Casual players make up the vast majority of gamers worldwide, andas a hardcore gamer, it can be sobering to learn that you usually aren’t the target audience.
For better or for worse, gaming ismore accessible than ever, which makes the hobby an attractive option for almost everyone. That said, the casual mindset can sometimes do more harm than good. It can also make you easy prey for companies that will happily empty your wallet because you don’t know any better.
With this in mind, here’s a selection of the biggest mistakes casual players make, both in-game and before they even turn their consoles or PCs on.
10Skipping Tutorials
Walk Before You Run
Hardcore and casual players alike areguilty of skipping tutorials and text boxes, but it’s a habit that will affect the latter much more.
Games with complicated mechanics often resort to information dumps, as there are few better solutions. These are the most tedious parts of the game, so it’s no surprise that players just mash through them.
The issue is that you can ruin your chances of enjoying the game when you finally get to play.Monster Hunter Wildsis an excellent example of a new game that drowns players in tutorials (don’t worry though, we’ve compiledbeginner tips and tricksfor it). Veterans can lean on previous experience, but you don’t have that luxury as a casual player or newcomer.
Sadly, you have to soldier through some walls of text to get the most out of some titles, and there’s no way around it.
9Carelessly Spending In-Game Resources
Out Of Primogems Again, Are We?
Many games incorporate multiple currencies, whether premium or otherwise. It takes patience not to blow your stash, especially ingacha gameslikeNikke: Goddess of VictoryorGenshin Impact.
If we’re looking at gacha games specifically,they typically shower you in currency as a new player and encourage you to ‘pull’ for new units.
Seasoned gamers will wait for tier lists and feedback before spinning the wheel, but casual players aren’t known for the same level of restraint.
Sadly, this is one beginner’s trap that can cost you dearly, especially if your favorite waifu just showed up in the store.
It’s a good idea to plan ahead, but this approach requires forethought and research. I’ll always root for players who recklessly put their resources on the line in gacha games, even if it’s seldom the best approach.
8Buying ‘The Most Expensive’ Edition
Bigger Isn’t Always Better
Gaming can be an expensive hobby, an issue only made worse when online storefronts bombard you with the most costly editions as if they are somehow a good deal. These bundles are easy to decipher if you’re a seasoned gamer but much harder otherwise.
You could easily spend hundreds onCall of Duty, for example, even when you only want to play a couple of matches onBlack Ops 6and then hop ontoWarzone, which isfree to play.
Some ‘Uber’ editions include thousands of in-game currency, which is often worthless and leaves you with an odd amount if you spend any. It’s a can of worms I won’t open here.
Premium versions are rarely worth it unless you plan to stick to the game for months. At that point, are you even a casual gamer anymore?
7Ignoring Game Updates
Your Favorites Can’t Be Top Tier Forever
Have you ever noticed that you’re able to dominate with your favorite character or weapon, only for it to feel utterly useless a week later? Well, it might not be your fault, and it highlights a gaming trend that can leave casual players in the dust.
Even the best live service games will get stale eventually. Developers know this, and the easiest way to inject life into a title is to change a few numbers and mix up the meta.
Honestly, I love this practice, as games likeThe First Descendant, for example, flip the script every season. The only downside is casual players who may not want to sift through patch notes can lose out.
Patch notes aren’t exactly light reading, but it doesn’t hurt to check them out after a big update.
6Falling For Starter Packs
The Beginners Trap
I don’t entirely blame any player for falling victim to this one, but if anyone is going to, it’s a casual player who doesn’t know any better.
Many established live-service games attempt to lure in new players with paid ‘beginner’ or ‘starter’ packs. It’s a good deal on paper. Pay a few bucks for a nice little bonus; what’s the problem?
The issue is thatmost of these beginner packs aren’t worth the money, with items that can be obtained easily for free in the game.
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The best example I can think of isthe starter packinDestiny 2. It was a total scam, preying on the uninformed, and it was vile. The backlash from seasoned players was so strong that it forced Bungie to remove it from storefronts.
This is a problem on the developer’s end, but it can easily be avoided by something else casual players aren’t known for doing.
5A Lack Of Research
Don’t Be An Uninformed Customer
This is another behavior I totally understand, but it doesn’t benefit anyone and can even hit you in the wallet.
Anyone invested in video games knows it’s a good idea todo a little research before pulling the trigger on a shiny new game.
Some releases are poorly optimized and unfinished. Others have misleading marketing, hoping to attract a casual audience without showing what the game is truly about.
Sea of Thievesis a perfect example of the latter. Most of the marketing paints the game as one where players role-play and get drunk on beaches. In reality,it’s a PvPvE gamewith an enormous skill ceiling.
Nasty surprises like this can be avoided with a quick scan of reviews or forums. As it stands, there’s a disconnect from players who are angry that the experience isn’t what they expected.
4Blaming Opponents For Your Losses
Maybe It’s A You Problem
As a competitive gamer, this mindset has always baffled me, and I’ve seen it in every community, fromDestiny 2toFall Guys.
Casual players often blame their opponents ‘sweating’ or having no life when they get beaten in a PvP game. In reality, that opponent was likely just enjoying the game and happened to be the better player in that match.
The tried and true excuses are always the same, from ‘I just want to relax’ to ‘I work a 50-hour job and have 10 kids’. Fortunately, an easy fix to this mistake is to take losses on the chin.
3Using Progression Skips
Back In My Day, These Were Cheat Codes
I’m targeting live services again with this one, butI can’t think of a worse thing to do than skipping an experience you just paid for, yet people actually do it.
Progression skips come in free forms, like Defender Gear inMonster Hunter Rise, and paid services, like Tales of Adventure inFFXIV. Both allow you to skip portions of a game, and the most egregious items like this create a problem, like excessive grinds, only to sell you the solution.
Paid progression skips are a gross industry practice, but even the free ones are rarely worth using.
As a casual player, pressing a few buttons and catching up with your veteran buddies may be tempting, but you’ll usually be overwhelmed if you skip everything.
2Refusing To Leave Your Comfort Zone
You Could Be Missing Out
Many video games offer multiple ways to play or expand upon the gameplay loop once you know the basics.It’s easy to stick to what you know and miss out because you are too stubborn to try new things.
As an example, I typically play racing games with automatic transmission. At least, I did, until I saw recommendations for manual gears withTokyo Xtreme Racer.
I fought it for the longest time, and there was an awkward adjustment period, but I can’t imagine returning to automatic now. Seriously, if you’re a fellowTXRenjoyer,give it a shot.
It’s natural to rest on your laurels because you just ‘want to relax,’ but pushing yourself can pay dividends in the long run.
1Expecting To Win Every Game
Losing Is Part Of The Game
Gaming adverts and trailers always demonstrate players having a blast and slaying online. However, they never show the defeats, which will happen at least half the time and far more in something like a Battle Royale.
Whether you watch pro streamers or fall for the adverts,they create an unrealistic expectation that you’ll win every game, and that’s simply not true.
If you playWarzone, you could statistically wait hundreds of matches for that elusive victory.
It’s always fun to win, but taking something positive from a loss is much harder.
