My OCD is killing the fun of games

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mattyfitness

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#1 mattyfitness
Member since 2013 • 25 Posts

I know, weird named topic. I'm just gonna ask here as I could really use some advice or whatever on this.

I have pretty bad OCD in my daily life, details and small things are very important to me.

Now, I love games, as it is my main medium for relaxing and just getting away from everything.
Problem is, lately, my OCD has transcended into my game world, so to speak.

I know, a lot of you might identify with the typical "achievement hunter" "completionist" issue. Having to look in every every nook and cranny for hidden items, collecting everything, doing every possible thing while you play through the game.

This has lately taken all the fun out of the games for me, as I'm obsessed with reading every line of dialouge, inspecting/collecting everything, which makes games feel like more of a chore. I can't help looking up guides on steam when playing to get every achievement, which makes me spend more time reading the damn guide than actually just having fun with the game. Now, even in games without achievements I still strive to collect everything and the fear of me skipping something "missable" is making me dread even playing.

Can someone please knock some sense into my head? I can't seem to do it myself.

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xantufrog

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#2 xantufrog  Moderator
Member since 2013 • 17875 Posts

sounds like you might be a good candidate for this thread: Games you can't finish (but want to) ;-)

I don't have any advice for you, but I hope you are able to come up with a strategy to get past this - we all deserve some relaxation time in our lives :-(

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raugutcon

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#3 raugutcon
Member since 2014 • 5576 Posts

Welcome to my world, good luck !

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JustPlainLucas

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#4 JustPlainLucas
Member since 2002 • 80441 Posts

I'm that way with Lego games. That's why I ended up getting seriously frustrated with Lego Marvel Superheroes. My only suggestion to you is keep getting more games, and make them a priority. When you know you have other games to play, that might help you "wrap things up" with the main story and move on.

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Black_Knight_00

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#5 Black_Knight_00
Member since 2007 • 77 Posts

I usually don't recommend reselling, but in your case maybe you should try beating a game and then selling it right away, without even looking at the achievements/trophies. It might help you move on to other games. It's worth a shot.

Best of luck to you, hope things'll work out.

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thereal25

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#6 thereal25
Member since 2011 • 2074 Posts

I can be a bit like that too. I like to really assess my situation at every point and make the most of my opportunities.

I've been known to save/reload just so I could save a bit of game money or health or whatever - when I already have loads of it.

But at least I don't care too much about achievements. In my completed steam games, typically my achievement percentage is less than 40%.

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SoNin360

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#8  Edited By SoNin360
Member since 2008 • 7175 Posts

As a trophy hunter I just play through a game normally (as in, not worrying about collecting/doing everything or going after every miscellaneous trophy) the first through, then clean up trophies afterward. I don't know if that helps you. I guess my actual advice is to relax and play, then if you want to, "complete" the rest of the game.

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marcheegsr

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#9 marcheegsr
Member since 2004 • 3115 Posts

I get like that with games like fallout 3. I have to search everythinggg. I guess I have to live with it.

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Splatted

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#10  Edited By Splatted
Member since 2012 • 58 Posts

I have this problem but to a much smaller degree so I'm not sure how helpful this will be. When I find my obsessiveness getting in the way of enjoying a game I set myself the target of doing a speed run. Not in the sense of a rehearsed shortest route but rather just looking to shave off seconds wherever I can. It's possible to be just as obsessive about this as a completionist run, so it's about redirecting instead of resisting obsessive impulses, but the result is that I'm suddenly moving through the story/locations/gameplay variations at a brisk and satisfying pace. I also like that it forces me to be more engaged in the gameplay because in a normal run through it doesn't matter how long I take to solve a puzzle or how many times I retry a section, but in a speed run every death wastes precious seconds/minutes.

Obviously I only count gameplay sections and not cutscenes (or whatever method the game uses to reveal the plot) in order to avoid feeling I have to miss out on the story.

Edit: Just to be clear, when I said "I have this problem" I meant that sometimes completionism spoils the fun of games for me and not that I have any particular knowledge of OCD. I don't want to be mistaken as giving advice on how to manage a serious medical condition.

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Lulu_Lulu

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#11 Lulu_Lulu
Member since 2013 • 19564 Posts

I hate to break it to ya but if you genuinely do have OCD then you are screwed..... No Sense can be knocked into your head..... you'll have to try sonething else

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Old_Gooseberry

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#12 Old_Gooseberry
Member since 2002 • 3958 Posts

a lof of the time they make these achievement things too hard to complete and i just give up on them.

i dont even bother any more trying to get them