But It’s Supposed To Be Fun!
Video games are a favorite pastime of many. Whether you prefer to cozy up with something calming and creative or work as part of an online team in an FPS setting, this hobby is meant to be enjoyable— until it's not. Check out this list for the many situations that can cause you to rage quit.
1. Dying Between Save Points
Not every game has the convenience of an automatic save, and many games will only save before or after boss fights or particularly difficult sections. If you’re not one to save regularly, or keep dying before reaching a save point can be incredibly frustrating. Nobody wants to have to repeat something they just finished.
2. Being Forced To Be The Healer
Healers are important, but we can’t blame anybody for not wanting to take on the role. Besides the fact that you can’t hurt opponents, you’re also likely 100’% dependent on your teammates. You’re also the one who will get blamed if your teammates die, which can lead to some real-world arguments.
3. Wanting A Character That’s Taken
This might be specific to younger siblings, because they never got the first player Wii remote, but having a specific character that you main ripped from your grasp can put a damper on your player experience. If you’ve invested a lot of time in the game you’re playing, you’re more likely to know the subtle nuances that come with your favorite character, and nobody else gets them like you do.
4. Skill Issues
Being a video game lover doesn’t mean you’re good. Loving Mario Kart won’t put you in first place, and being a fan of Undertale won’t automatically mean you can beat some of its harder battles. If you’re playing an open-world game, this also means you can accidentally stumble into a mini-boss fight before realizing the consequences of your actions.
5. Backseat Gaming
Video games are about the love of exploration and perseverance, so having someone tell you what moves to make, what you should and shouldn’t do, or where you should and shouldn’t go can affect your gaming experience. A little help when asked is great! Unprompted is a rage-fueled nightmare.
6. Taunting
Playing online games with a voice chat option can lead to some pretty unpleasant situations, especially when it’s all strangers. If you don’t have a thick skin, it’s pretty easy to get frustrated or thrown off your game when someone is continually pestering you.
7. Stealth Missions
These types of missions can be some of the most frustrating if you’re used to being a fighter. It’s time-consuming, requires a higher degree of planning, and timed movements. If you’re playing a game that restarts your mission if you’re seen or caught, these missions can be an agonizing part of your gameplay.
8. In-Game Lags
If the wifi is connected, why isn’t it working? In-game lags, especially in an online setting, can make or break a win for you or your team. If a game itself is glitchy, you’re also more likely to miss a critical hit or important dialogue that can ruin your experience.
9. Game Crashes
Faulty hardware, outdated software, a broken operating system, or a corrupted game file. Any of these situations can lead to a game crashing. The scarier alternative to an in-game lag, you’re prone to lose any progress you made in the game, and might have to pay for some new hardware to boot.
10. Uncooperative Teammates
Playing with a group of strangers means a potential clash of personalities. Someone who won’t work collaboratively, or wishes to take the valor for themselves, or isn’t actually all that interested in playing, can really negatively affect your ability to play a successful game.
11. Interruptions
Real life always seems to get in the way of your important personal time. A loved one calling for your assistance, an important email coming in, laundry needing to be changed, etc, etc, etc. Continuously being bothered when you’re trying to sink into your online world can be annoying at best, and positively rage-inducing at worst.
12. Really Hard Mini Games
If you’ve ever tried to fish in Stardew Valley, you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about. Some “easy,” “relaxed,” or “cozy” games like to tick off their players by including an incredibly difficult mini game, or an annoying enemy, just to keep you on your toes.
13. Bad Mechanics
We’re not talking about games with intentionally bad mechanics, but more like games such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, or Assassin’s Creed. Overall, these games are fun, beautiful, or have a really fantastic storyline, but that one poorly made mechanic or style choice can have an underlying negative effect on your gameplay.
Philip Terry Graham on Wikimedia
14. Unfair Challenges
Sometimes games make challenges that are way too hard. Sometimes a boss is particularly unforgiving, the game incorporates random chance, or ends up being a waste of time. It’s especially irritating when the rewards aren’t even worth the time you spent on the mission itself.
15. Playing High-Difficulty Games
Sure, the point of a game like Cuphead, Dark Souls, or Super Meat Boy is to push yourself to your gaming maximum. But that doesn’t mean that you won’t get frustrated. Completing these games gives you a sense of relief instead of awe or joy.
16. Everyone’s An Idiot
Playing with someone who isn’t a good player means you’re likely setting yourself up for failure. If you’re prepared for that, great! If not, you’re sitting on a ticking time bomb.
17. Unfair Matchmaking
The exact opposite of the point before, getting put into a room of experts when you’re in metaphorical training wheels, is also a completely acceptable reason to leave a match. How can you show the other gamers what you’ve got when you’re killed right out of the gate?
18. The Other Person Is Mad
Gaming with a less-than-amicable individual is the root of many a fight. Someone who is a sore loser, gets frustrated easily, or generally throws a fit when something doesn’t go their way ruins a game for everybody involved.
19. Dying Repeatedly
Sometimes a boss or a specific area is really, really hard. Even if you do everything right, dying time and time again will make that anger bubble up inside you until you’re ready to explode.
20. Losing, Plain And Simple
No matter which way you write it, losing a game sucks. Sure, the point of any game is to get better, to improve your skillset, and do the best you can, but that doesn’t mean you won’t feel frustrated. In that way, video games are just like life, aren’t they?
