What does my love for impossibly difficult video games say about me?

<p>From Demon Souls to Baby Steps, challenging games keep a certain type of player coming back for more. I wonder why we are such suckers for punishment</p><p>• <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/info/ng-interactive/2021/nov/24/sign-up-for-pushing-buttons-keza-macdonalds-weekly-look-at-the-world-of-gaming"><strong>Don’t get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign up here</strong></a></p><p>Most people who really love video games have the capacity to be obsessive. Losing weeks of your life to Civilization, World of Warcraft or Football Manager is something so many of us have experienced. Sometimes, it’s the numbers-go-up dopamine hit that hooks people: playing something such as Diablo or Destiny and gradually improving your character while picking up shiny loot at perfectly timed intervals can send some people into an obsessional trance. Notoriously compulsive games such as Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, meanwhile, suck up hours with peaceful, comforting repetition of rewarding tasks.</p><p>What triggers obsession in me, though, is a challenge. If a game tells me I can’t do something, I become determined to do it, sometimes to my own detriment. Grinding repetition bores me, but challenges hijack my brain.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2025/nov/12/what-does-my-love-for-impossibly-difficult-video-games-say-about-me">Continue reading...</a>