Are you new to gaming as a hobby? Then you’ve probably got your eye on a load of games that are coming out and you’re not sure which one to start with! You’ve also probably got a well loved and well played game installed on your PC or console, which got you into gaming in the first place.
You might be looking for ways you can expand the fun you’re having with it, or be on the hunt for games similar to it. As such, now’s the time to make these two factors mesh together!
After all, you can expand a game catalogue very easily when you don’t really care. When people are hyped about something, and it’s a good price and/or on sale, you’re likely to just throw money at any title that hits the market.
But seeing as you’re here reading this, you probably don’t want to take this approach. Instead, you want to find and buy games you know you’ll like and won’t be a waste of money. With that in mind, here’s a beginner’s guide to expanding your video game catalogue in the right way.
Think About the Features You Like Already
Adding more games to your collection is all about understanding what you enjoy about the games you already play. You don’t want to buy games that look fun but then you never touch them. You want to buy something you’ll take on quite naturally and spend time with.
Say you’re a big fan of playing online chess in your spare time; think about what goes into that game. For example, it has a simple mechanic system on the surface, but there’s a lot of depth to deciding on the best move to make, reading your opponent, and thinking on your feet in the moment.
If that’s the kind of game you respond to, look for similar mechanics across the board. Management sim games may be a good first port of call, as they often have the same kind of ‘puddle that’s actually ocean deep’ content on offer.
You may also enjoy card games where you can design a deck that allows you to foster your own strategy. These are often known as ‘collectible card games’, and there’s plenty of well known, popular versions on the market that you can get involved with.
They offer more variety than your standard chess match, but when you play chess, there are a lot of tactics to discover. Indeed, the more you play, the better you are likely to get, and the same goes for card games like these.
Check the Time Required
Games with strong time requirements should probably stay off your list at this stage. If you’re new to gaming, you don’t want to get suckered into a story that could end up with a 100+ hour playtime. Unless you want to buy one big game you can spend a lot of time with!
But seeing as we’re going for expansion here, that’s probably not the case. Give yourself more options by buying shorter games with smaller price tags; indies are good here!
Don’t Buy Too Many Games at Once
Finally, make sure you only buy two to three new games at a time. It’s preferable to buy one, play it, and then think about buying another, but we all know that’s not how game shopping works!
But still, try to keep your purchase amount to a minimum. Yes, there may be a sale on, and it may seem like you’re getting an excellent deal, but you don’t want to overwhelm yourself here! Expand slowly, at a pace you can actually keep up with, and try not to give into impulse.
Expand Your Game Catalogue Successfully
If you’re into the idea of expanding a video game catalogue in a successful way, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s make sure you’re buying games you’ll have a good time with, and be able to play again and again.
To get started on the right foot, always think about what makes up the games you like already. You may not have played many at this point, but there’s a strong likelihood that they all have something in common with each other! Identify that element, take it, and expand on it.
And remember, you might not want to buy too many games that take upwards of 20 hours to complete – you’re a busy adult with a lot of other things to get on with!