Lemme keep it real with y’all. Before I get into handing out any tips, I gotta let you know the biggest mistakes I made so before you even dip a toe into gaming if you’re an absolute newbie you will have at least been warned of some things to avoid.
I don’t have it all figured out but what I do know is mostly from me making mistakes along the way keke anyone else?
Gaming is something I went back into mostly blind. There are so many things in gaming that are like second nature to seasoned gamers that when I was a complete newbie I just did not have a clue.
I didn’t even know how to properly research or look anything up on the great Goog. Honestly still kinda don’t lol.
Now that I’ve come this far tho, lemme tell ya the mistakes I made so you can try to avoid them (especially if you’re just starting out like I was!)
My Top 5 Mistakes to Learn From
Mistake 1: Buying a game without knowing anything about it & for full price
The biggest mistake I made that still hurts to this day ngl. If you read my last post then you know that I initially got interested in gaming again from watching my husband play Dead by Daylight.
The thing you have to know about me is that I am a scaredy cat extraordinaire 🙀
I literally put commercials on mute whenever a scary movie trailer pops up. Sometimes I even completely click away/change the channel because I’m that afraid.
Watching someone play a game and playing the game yourself are two completely different things, especially if you’re like me and had been watching with the sound off.
The first game I purchased on Steam (video game digital distribution service and storefront) was Dead by Daylight. I had missed the Halloween sale by one day but was so determined to start gaming that I bought it full price. I was so starry eyed and ready to escape from the killers!
Well let me tell you what actually happened. I loaded up the game, immediately heard the scary background noise, and wanted to cry 😹
I couldn’t tho because I bought this game and for full price! (And didn’t know about the return policy 😢) So I went ahead and started the tutorial.
Hm how can I explain it besides torture?
I was so scared the whole time and I barely knew what the heck I was doing. I had never played a PC game before so WASD and the mouse were completely foreign to me.
And not to mention I barely knew how to use my laptop!
I didn’t know how to turn the volume down while the game was in full screen mode. (Yes, I also did not know HOW to exit full screen mode to even get out of the tutorial).
Ouchies, how embarrassing but that’s the truth!
So here’s a lesson I had to learn a few times before it sunk in on buying new games.
I highly recommend if there’s a game you’re interested in that’s been out for a while to watch some reviews and gameplay of it on YouTube. If you search for the game name you’ll most likely get a variety of videos to watch.
Even better, go onto Twitch and find someone who is streaming it. Most likely if someone is streaming a game they love it and they want to talk about it so don’t be shy and ask away! I know I love when people drop into my stream to chat about what I’m playing.
I will give an influencer caveat, especially one I noticed recently. You do need to be weary if all you’re hearing is positives, especially for reviews where they are given a free key. I’ve heard it’s taboo to make complaints about a game when someone is given a game to review for free so sometimes these videos can feel a little misleading.
I prefer to watch gameplay and an explanation of what to expect in the game. Through trial and error I’ve been able to figure out my preferred gameplay style so I can watch a video and typically determine if it’s something I’ll actually play.
Also you will hear me say this a lot, do not buy into the hype.
There is so much hype around new games, new gears, etc. which yes companies definitely deserve it but can our wallets keep up with every single new rerelease? I know mine can’t.
So as much as I want to be playing all the newest games on release day, I’ve learned that it’s best for me and my growing backlog to buy games I will actually play the minute after I buy them.
Just because you don’t buy a game on release day doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. When you’re ready for something new you’ll have all these resources to help you decide if it’s a wise purchase for you and you’re not just purchasing because of FOMO.
Oh and also, you’ll have a good chance at catching a sale. While I have noticed some games releasing digitally with a sale, you can usually find a sale within the next quarter for a new release.
And if you’re not buying a game on release day, please please please do not pay full price.
A mistake I made a many times before I realized games go on sale often… unless if it’s Nintendo because those rarely go on sale sadly 😞
Mistake 2: Not using Google to help while gaming
When I started Stardew Valley I was pretty isolated. It was just me, this game, and my husband who I would ask to ask his one friend who played the game questions but I didn’t want to be a bother so it would only be for when I was big confused.
Eventually my husband was like why don’t you Google that? And I was like huh, that’s a thing? (Also omg if there is someone else who had this moment PLZ lemme know I’m not alone!)
That’s when I discovered the Stardew Wiki and I no longer had to memorize Sam’s schedule or guess at what he liked. The amazing online Stardew Valley community put together a guide that basically answered all of my questions!
So if you’re playing any game and you’re stuck, don’t be afraid to Google it or look it up on YouTube. There’s probably a walkthrough if it isn’t the Day 1 release but tbh I’ve noticed walkthrough content going up faster and faster.
Also, make sure you check if there’s an official guide! I had no idea there was a Stardew Valley Guidebook and when I heard about it, it was sold out. Heh of course 😅
I now have my own copy and not only is it a beautiful collectible it is chock full of information! I love using it when I’m playing casually and am patient enough to not pull up the Wiki hehe.
I will give a caveat that Googling will give you the risk of spoilers. Most sites will cover up spoilers or do warnings but while Googling I have run into spoilers from skimming site titles.
For me I don’t really care because I’m not that serious and I also have a potato brain so I usually forget what I read until it happens in game. Even then I’m usually like heh de ja vu?
Mistake 3: Upgrading too quickly
When I got back into gaming I started on my husband’s old gaming laptop. Like I said earlier I tried Dead by Daylight and I was dead by the end of the tutorial. I actually closed the game and did not touch it again until recently (nearly two years later lol).
I wanted to game with my cousin and she recommended Payday 2. I picked it up without knowing anything and luckily I really enjoyed it! We had so much fun running heists until the age of this laptop caught up and everything lagged terribly.
I was discouraged but also unsure about an upgrade. I think I picked up Stardew Valley shortly after this and decided the laptop was enough to play a pixel game so it was fine.
My husband on the other hand decided he wanted to build me a gaming PC (yeah, he da best!). He’s been building computers since he was a kid so this was no biggie to him.
For me I had no clue what to do or what to buy. The last PC I had was the family one growing up and my parents just bought the base package from the local office supplies store.
I did a light Google search and skimmed around Amazon for ideas. I ended up getting all Razer peripherals (did not know that word then heh) and my husband got all the PC parts to build me a smol but lag free gaming PC.
I was so excited at the time to jump into games with better graphics than Stardew Valley and play PayDay 2 with no more lag! The unfortunate thing was these types of games on a larger screen gave me immediate motion sickness. (I’ll talk about this more in my last tip!)
I ended up getting very invested with Stardew Valley which had run perfectly fine on the laptop. But I was still happy with this new PC my husband built me and could now run the game and wiki at the same time a little easier on a bigger monitor.
I guess none of this would be an issue other than the fact that a week later while trying to learn about PC gaming I realized I wanted a keyboard with pudding keycaps but the keycaps on the keyboard I just bought could not be swapped out.
This was during the height of the pandemic and I felt extra weary on returning something so I just stuck with it. It was just a cosmetic thing and I could get past it.
Or so I thought lol.
I eventually got my first mechanical keyboard and as soon as I put the pudding keycaps on I was in love 😍 It really made me wish I had waited just a little bit longer to learn about gaming setups before making my first purchase but c’est la vie! We live and learn.
And lemme replay the tip from above, sales exist for tech and gaming equipment too.
So if there’s something you don’t need right now, watch the price or wait for around the holidays or a Prime day sale. You can get some nice upgrades at a reasonable price!
Trust me, I know how expensive tech and setups get so it’s always nice to save some coin 💸
Mistake 4: Not knowing about online gaming communities
When I got back into gaming I was already a little isolated in my own bubble and Stardew Valley was great at keeping me company. If there was something exciting in the game I would lean over to tell my husband.
Eventually I could tell he wasn’t as enthused about my growing obsession over a little 8-bit character that I thought looked like him so I started sending pictures of the game to my bestie.
God bless my bestie!
She’s never played Stardew Valley yet she put up with so many random screenshots at the time and listened to me gab on about the game… mostly my obsession with Sam which when I think about it was probably really strange haha.
I loved getting into Animal Crossing New Horizons because my bestie was also into it! Not only would she understand what I was talking about but she’d be just as excited about it!
You really have to be into ACNH to be screeching over the fact that your villagers are singing in the plaza of their own free will. Not to mention willingly watching vids your bestie recorded of her Switch to share the song they’re singing that day.
Eventually my bestie started talking about Animal Crossing Facebook groups and I was like huh? The thing about me is not only am I severely introverted, I am also private to a fault and petrified of strangers.
Kinda ironic for me to be here but hi! This is me working through that… sort of…
I didn’t dare join a group on my personal Facebook profile so I had my bestie tell me all about it. She learned some info about the game and even won all the museum items in a contest! This was enticing but still… my fear of people was too strong.
Eventually she stopped playing and I couldn’t put the game down. She was still into talking about the game but it was definitely different from the hysteria we were in earlier that year.
Starting a Gaming social media account
I had always dabbled with the idea of doing some kind of content creation. I had a few gaming accounts that I followed on Instagram and finally decided to give it a try late Summer 2021.
I was that obsessed with Animal Crossing (it was actually my first post featuring Raymond of course!) I wanted to share about my game progress and meet/talk to other people about the game.
Having a gaming profile def took away the concern of sharing personal information and I somehow found my way into an online gaming community.
Since then I have met so many cool people and made real friends who I chat with daily!
It’s been so nice to have people to talk to about video games, anime, and manga who are just as interested as I am. There’s something different about anticipating a new game and playing a new release alongside friends than it is alone.
I’ve also learned how to get gaming inspo for builds on Animal Crossing or decorating on Stardew. Just from browsing Pinterest and YouTube there are so many ideas out there that people have shared! Along with how tos which I appreciate so much.
Not to mention I’ve learned about all the merch that exists out there for games, for better or for worse lol. Plus there are some incredible fanart accounts and meme accounts!
Just so many ways to connect!
And let me do another pitch for Twitch, it’s been so fun joining different streamer communities. If you’re not into Twitch there are streamers on YouTube and Facebook that I’ve seen for Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley at least.
It’s a lot of fun to interact with someone while they’re playing a game live or witnessing a special event with them. I guess that’s the magic of a shared experience that streaming can bring.
Also if none of this is your jam but you still want to get involved lemme recommend Twitter or Reddit. I’ve learned so much from both of these sites and I’m barely active on them. I should prob get more invested tbh lol.
And look if you’re thinking this is cool and all but which one of these is right for me lemme just ask: What apps are you already on? What is your social media go to?
There’s most likely a community there talking about games you’re into. If you’re like me and using your personal profile is a no go, make a gaming profile and go join in on the community!
Also, you can be a hardcore lurker on any app. Just because you made the perfect username and bio does not mean you have to churn out new content like it’s your second full time job!
What you share is a decision for you to make and don’t let the gurus of the internet make you think you have to grow or post x amount of times if you’re using a social media app.
If it’s just for fun, let it be just for fun!
I feel like I have a caveat for everything on this post lol. Social media and esp Instagram for me definitely have their pros and cons. It’s too much to get into this post (don’t worry I plan to write about content creation) so I will just say:
Go into social media keeping a realistic expectation of what you can do and don’t compare yourself too harshly against the beautiful posts and profiles you see.
Beautiful profiles are typically curated highlights reels of people who have time and money to invest into the platform. This includes learning how to take photos, how to make videos, and how to properly do social media. Not to mention for some people, this is their full time job.
I absolutely love seeing these images and vids but have had to learn to not compare myself because I’ll never be able to measure up to whatever standard I made up in my head.
So enjoy your time on social media and be kind to yourself!
Mistake 5: Fighting off motion sickness while gaming and thinking I’ll win (It’s true it happens and spoiler I never win!)
If you’ve gotten this far and you’re still reading this I’m gonna assume you also suffer from motion sickness while gaming or you’re reading this thinking who the heck gets motion sick from gaming?
Me, it’s me! I get severely motion sick and it’s honestly hurtful.
Any first player game where I’m running around will usually make me sick within 2 minutes if the resolution is sharp, no lie. I suffered through Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands for about 20 minutes then I had to lie down the rest of the day while feeling terribly nauseous and dizzy.
My motion sickness is pretty severe. I will even get it sometimes playing third player games. On an off day even Animal Crossing would make me sick from running around the island.
So if you’re here because you thought it only happens to you, trust me you are not alone!
Okay so here are my tips if you get motion sick while gaming:
- Get these goofy goober gamer goggles and thank me later.
Somehow when I put these goggles on I can typically play first player games without issue. I definitely think knowing the map helps as well! When I have to run around on a new map or game and quickly scan a lot I tend to get sick. So keep it to a brisk walk in game if you can while you’re learning! - Figure out what settings work best for you.
– For me I always have to adjust the mouse speed. You want to put it on the lowest setting that won’t make your head spin but still give you a good range of view.
– Next I definitely turn off head bobbing and anything blurring. It helps a ton!
– I know it’s a sacrifice but also turn down the graphics quality. I realized that while playing Tiny Tina’s. The crisp, sharp, beautiful graphics just make my whole bod say no.
– Finally if the game is real dark, bump up the brightness. Another sacrifice but it really makes a difference for me! - Eat something before you game.
I quickly learned that if I played on an empty stomach I would tend to get motion sick faster. As long as I eat around thirty minutes beforehand I’m typically good. Even a smol snack makes a difference plus when I was in the height of wanting to play first player games but knowing I would be sick, I’d snack on crackers while I game haha. It helps! - Listen to your body.
I have pushed myself a many times to play longer than I could handle and I always felt like hot garbage after sometimes for hours. And honestly it isn’t worth it. Now the moment I feel sick – I stop. Which leads me to the next tip. - Mix up the games you’re playing.
Throwing in other types of games like Pokemon Unite and Fall Guys really helped me to build some stamina with first player games. The break let my brain adjust? I think? Then I could hop back into a first player game for a few more rounds without getting motion sick.
Look I have no idea what the science is but this is what typically works for me. If you’re in the same boat and have other tips PLEASE share because I’m starting to get sick again and my tips aren’t working for some games. Oye.
Bonus Tip: Don’t be hard on yourself whether you’re just starting to game or have been playing for years!
The point of gaming is to have fun so focus on that and be kind to yourself as you’re learning how to play a game.
I have gone through it with learning how to play games for the first time and playing with experienced gamers. I have been there apologizing endlessly for not knowing how to shoot in a game or not understanding how to do something that should be so simple like opening a door.
A lot of gaming mechanics come like second nature after you’ve played for a while. So for any of my newbies out here lemme say it again: be kind to yourself, you are learning!
Now I find myself on the other side teaching friends how to play games and as the more seasoned player I now get it that it really is okay. I promise you don’t have to apologize every five minutes.
If we’re playing a game together it’s because I want to hang out and am having fun just doing that!
And most likely whoever you’re gaming with probably feels the same way. And if they don’t you want me to yell at them? Hehe jk… kinda…
Wrap it up Momo
Anyhoo I hope this was helpful for anyone just starting out! Phew, I wish I had known these mistakes before I made them but like I said live and learn.
So remember to learn from my mistakes, not repeat them:
- Mistake 1: Buying a game without knowing anything about it & for full price
- Mistake 2: Not using Google to help while gaming
- Mistake 3: Upgrading too quickly
- Mistake 4: Not knowing about online gaming communities
- Mistake 5: Fighting off motion sickness while gaming and thinking I’ll win
These are just a few of the mistakes I made. I’m making mistakes all the time but continuing to learn from it. That’s the key!
Let me know if there’s a tip that taught you something new or a mistake you’ve made that you’d like to share. I’d love to learn from you 🙂
Good luck on your quest!
Momo
Hi, I’m Momo! I’m a gamer, streamer, and digital creator. I love chatting about video games, anime, and manga. If you liked this blog go check out other spots I lurk on the interwebz!
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