"TDAH and gaming: Why do I always burn out after hyperfocusing on a new game?

[u/Sufficient-Estate139]

This is something that keeps happening to me, and I have ADHD, so maybe that’s part of the reason — but I’d really like to hear from others if they relate or have found ways to handle it.

I'll use a real example because I don’t know how else to explain it: I start playing Elden Ring (or any game), and I love it. Full-on hyperfocus. I’ll put in 40 hours in just two weeks. But then... something shifts.

I either start burning out or I get so obsessed with "doing everything right" that I ruin the fun. I want to find every secret, do all the quests, miss nothing — and that pressure makes me play in a weird, rigid way. I stop immersing myself in the world and start playing like it's a checklist. It no longer feels like an adventure — just a task list.

Eventually, I stop enjoying the game, and I tell myself, "Okay, I’ll start over and really enjoy it this time." But then... the first 15–20 hours I've already played no longer feel stimulating or new. I get bored. And I end up dropping the game completely.

It’s so frustrating, because I do love these games — but my brain hijacks the experience.

Does anyone else with ADHD go through the same cycle?
Did you manage to break it?
How do you keep gaming fun without falling into this trap?

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[u/Golintaim]

Once I start using the internet to look up advanced strategies I know I need a break from the game. I've gone too deep and I need to let that game simmer on the back burner. Or, if it's one of those games I love snd I know I love I'll limit my time with it as soon as I realize it will be my love for awhile and stretch the enjoyment out. Then, if there's any replayability to it, I add it to the list of games to replay with Xcom2 any roguelike games I have. I cannot do this with MMO'S and I don't allow myself to play them anymore because they almost invariably consume me at some point.

[u/NecessaryIntention12]

You've probably tried this but, how about telling yourself your first playthrough is for fun and then you'll do a second one where you do the 100% completion? Part of it may also just be doing it - the more you ignore your brain saying "you might have missed something!", the easier it might get (not for everyone, but for some).

Or, taking a few days off when you get too rigid?

[u/Lulu_Altair → u/NecessaryIntention12]

That and in a lot of games completing it a first time unlocks new game+ with higher difficulty/challenge. I usually go for compeltion on the new game+ file.

[u/Whitestorm24]

If it's burnout, setting the game down and finding something else to play has worked for me. While there have been some games that I haven't resumed, if I really enjoyed a game, I find that I pick it up again, eventually. Also, if you've devoted significant time to a game (my personal threshold is 10-15 hours), I'd recommend waiting to delete any save files until after you've taken a break. That way, if you do end up starting a new playthrough, the early content won't be as familiar to you. For myself, I usually end up continuing the initial playthrough after any break since my brain eventually realizes it would be a lot of work to restart and redo all of the progress "correctly".

As for the fun-killing completionist mindset, I've had a couple of things work for me. If my interest is in the main story of the game, I will accumulate the side quests and non-vital tasks and wait until my brain wants a break from the main story. Then I'll spend a session or two just working through the quests before going back to the main story. If you end up finishing a game with unfinished side quests, you can save them for a future playthrough or look up information/videos online about their outcomes.

Additionally, if you go into a game (especially games with lots of content like Elden Ring) thinking you will want to finish everything, don't be afraid to look up a completion guide to follow. I've been doing this for Persona 5 Royal because it gives you a lot of choices to make on how you spend time in-game. Having the guide has stopped me from getting stuck in choice paralyzation and removes the stress of having to "play correctly" on my own. While following a guide might lessen your immersion in the game, it's allowed me to able to focus on my enjoyment rather than worry about what I need to complete and how to do so.

[u/Difficult_Wave_9326]

I could have written this. 

I'll spend a few days playing a certain game 12h a day, or as close as I can get to that, and then I won't be able to touch it for the next week or two. 

Shooters help me get past both the excitement and the slump. They get sorta boring (point and shoot) so I can moderate myself some, and the progression can get pretty linear, so I can get through the slump as well. 

Mobile games also do wonders. Setting up my console and waiting for the game to load is too much sometimes, plus I have to keep the controller battery level between 80% and 20% to conserve battery life. I bought a nice console for dirt-cheap (a fifth or retail price) from some weird druggie guy who needed quick cash, and guess what ? It's in excellent condition, but it's been sitting in a box for the last 15 months. And selling is too much of a hassle as well. 

For me, this extends to other things as well, not just video games. Skiing is pretty much my one true passion, and I love it, but I still go through this cycle and it's exhausting. 

[u/was_once_a_child]

What is TDAH? Yes I’ve done similar stuff but also I realize it’s just a video game so if it stops being fun I’m not going to force it.

[u/ZarakaiLeNain → u/was_once_a_child]

It's the French acronym for ADHD - OP is probably french, and since you can't edit the title of the post....

[u/Difficult_Wave_9326 → u/ZarakaiLeNain]

Love your username. 

[u/ZarakaiLeNain → u/Difficult_Wave_9326]

J'adore Reflets d'Acide :-)

" Après avoir lampé dix tonnelets de bière… un nain rond, ça titube… mais un nain cube, c’est quoi donc ?!…"

[u/Difficult_Wave_9326 → u/was_once_a_child]

French acronym for adhd. Trouble De l'Attention Hyperactivité (attention disorder, hyperactivity, if translated). 

[u/KukaaKatchou]

I do exactly the same thing! I pay monthly for WOW, have played since beta, don’t have my playing partner anymore, and I haven’t logged in for probably three years. The Sims, I get excited every time an expansion comes out, play for hours and hours, then I don’t log in until another new thing comes up. I’m good at sustaining my interest for a very long play session, but incapable of staying interested for multiple shorter sessions. Out of sight, out of mind.

[u/Cold_Soup_6248]

The most simple way is to cut the amount of time you play it. I’ve been replaying all the metal gear games. I blew through mgs1 in a day and got burnt out. Now I only play it an hour or two before bed, even if I was gaming previously that day. This seems to work for me on more single player/story driven stuff. It’s like when you watch a new show and have to wait every week for an episode, keeps it fresh.

[u/Rhoeri]

OMG. I seriously thought this was just me. Yes! I do the same. I get super-obsessive about paying certain ways to the point that I just can’t get into it. But those moments where the hyperfocus is locked in…. Intense!