So Your Partner’s A Gamer… Where Does That Leave You? - SYFT NEWS
One of the ever-present situations in relationships is the balancing of hobbies and interests between you and your partner. This balancing act can show up in many different hobbies, but since gaming is so often a very immersive experience, it can take a certain level of attention to share the hobby of gaming in a relationship. It can take work from both sides (gamer and non-gamer), but for the duration of this article, we’ll be taking a look at how a non-gamer can navigate the world of gaming to share those experiences with their gamer partner. It’s time to put on your gaming-goggles and immerse yourself in the gaming world to connect with that part of your partner’s life.
So Your Partner’s A Gamer… Where Does That Leave You? 5
The first step in sharing the hobby of gaming with your gamer partner is deciding where gaming falls into your hobbies. Take a look at your own experience with gaming, and if you don’t have any experience with it, check out some streamers on Youtube and Twitch to see if gaming is something that really peaks your interest. If you’re not sure where to start, ask your partner to show you some of their favorite streamers and even their favorite shows that relate to gaming. If you’re getting into gaming because you want to be able to spend more time with your partner, it’s definitely a good idea to see if you like the games they enjoy. Watching streamers can be a great way to start to learn about games and gaming culture before you actually start playing, and it will give you a great level of familiarity with those games, so that when you do start playing, you will already feel pretty settled in.
As you move deeper into the gaming world and start to pick out games to start playing, something to look out for is either multiplayer games the two of you can play together or just slow-paced games which will be easy for your partner to walk through with you. The best games to play together are easy enough to get decent at quickly but also have some interesting aspects for both of you. A game which generally fulfills all of these categories is World of Warcraft. WoW has a little bit of everything in it, there is so much to explore, and you can take as much time as you want to get used to the gameplay and go through quests at a pace which works for you without adding pressure to learning about the game. I will literally recommend WoW to anyone who talks to me about gaming (it is probably my all-time favorite game), but it is especially good for a couple looking to game together because it is so open and easy to learn at any pace.
One thing to keep in mind throughout all gaming time with your partner is that a healthy relationship is all about balance, and that balance needs to extend into the hobby of gaming. If you find that both of you are spending too much time glued to the screen and you’re neglecting other areas of your life and relationship, then it’s time to reevaluate your gaming time and put some effort into other areas of your partnership. As fun as gaming is, if you let it take over, some day you’ll take a step back and realize that the rest of your life and relationship has become a bit of a sideshow compared to your gaming. We all know it, but it’s still important to hear from time to time: everything in moderation is the healthiest way to live.
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Getting into gaming can take time and a lot of effort from both you and your partner. As you move along in the gaming community, you might find that there are games you enjoy without your partner. As you game together and apart, you will fall into the rhythm of gaming which works particularly well for the two of you, and eventually, it will just be another way for you to enjoy each other’s company.
If you’re just getting started on this journey together and your partner is wondering what they can do to put work into your gaming time together, they will find that several of the tips in here will translate into helpful tips for them as well, but this article will also be followed by a piece from the opposite side, giving advice to the gamer on how to share their gaming experience with their non-gamer partner. Keep an eye out for that, and soon enough, the two of you will not even remember what it was like before you were gaming up a storm together.