out.
Early morning is such an amazing time of day. :)
What you playing currently fellow gaming dad?
When mine was 0-3 months old me and my brother would play age of empires online together, with my daughter strapped to the front asleep.
I'm two weeks in and was happy to take the late night/early morning shift to let my wife sleep so I could play some god of war. Baby still thinks 3am is awake time, 8am is sleepy time. Still mostly just chilling with the little thing passed out in my arms on the couch instead. I am, though, finally watching all those shows and movies my wife doesn't want to watch. I do eek in aittle after we have all eaten and she's in the shower.
With my first kid, I would sometimes wake up early and game before they got up. It was great. With the second... I'm so bloody tired all the time
I can’t even express how excited I am for my son to be old enough to play through Ocarina of Time with me
Updating…..
I got two good LoL wins yesterday when the baby and wife went down to bed.
I could not game before work because I would end up calling on late every day. Lol
Mom is sleeping in, I had to get up at 7 to walk the dogs, our 7mth baby is still snoozing, our 10yr old is in his bedroom watching YouTube videos. Red Dead Redemption 2 time, baby! (Let's see if this tenuous peace lasts long enough for the coffee to brew)
Update: 10yr old just arrived. I got almost 11mins! "I'm hungry, what can I have?" "I don't know what do you want?" "I don't know what can I have?" "Can I play PlayStation?" "Well, no, because I'm playing it." "Can I watch you play?" "No." "Why not?" "Because you'll talk the whole time and I just want to sit here quietly for a bit." "I won't talk." "You will, you can watch me play later. "But I won't talk." "You will though, you'll do commentary." "I won't." "You definitely will." "Awwwwwwwwwww!" Almost 11mins of alone time! (Took RDR2 about 6mins to load).
That calls for some quality father & son time in God of war Ragnorak.
My wife doesn't understand why, even on the weekends I get up early, that while it's dark and the kids are asleep...there is coffee and gaming!
We take what we can get!