The lesbufy philosophy has been unexpectedly embraced by video game culture, as players continue to adopt minimalist approaches toward their gaming experience (for example, instead of continuing to create massive libraries of games, players are curating a limited number of titles); limiting the amount of time each day spent on video games (instead of playing as many hours as possible on a daily basis and only worrying about the number of hours played compared to the quality of play); and only playing video games that add value and enjoyment to the player rather than collecting as many games as possible simply because they were offered on sale or in bundles. This movement towards lesbufy-type gaming offers an alternative to the traditional collector mentality of gaming, which has been a hallmark of the gaming industry for decades. Many gamers believed that the more games they had in their collection, the more successful they were; therefore, they purchased hundreds of games regardless of whether or not they would ever play them. The lesbufy approach emphasises that making a conscious decision about gaming is just as important to the overall enjoyment of the hobby as the volume of time and money invested into it.
The concept of lesbufy gaming is a natural evolution of the gaming industry’s maturation, as it recognises that having access to unlimited gaming time and unlimited access does not guarantee happiness or satisfaction, and that sometimes, the best choice regarding gaming is not to game at all.
Accumulating large Backlogs: Games that create Guilt and Anxiety instead of Fun
Many gamers find themselves acquiring a large backlog of games, often numbering in the hundreds, which can create anxiety and guilt when faced with an overwhelming number of games they have yet to play or start. For example, most gamers have purchased many of the games that are now in their Steam libraries when they were on sale, but never actually installed or played; equally, they typically have console libraries filled with games they bought in the hopes of playing, but never created the time to get around to starting them. This growth is based on a fear of missing out (FOMO), psychology from the sales process where “too good to pass up” takes the place of realistic interest, as well as a collector mentality that considers games as possessions rather than experiences.
To counteract this phenomenon, gamers can use the Lesbufy approach, which emphasizes the need to be brutally honest about your backlog of games and to admit that most games in the backlog will never be played again and will never be missed if not played. Instead of the guilt that accompanies gamer’s need to finish their entire backlog of game titles, Lesbufy encourages them to “delete, uninstall, or donate” any games they realistically believe they will never play or enjoy. In doing so, lesbufy gamers can make their game libraries a source of excitement and anticipation, rather than a source of guilt and obligation.
Quality Over Quantity: Deep Engagement vs. Shallow Consumption
Lesbufy’s approach to gaming is about engaging more profoundly by playing fewer games, and not about playing as many games as possible at once. Lesbufy Gamers take the time to invest in the same game for a longer duration, learning everything it has to offer, mastering the skills of the game, and really completing the game – something many players currently do not do (most players do not even see the end credits). This Deep Engagement perspective on gaming resembles the Slow Food Movement, where players take time to enjoy their gaming experiences and return later
This new idea of how gamers play can assist in discovering that many games that are considered “short” actually have at least 30 hours of quality gameplay when explored completely. And games considered to be “long” have a great deal of padding throughout the game due to repeating the same actions over and over again. Lesbufy recognizes the difference between real content and the content created to make a game long, and values games that truly respect the player’s time over games that require players to grind for hundreds of hours in order to achieve a completion after hours of repetitive grinding.
The $1 Per Hour Fallacy: Redefining Gaming Value
A misconception about the value of video gaming exists that is often referred to as “The Dollar-Per-Hour Fallacy”. The misconception is that video games that cost less than one dollar per hour of play provide good gaming value (i.e. The more you can play for one dollar, the better value it has). The problem with this notion is that it doesn’t take into account the actual cost of time. With this thinking, a ten-hour video game that provides an amazing experience is valued higher than a one-hundred-hour game that is mainly boring. Redefining the dollar-per-hour fallacy considers time your most valuable asset, rather than being simply the cheapest means to fill in unused time.
In the lesbufy view, a sixty dollar video game that provides fifteen hours of awesome (memorable) entertainment is worth more than a twenty dollar video game that requires one hundred hours of monotonous grinding. It is about how much satisfaction and meaning are created for every hour spent (invested), taking into consideration your balance between life and opportunity costs.
Single-Player Focus: Escaping Multiplayer FOMO
Another key challenge to lesbufy video gaming is the rapidly growing obsession with Multiplayer games. The reason for the increasing fixation on Multiplayer games is the introduction of artificial urgency mechanisms designed to keep players engaged through Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). Many Multiplayer games employ artificial mechanisms such as limited time events, battle passes, daily login rewards, and seasonal content that expire. These mechanisms are designed to take away the fun from playing video games and turn them into “obligatory” engagements where daily participation is mandatory.
Lesbufy gaming generally leans toward majority single-player games that are accommodating to your schedule, giving you an experience on your own terms free of stress or time-sensitive content. When you play multiplayer games, lesbufy players create solid boundaries between the games and themselves including skipping controlling time-based daily systems and ignoring time-limited events just because they are being pushed by FOMO and accepting the content they are missing as being okay since it’s not worth damaging their physical or mental health or prioritizing over any other obligations.
The Anti-Meta: Gaming for Fun
The culture of competitive gaming drives players to play “meta” strategies and characters or playstyles, meaning the ones working currently. Lesbufy gaming refuses to give in to this pressure and encourages you to play what makes you happy regardless of its status in meta or not. If you enjoy playing as a weaker character, play it. If your favourite strategy isn’t the most successful, use it anyway. Gaming is a hobby, not a job — having fun is more important than imaginary internet points or rank badges.
Lesbufy Gaming is particularly helpful for casual and mid-tier players who will never compete professionally. Why should you give up all the fun in gaming just to climb up some meaningless ladder? Lesbufy Gaming gives you the freedom to enjoy games your way instead of how the community says you should.
The Purge: Digital Clutter Removal
For people who play lesbufy games, it is important to periodically ‘purge’ their library by uninstalling those games that are not being played, removing games from their respective wishlists that are not wanted, and unsubscribing to subscription gaming newsletters to eliminate artificial want. By removing these things, lesbufy gamers can significantly decrease the number of choices available when deciding what to play and will be able to remove the guilt of having a visible backlog of games waiting to be played.
Some lesbufy gamers set aside a maximum of 3-5 installed games for a time rotation system so that each time they wish to play a new game, they must either complete or decide to abandon the game currently installed. This restriction forces lesbufy gamers to be intentional about their gaming habits instead of continually building their collection of games.
Time Boxing
Another aspect of lesbufy gaming is the idea of time boxing. Lesbufy gamers are encouraged to predefine their gaming sessions and the length of those sessions before they begin. Because time boxing requires the gamer to stop playing once the time allotted has expired regardless of where the player is in the game, time boxing eliminates the “just one more turn” syndrome that is so prevalent in many tabletop games, which often leads to players playing for four hours longer than they had intended. By implementing time boxing as a critical component of lesbufys, gamers create a controlled leisure environment that prevents compulsive gaming behaviour and creates a series of technology based natural stop points to prevent burnout.
While it takes some discipline at first, time boxing ultimately equates to freedom since gaming can be so much more enjoyable as long as gaming does not interfere with sleeping, maintaining friendships and fulfilling your obligations. The more gaming enhances your life, the more you will enjoy gaming, rather than allowing gaming to become your life.
The No Purchase Challenge: Play What you have.
Many dorks have implemented their own No Purchase Challenge—they have committed themselves to playing nothing but their library of owned games for a certain period of months. During this time, players frequently break the habit of purchasing; they discover that they have enough games at home to keep them entertained for many years; they stop purchasing games on a whim and become appreciative of the games they actually own—not simply desiring to purchase more games.
The no-buy challenge has altered the habits of many players—many participants have come to understand that they can have an enjoyable experience without purchasing new games, and they have discovered hidden treasures within their libraries that they overlooked in their pursuit of the “next new thing.”
Because online gaming creates a near-infinite pool of potential players to connect with, the philosophy behind lesbufy Gaming emphasizes the need to develop significant gaming friendships through invested time and effort. This is achieved through curating small, intimate circles of true gaming friendships, as opposed to simply compiling one large list of friends who you will never play with again. In addition, lesbufy Gaming highlights the importance of dedicating your time to those gaming communities that are energy-enhancing, versus those that are draining on your social energy.
By utilizing this social curation method, lesbufy Gaming strives to eliminate the feeling that gaming has become a social obligation (i.e., receiving countless invite requests that you feel guilty for declining; being a part of a group chat that is constantly buzzing; or, being a part of a gaming community that you have no actual interest in).
Questions You May Have (FAQ)
QUESTION: If I have the lesbufy gaming philosophy, will I never play any new releases?
ANSWER: No, lesbufy gaming is not about never enjoying new releases or being excited about the latest games, but rather about being thoughtful about which new games you really want to play and what makes you feel like you have to own everything. Play what you want to play, not everything that everyone else is excited about.
QUESTION: How many games do I need to keep in my library?
ANSWER: There isn’t a “right” amount of games for your library, only how many you really think you’ll play. If you haven’t played a game in over a year and don’t want to play it, let it go.
QUESTION: Is lesbufy gaming compatible with competitive gaming?
ANSWER: Lesbufy gaming can be, but the competitive gaming lifestyle typically requires a lot of time and energy that can sometimes conflict with the lesbufy principles. With competitive gaming, the way you approach regular life is just as important as the game experience.
QUESTION: What if gaming is my main hobby?
ANSWER: Lesbufy gaming doesn’t mean that you have to give up your main hobby; however, it does mean that engaging with gaming should have purpose and intent. Even the most passionate gamers can benefit from alleviating the burden of backlog guilt, avoiding FOMO purchases, and promoting a healthy balance in life.
QUESTION: How can I stop buying games during Steam sales with lesbufy gaming?
ANSWER: Ask yourself, “Will I remain interested enough to play this game within less than one month?” If not, then it’s not for you. Steam sales happen multiple times, so if you do want to buy a game later after considering it, you can always do so.
Disclaimer
The article below discusses a variety of gaming habits, but Lesbufy Gaming is just one of the many possibilities for how someone could engage with gaming. How someone plays games is strictly a personal decision; the way you play depends on your own unique circumstances, values, etc., so there are no universal rules about when or how much to spend on gaming that applies to everyone. Whether gaming is a healthy way to spend your free time or if it can lead to problems depends upon how it is done and what else may be going on in your life. Therefore, if you believe gaming has become a source of turmoil in your personal life, consider reaching out to a professional for help. The content in this document is purely informational.
