Need help
I'm curious why you feel the need to "give up" video games.
We hate on "gamers" here but that doesn't mean playing games is bad. If you enjoy playing games there's no harm in that.
Like others have said, depression is a good way to stop playing games (I'd add anxiety as well). I wish I could have the mental energy to play games (and not have anxiety over playing them "right").
But obviously if playing games is negatively impacting you in some way that's understandable.
Depression hits so hard, one of the best remedies I’ve ever tried. You know how a mild case of depression might have driven you inwards, towards video games and solitary activities? Up the dose and you’ll soon not have the energy to play anything besides bejeweled.
Playing too much Vidya? Have girl problems/dating life becoming overwhelming? Don’t like your job or career?
Get enough depression and none of that will matter!
play anything besides bejeweled.
For me it was tetris
Pacman Championship edition. So much I about got blisters. Oh I played the crap out of it on the Atari. Sure this would be oohhhhh my gawd this is nuts. First game where I have to anticipate my own mental-physical lag between moves. It's....very surreal.
If you want to give up a habit you have to replace it with something else. Reading or arts have low barriers to entry
I find myself playing less now because I've tried to embrace the thought that a game should only occupy my spare time and has very little value to offer outside of that, so I try to do something better with longer stretches of free time. But that's not a robust solution because I still waste too much time watching youtube slop.
I play less games when I'm busy doing other shit so get busy I guess. Go outside and don't come back inside for like 10 hrs. Hard to play vidja in the woods.
I mean how many good games do Nintendo and Fromsoft even release a year? Like two or three? Just play those. And if they are good they are not a waste of time (or at least a fairly decent waste of time, certainly a much better one than watching youtube or scrolling social media). Just don't play any of the stupid skinnerbox/engagement bait type of games and you're fine.
Try only playing games when it's with friends, whether it's multiplayer or just like hanging out and watching each other play. Solo gaming is the worst about devouring your time and generally being an unhealthy habit.
Seconding @starkillerfish@hexbear.net. I gave up on games a while ago because I realized how anxious they made me and how bad my body felt after playing for an extended period of time. I mostly replaced it with reading and by spending more time with friends but I don't think I would have been able to give it up as effectively without those avenues which are not accesible to everyone.
If you're dead serious, the first step is to get rid of the consoles themselves. Uninstall the apps. Toss out the peripherals.
But I honestly have so little free time now that I can't imagine "giving up" video games in a realistic sense. Just get a job with a long commute that eats away all your time. Voila! No more gaming!
