Gaming

If you’re up for a challenge and an adventure my recommendation would be Elden Ring. It gave me that exact feeling you’re describing.

I started playing short games only (ideally 20, max 40 hours), mainly indie games. They're tighter and usually go straight to the point. They often have one good idea and reiterate on it until they said all they had to say and don't overstay their welcome. Also, replaying old games is always nice. I've replayed OG Fallout recently and had a blast, currently replaying New Vegas (which goes against my short games rule, but I also know it well enough to not waste time doing things).

Sounds like you have a lot on your plate and smaller gaming sessions might be what you are looking for.
I usually get an hour or so a day to play and I've been having a blast with Deep Rock Galactic. The game is a buy once and play with the only monetization being cosmetic DLC but I believe it is FREE on Game pass (I think); $30 on Steam but on sale for less than $10 for the next week.

It is an horde based first person shooter with 4 classes that feel unique, balanced, and bring their own strengths and tools to help out each mission. Locations are all procedurally generated, which means that you can select the same mission in the same area and it will be a new layout everytime, and it's done well so you won't get screwed over my stuff morphing into the terrain or areas blocked off cause the cave generated all screwy.

Mission difficulty can be customized to suit your wants, ranging from super chill and very few enemies, to "OH GOD THERE ARE SO MANY ENEMIES AND WHY ARE THEY SO FAST?!". I have been known to play the hardest difficulty one mission, then crank it down to the easiest to finish out a quick mission before bed just to relax a bit.

You can play solo or with a group of 3 other people but playing with others is the way to go, as you get to see how all of the classes interact and help each other, plus the community has actually been wonderful; out of the hundreds of lobbies I have been in, I have had maybe 3 annoying people total. I also never use my headset for talking (sleeping kids and whatnot) but in game text chat is lively and most of your communication can be done through the "ping" system where you point your reticle at something (enemy, item, player, etc) and call it out for everyone to see. Also there is a button specifically to shout "Rock and Stone!" Which will be around 90% of what you need and will use when communicating with teammates, lol.

Unlike some other games that pressure you to keep playing to "progress your character/battle pass" I feel no urgency with this game. While there is a battle pass style system, it is all cosmetic, FREE, and usually last a few months at a time (like 6-8). If you happen to miss something from a current or previous season, they are still in game and can be found naturally through gameplay by finding "lost crates/gear" during your mission.

All in all I recommend this game to anyone who is comfortable with a FPS. Developers are friendly, community is great, game is fun and forgiving. I feel that, in a worst case scenario, it's fun for a bit and you pick up something else. Hope you find what you are looking for, Rock and Stone!

Oddly enough, the thing that got me back into gaming after like a 7 year slump was Astro’s Playroom on the PS5. It’s a free pack-in title that literally functions as a tech demo, and yet it’s one of the tightest, most fun 3D platformers I’ve ever played. It’s a fairly short game but the collectables are SO cool- pieces of a mural celebrating PS history and various pieces of hardware from gaming history as big model statues. It felt really rewarding to complete the history museum and the levels were honestly a blast. I also love the cleverness behind one of the boss choices but I won’t say much else.

But also, I’m a pretty big fan of history and archival so it kind of hit that for me ^^; But legit the game is super nice and made me realise that I was just playing a lot of padded, long, rushed games- and this was anything but.

There are plenty of indie games which offer new and unique experiences which aren't just "shooter" or "online shooter". My recommendations would be Celeste, a platformer about a girl who climbs a mountain, and Hollow Knight, a metroidvania set in a dying kingdom, but there are plenty of other great ones as well.

I've found, at least in myself and friends, burnout comes from playing one game or one type of game, and getting bored with that specifically. You need to find something new, but I can't really give any suggestions since that's entirely subjective.

I fell off gaming for a while because my job got crazy. The Switch and specifically Breath of the Wild pulled me back in. Then I honed in on Monster Hunter World in particular for a long time and kinda burnt out because a different job got very demanding of my time, and it wasn't even a change of game, but just getting a better internet connection so I could actually participate in multiplayer that pulled me out of the rut.

Keep it varied and it'll stay interesting. A buddy of mine just tried to swear off all veeja because he declared himself an addict. He's not an addict, he just burned out after playing nothing but Elden Ring for a solid year. He took a break for about a month and now he's right back on ER with renewed passion.

@Evolone I wasn't playing a lot between 2003 (KOTOR 1) and 2019 (JFO) because, well, work and life an all that stuff. Out of a weird middle-age hunch I bought an Xbox in a sale with Jedi Fallen Order. But it wasn't probably JFO that brought me back but Witcher 3 (which was also on sale). I was so immersed in that game and I played through incl. both DLCs in the first Covid wave. And now I'm on Game Pass and have a Steam Deck 😅

The times im in that state of mind, I try to pick a game with an open world setting. Skyrim will always be my happy place. Being able to go anywhere with no obligation, enjoying the scenery, maybe finding a new nook or a beautiful overlook you forgot about. It brings light to the dark.

When gamea just arent cutting it and I still need that escape, I pick up my favorite book.

I hope you find your joy again soon!

When I saw your post the first thing that came to mind was Breath of the Wild. It's the game that got me back into gaming. I've recently been playing Tears of the Kingdom and it has been a ton of fun with the new building abilities that were added. I'd highly recommend giving that a shot.

For games with that sense of wonder but on a smaller scale that are more chill, I'd recommend something like Omno, which is on sale for super cheap right now. It's a short game with a great soundtrack that's all about exploring and solving some puzzles. Journey would be another good one to try.

I also liked the suggestions here about buying the Steam Deck. Sometimes a new piece of hardware can really ignite the spark. Taking a break and trying a different hobby is also a good idea. I'd suggest Lego building. I found making sets for some of my other interests like Star Wars and others can be really fun and relaxing. It's nice to do something with your hands and turn off your brain for a bit. I'd even listen to audiobooks while I built.

When I got into my gaming rut I took some time off and got into Homelabbing. Used to scroll through my extensive steam library and nothing caught my interest so I needed something new.

Learned about different NAS Os’s, Docker, Linux and seeing what I could get out of some low-powered hardware and what I loved most was learning new things.

Started with a Raspberry Pi when they weren’t stupid expensive and moved onto a cheap Intel Nuc to my home made, small form factor NAS running Unraid and a 2nd cheap Thin Client running Ubuntu Server.

I focussed on doing more with my computer hardware and for a long while, didn’t feel the necessity to game much, then one day I fired up Forza Horizon 4 and had a good, enjoyable 5 hour session on it.

Now I’m back into re-playing Horizon Zero Dawn, I plan to move onto Forbidden West after and tearing around the UK and Mexico in Forza Horizon 4/5.

See if you can find another hobby or something that can enhance your knowledge on something you’ve never tried before for a while, one day you ,ignite just fire up a game after having a rest and get that spark back.

EXERCISE

Ride a bike, run, walk... Get tired it clears your head.

Then. Game it up. Miasma Chronicles is one recently that got me back in

Try Hollow Knight!
I started gaming the same times as you, N64, all the classics and bangers. Hollow Knight is one of my favorites in recent years. It evokes the spirit of much older games and made me feel like a kid again. Art, music, level design and combat are top notch. It has a deep and immersive atmosphere. Its simplicity and structure allow you to take it at your own pace, and it never feels like a high pressure FOMO ordeal. Highly recommend.

Honestly my current jump back into gaming was playing Breath of the Wild on my Switch while on deployment. I did have a hiatus a few years back which was broken by my attempt at beating Bloodborne (wholly unsuccessful, btw, it's not really my speed but I enjoyed the heck out of it). My go-to game for decompressing is Stardew Valley. I just love being able to jump in and maybe harvest some crops, maybe explore the mines, maybe go interact with the villagers even.

Another tactic of mine when I'm in a funk is to pick up an older rpg (snes or ps1 preferred) and start working on it.

If you feel burnt out, take a break from your game

Within gaming
Try out a different genre or a different game, preferably something simple
Pick a random game from your library and play a short chapter or 2

Outside of gaming
Spend more time on your current hobbies
If picking a new hobby, try doing hobbies that take you outdoors like running, walking or outdoor sports

I want to get back into gaming. I want to feel the magic again.

this amuses me because it sounds like something a drug addict would say. you have that initial magic and then over time you're not using to feel the magic but just not to feel sick

my advice, OP? stop playing video games if you're not getting enjoyment out of it. it's your brain trying to tell you something. do something else with your time and go back to gaming in the future and it will be fun again.

I don't know your personal tastes, but if I had to recommend one recent game to help anyone break a rut, it would be Hi-Fi Rush.

Too many games, especially those in the AAA space, are more focused on being bloated engagement treadmills over simply being fun, concise experiences. I'd recommend seeking out shorter, offline games that don't rely on RPG elements. It's also ok to just take a break from gaming altogether.

Many people are saying to pursue other hobbies, and that the magic will come back on its own.

I think they have great advice, but it doesn't answer your question.

I have 3 suggestions: 1 hardware and 2 games, all of which are outside of your previous experience with games.

1: Get a steam deck. This device on it's own brought much of the childhood magic back into gaming, and i can't describe how it feels in text. Just get one.

2: Buy Wildfrost, which is currently my Best In Class pick for UI design and a tight gameplay loop
Bonus: It pairs really well with the steam deck

3: Get Factorio. I bought this back when it was $20, and it has more playtime than any other game i have. The mods available make the game fresh and new, and the base game is deeper than 99% of other games out there. This is the game that gave me the same feeling like BoTW, and as long as you find the gameplay fun it will be a permanent Favorites contender.

If you’re burnt out on games, more games won’t solve that and will just make it worse

Go explore some other hobbies for a bit