Why are We Afraid to Try New Genres?

You’ve probably noticed that I talk a lot about games of similar genres on this blog. Otome, (J)RPGs, Indies. These are the games I enjoy playing the most, and also have the most knowledge of as they make up a lot of my special interests. Everyone has a preference over the kinds of games they enjoy! Especially as we all play games for different reasons!

I occasionally talk about other genres here, but I fall back on my favourites. I know I’m not the only one who does this, but I think there’s more than just personal preference going on here. What is holding us back from trying out a new genre? I think it’s internet culture.

Previously on this blog, I discussed how it’s not necessarily a bad thing to be bad at games. Everyone has a different skill level. You can enjoy a game while being bad at it! But I think the culture around video games, the necessity to be “good” at every game you play, puts many people off playing a new genre. If it’s not your usual, it makes sense that you wouldn’t be good at it! But even when nobody’s watching, it can still be embarrassing to suck at a game.

I’ve been discouraged from trying new genres because my first few attempts have been bad, and not being able to get it quickly has ruined my enjoyment. I’m sure if I practiced more, I’d be able to get the hang of it! I even saw this first-hand when I played Breath of the Wild; I was bad at first but got to grips with it.

I think this feeling is even worse with online games as you have an audience who can see your skill level. But we shouldn’t be embarrassed; everyone had to start somewhere! You’re also (most likely) anonymous, so it’s not like anyone would be able to tell who you are anyway. But because online games are very mainstream nowadays, as well as gaming content being easily accessed and mainstream online, it can make it particularly shameful for some players if they’re not as good as what they see from others. Just like how we may feel worse when seeing someone at their best on social media, I think the same goes for consuming gaming content online. Nobody is going to upload their worst moments to the internet.

In the next few months, I want to push myself to try a wider range of genres so that I can write about them here! I definitely feel embarrassed when I’m not as good at a game as I’ve seen online, but I shouldn’t be. Neither should you!