My gaming habits can be summed up in a single word: erratic. I have a Nintendo Switch and an Xbox Series X just sitting there, collecting dust most of the time. Turning on the tv, powering on the console, waiting for things to update and then finally playing a game just feels like a burden. Espescially the part where the Xbox hogs the tv and my wife can't use it while I play a game. Cumbersome. As a result I didn't really play much on there this year. And yes, I know I can use my Switch as a handheld, but playing it for any significant amount of time makes my hands cramp up. The ergonomics of the Switch are terrible, for me at least. Don't @ me.
I did play a single game on my Xbox though, and it's my GOTY for 2024: Diablo IV. Back when the game came out I went through a rough time. My wife ended up in the hospital after she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and I was left to fend for myself and my daughter for the week. It was the most stressful time I ever experienced and I spent it playing Diablo IV every night until it was time to go to bed. A perfect escape from reality. It's very grindy and works well with my monkey brain because numbers pop out of enemies when I hit them. It's mindless fun, not much skill involved if you don't want to, but it can also be a very deep and difficult game if you're into that. I know there's issues with the game and it's not perfect at all, but for me it was the perfect game at the perfect time.
When the situation started to settle down again though, my Xbox went back to collecting dust as I was focussing on other things that occupied my mind.
It wasn't until I finally pulled the trigger on a Steam Deck that things started to turn around again for gaming. I always found the Steam Deck to be a really interesting device, but I always thought I'd never use it. Just another console that would collect dust, right? I couldn't be more wrong.
The Steam Deck feels more personal, it feels like I'm way more connected to the games I play. I can just pick it up, play for a short session and put it back down again. The ergonomics are way better than the Switch as well; I have zero issues playing for a few hours on end. The games are generally much cheaper compared to the Xbox and Nintendo stores as well, which makes trying a game a bit less prohibitive. I've even been double dipping on games that I already own on Xbox so now I'm back to playing Diablo IV but on Steam Deck instead. It's perfect.
I got my Steam Deck at the end of October and I already played many dozens of hours on it. Some honorable mentions, really all roguelite games, are: Hades II, Vampire Survivors, Brotato and Ballionaire. Every one of these are an incredible time sink and I can't recommend them enough.
Now if you would excuse me, I have some demons to kill and some levels to grind.