There are a lot of different player types in the entire gaming industry. You might be an everyday gamer, a passion gamer, a casual or hardcore gamer, you might like one type of game, or you might like them all, the possibilities are endless, and there are things that most gamers like doing apart from playing video games and in this article we will go over some of the most common hobbies and interests of many gamers out there, enjoy!
Board Games
A common interest for many video gamers is playing games on paper or physically. There are a lot of comparisons that can be made between board games and video games. Both of these entertainment types rely on gameplay and role play as the main two characteristics. There are classic board games, pen-and-paper RPGs, and card games. If you like video games, you might find yourself playing some Tickets to Ride or Catan, enjoying the baccarat game online, or immersing yourself in a DnD campaign that goes on for months.
All gamers have different preferences, and there are so many different board games that you will surely find something for yourself. If you like social-deduction games, our personal favorite is Blood on the Clocktower. But what about other activities?
Joining Communities
Plenty of gamers also love to join communities, either on forums of their favorite games or on social platforms, especially on Discord. Being able to share your opinions and plays from the games you play is something that gives you that much more reason to play these games.
This isn’t limited to just short interactions, but you can create sections and subsections of lengthy discussions about lore, theory-crafting, build-crafting, and so much more. Being able to share your passion with others is always a win. You might even introduce someone to a new type of game or a new franchise and make friends along the way.
Watching Streams
A lot of players also enjoy watching walkthroughs on YouTube, let’s play, some gameplay tips and tricks, and lists. It is good to do research while not exactly playing games. That is similar to when athletes learn studying tapes. It is similar because it allows you to learn more about a game or even make you better at them without playing.
A similar role goes to stream and streamers. It is a combination of watching videos and joining communities. You are able to watch and enjoy some other people playing the game. It can be entertaining, because these streamers often have vibrant personalities and each and a very single one of them brings something new and original to the table, which allows for a completely different experience. You can also see how someone else would react to an emotional situation in-game, for example.
E-Sports
Another way players enjoy gaming without actually playing games is by watching others play them professionally. Most of us aren’t anywhere near the level of skill and expertise with some games like professional players. It is fun to watch them play and have competitive games, implement different strategies and you also have a chance to steal a tactic or a smoke or two, depending on the game.
In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive for example, you can see where pros plant the bomb, what are the lineups for grenades, smokes, Molotov’s, and flashes. You can see some creative boosts, setups, where everyone goes, how to rotate on different maps, and so much more. Another good example is League of Legends, which is still one of the most popular e-sports games out there. A yearly event of Worlds (League of Legends Championship tournament where all the best teams from all regions fight for the glory of becoming the World Champion) is a huge spectacle with concerts, budget, and advertising.
The overall presentation is insane, considering the scale of it all. No wonder people watch it, even those who do not play any video games whatsoever.
Virtual Reality
Last, but not least, the thing that plenty of gamers enjoy is Virtual Reality. It is worth noting that it is not entertaining for everyone, and people have different reactions to VR (Virtual Reality). Some can get nauseous, or sick, you might not like being in a space like that, however those who tried it and liked it discovered a new way of gaming and experiencing games overall. Even though this point is a stretch because it is basically playing video games, it is still quite a unique piece of technology that we thought was worth mentioning. Being able to transfer yourself into another universe is often astounding, and in addition, it only shows that many gamers are passionate about many new technologies, and Virtual Reality is just an example of that passion.
