Have you got a group of friends that get together in the evening, turn on their headphone mics, and load up a favorite game they all share? We all have a few friends like that, and we often hear about how fun their gaming sessions can be. And for a lot of people, that can leave them feeling a bit left out, and like they’re isolated from the people they love.
However, you could join them from time to time, if you have an interest in gaming yourself? It doesn’t matter if you’re any good or not – you’re just here to have fun! So let’s make gaming accessible for the whole friend group with the tips down below.
Gaming is Supposed to Be Fun
We mentioned it above and we’ll delve into it here! Gaming is supposed to be fun, pure and simple. If you’re good at a game, it could one day turn into a profitable side hustle through participating in e-sports or turning your hand to streaming, but that’s only in extreme cases. If you’re just out to have fun, gaming is the perfect hobby for you.
Plus, even when you’re ‘bad’ at a game, you’re going to pick up a few new skills. You can improve your hand eye coordination along the way, as well as your reaction time, but be sure to take a break and look away from the screen at least every 20 minutes. It’s easy to get caught up in the flow of a game and forget about this!
Which brings us to the next point:
You Don’t Have to Be the Perfect Player – Ever!
If you’re dying in game at least twice a round? That’s fine. If you’re needing to be ‘carried’ by your teammates? Who really cares! You’re having fun, you’re at least conquering a couple of objectives, and it’s just a game in the end.
As long as you and your friends are having a good time, it really isn’t a big deal if you aren’t the perfect player. And you never actually have to become one either. You can play as and when you want and that might mean you don’t get any better. On the other hand, you can dedicate a bit of time to practicing, but that’s only if the game itself piques your interest.
In fact, let’s talk about that a bit more:
Think About Practicing a Bit in Your Own Time
Practice makes perfect, and that’s even true in the gaming sphere. But hang on – if gaming is meant to be fun, why do you need to practice? Surely that goes against everything we’ve said so far about gaming?
Well, it’s because gaming is a hobby like any other! And the more you know how to get involved, the more fun you’re going to have, rather than feeling useless for making mistakes every other minute. Sometimes getting good at a game actually means improving your overall confidence!
Indeed, when you feel like you’re good at something, you’re going to be able to relax and switch your mind off when you’re indulging in it. You won’t be worrying about what other players might be thinking and/or whether or not you’re letting your team down.
Get Some Experience with Gaming Strategy
Gaming strategy is going to vary from game to game, but the more you can sort games into their genres and what will be expected from you as a player of them, the easier it’ll be to play.
If you want to try a simple strategy game that’ll help you think a step ahead when playing a grand start or an isometric top down, pick up a game of checkers every now and then. Games like checkers are classics, so there’s plenty of advice out there to follow as well.
Get to know your preferred playstyle and you’ll be able to pick up single player games and enjoy them in your own time too.
Get Comfortable with Voice Calls
This is one for the socially awkward among us. How do you feel about talking over a Discord call with your closest friends? If the idea makes you uncomfortable, try it every now and then to see how you fare. It’s not for everyone, but it’s a lot easier to do than many people think.
After all, you’re not here to impress anyone like you are on a work Zoom call. You’re just hanging out and cracking jokes, and it’s even OK to fall silent and mute your mic from time to time too.
Gaming calls can be a lot of fun when they’re private and it’s just the few of you. However, if you’re in a server together with some people you don’t know, don’t be afraid of a stranger joining either. You might end up getting on very well!
When In-game, Only Focus on Your Friends
And finally, if you’re often asked to come along to a gaming session but you’re nervous about playing an online multiplayer because of the amount of terrible people you might come across, we understand your hesitancy.
After all, some people can be very rude, bigoted, and even make you feel like you’re personally in danger through what they say. But to counter this, and to make sure you never feel like you can’t do something fun, we recommend only ever focusing on your friends when you’re playing massively multiplayer.
Mute the lobby and only accept incoming messages from people you already know. This way, even if someone wants to verbally attack you, they’re just going to be shouting into the void.
If you’ve got some close gamer friends, you can join their sessions whenever you want if you just ask. Don’t let a lack of skill (or feeling like you lack skill) hold you back. You’re here to have fun, have a laugh, and spend time with people you love. And gaming is such an accessible hobby; it really is for anyone and everyone!
