Every once in a while, I come across a game that I just don’t get. I can’t understand why other people enjoy it. This is very much a ‘not for me’ thing. I mean, go enjoy whatever games you like, I’m not going to tell you no, or tell you that you are wrong for liking it.
Almost always, I come across these games because someone recommended it to me. Or someone wrote an article about it. Or they talked glowingly about it on a podcast or YouTube video. Because they like it. They enjoyed it. And then I try it, and I don’t.
The common public reaction seems to be to tell everyone who likes that thing, that they are wrong for liking it. I don’t and can’t subscribe to that. I know that there are things that I like that other people won’t. Usually I can try to articulate why it is that I like that thing, but I don’t actually expect my opinion to sway anyone.
There are legions of games, and I won’t attempt to name them here, that I don’t enjoy, but I can imagine how someone else might. There is a much shorter list of games that I have a lot of trouble understanding who they are for. And yet, these games still have their proponents.
I recently played a game, that I won’t name here, that came highly recommended. There are even some people out there calling it potentially their game of the year.
I’m baffled. I played it. I think I explored it fully. I think I played enough to see what other people see in it… and I’m baffled. I hated almost every bit of playing it.
No, the kids are not wrong. This is just something that is very much not for me. And that’s okay.
I truly hope that the person for whom this is their game of the year, enjoyed every second of their time with it. I will be playing something else. There are so very many games to choose from.