What does it feel like to be "new to gaming"?

New gamers, when did you start gaming?

I started gaming in the past 2 years - my SO is a big gamer, and I like having something fun for us to share.

Do you know why you didn't game (or didn't game much) earlier in life (and do you regret not starting earlier)?

My family. My brother and father are/were FPS fans, and would dominate the game systems. If I tried to join them at all, I had to play to their level or I was abused. (For instance: my brother threw controllers at my head every time I died, and I would be torn up for not understanding the games' mechanics within seconds of my first play.) Because neither of them liked games other than First Person Shooters, my impression of video games and of gamers was very low until recently - I didn't realize how varied the industry was, and I stopped trying to become interested in it earlier.

I do regret it. I wish that I had been introduced to better games younger because there are a lot of games that I find would have been great educational tools or coping methods when I was younger and needed it.

How have people treated you hearing that you're new to gaming?

Very few know. The family that I still talk to aren't the biggest fans of gaming - they actually see it like I used to, probably due to my brother and father - so they are confused. My peers who are into gaming have usually been into it for a while, but they do tend to be understanding about my lack of skill/knowledge.

How fast have your gaming skills developed? (Do you struggle with certain games or have they come naturally to you?)

Slowly. I don't like fast-paced shooting or pvp type games. I stick to puzzle platformers (like Never Alone), strategy games (like Civ) and sandbox building games (like Minecraft). I psychologically conflate the stakes of any game I'm playing - something I'm working on - which causes issues. I become terrified of dying because I'm terrified my SO will leave me over it, and the fun game turns into a panic attack.

What kind of games are your favourite?

Board games were the easiest to get into. I started with Monopoly on the Xbox. That led to Viva Pinata, another awesome but lightweight game, that I became obsessed over - I even made a huge excel sheet to keep track of all the animals and their nuances. Viva Pinata made Minecraft an easier jump, although I play predominantly on peaceful mode. I've advanced to the easy mode in the past few months; it still freaks me out occasionally.

My current favorites, like listed above are strategy (Civ), simulation (The Sims 2&3), sandbox builders (Minecraft) and puzzle based platformers (Never Alone).

Disclaimer: I have always loved and been interested in the Sims game franchise, but that was the only game I played until two years ago.

/r/GirlGamers Thread