Do you feel that video games are not for you? Or maybe you play them, but you do not find them interesting? Or worse, you have enjoyed games in the past, and you cannot put down the controller despite it being boring?

Not to worry, this is a common phenomenon known as “Gamer’s Block” and it plagues society by the thousands everyday. However, it is not a disease that is incurable. In fact, the solution to this problem is simple. Most players enjoy gaming with their friends and that is usually how it starts. A player will enjoy a game enough to play on their own, but soon they face major drawbacks which are caused by queuing into a game’s online player base.

This is an atmosphere that is cruel and destructive towards gamers because it involves unfiltered internet toxicity and imbalance in skill between players. There are players who spend their entire lives playing a single game, such as “League of Legends” and “CS:GO,” and the large skill disparity between players ruins the experience. These issues are the tip of the iceberg.

The fact is, playing a competitive game in-person is usually a much healthier experience than playing online. For example, “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” is greatly enhanced when you can be face-to-face with your opponent on the same console without relying on the quality of your connection.

The real problem with your block is that you are playing the wrong type of game in the first place. Competitive and online-based games are causing the troubles. People no longer enjoy playing because other people are better than they are at “Street Fighter” and do not give them a chance to show off the new combo that they learned or to test out a new skin or gun that they unlocked in “Valorant.” Therefore, the solution to the problem is to drop these games altogether.

“What? How can I drop every game I play? What do I play then?”

Exactly. Try picking up a game that features a story mode or campaign for single players. You will soon learn the value in gaming is to appreciate the game and not hate on the players. Not only are single-player games very engaging, but players can rely on learning and skill rather than the amount of time they spend playing the game. These types of games allow players the flexibility to be creative and play how they want.

One of the most revolutionary single-player games in the modern day is “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,” which has created a very wholesome community of highly skilled, artistic players and allowed them to unleash their creativity in an open-world setting with unique mechanics for building and fighting. Players in fan bases such as “Tears of the Kingdom” get together to celebrate a common game that they all enjoy, rather than destroying each other’s ego with unnecessary disrespect.

Of course, the single-player genre includes games for everyone. FromSoftware is a famous company known for featuring its highly strategic form of combat in games such as “Elden Ring” and “Sekiro.” These games also include boss fights that allow players to test out various strategies and become skilled with patterns and techniques. Some players prefer to be the boss themselves, such as in “Doom,” the action-packed shooter where the main character is a demon-slaughtering machine.

There are also loads of Indie titles that all feature intriguing stories and mechanics. My personal favorites are “Hollow Knight,” “Castle Crashers,” “N++” and “Superliminal.”

The lesson here is that single-player games, despite what gamers might try to convince you, are much more diverse, immersive and simply playable. The effort that goes into these games is much greater than the cookie cutter competitive games.

Nobody can judge or insult you for how you play, and instead of spending a fortune on peripherals, you can direct those funds to buying more high-quality video games. Most importantly, these games offer the spark of creativity and enjoyment that you, a bored, helpless player, are probably looking for.