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[ThemsAllTook]

When I was a youngster, something that would commonly happen is that I'd get a new game, play it for a while, then taper off and eventually forget about it. I'd rediscover it months later, realize I'd never finished it, and feel like I had no idea what was going on in my old save file, so I'd start a new one from the beginning. This cycle could repeat a large number of times, and I might never actually see the ending of a game, even if I'd seen the beginning over and over.

I had a conversation a little while ago with someone who was surprised by this concept, because he pretty much always finishes a game when he starts one. Posting about it on Twitter, I found that there was definitely a split between these two types of players - neither of us seemed to particularly be outliers.

This was actually one of the reasons I started doing let's plays. Having some external structure helps me actually stick with each game until the end once I start it, barring any major obstacles that make me abandon it entirely. I don't do a whole lot of playing on my own anymore, but in cases where I do, it's still pretty easy to put a game down for a few days and then forget about it.

How do your habits work?

[ProgramGamer]

I used to do that back when I had my GBA, yeah. I eventually made a point to systematically finish all my games when I realized I'd never beaten a single one as a kid. I would then beat most games I owned on DS and 3DS, but I definitely have way too many games now in my various libraries for me to be able (or willing) to finish.

Not to mention, many games today simply aren't made to end (online shooters, mobile games, roguelikes with a daily run mode) so there's less and less "finite games" so to speak.

I also sometimes just don't start games that I already own, even if they're critically acclaimed. In those cases it's because I know it would take too much time to beat the game, and I like to play games I strongly enjoy in consecutive play sessions (day after day) so I need to wait for less busy times to come around.

[cynicalsandel]

I feel obligated to finish a game I start, even if I'm not enjoying it. However, I'm trying to overcome this lately by actually quitting if I'm having a miserable time.

Buying games but never even touching them is a different story though. 

[Schoq]

I've quit a bunch of rpgs right before the final boss because I just stopped having fun. I don't see a reason to worry about leaving something like a video game unfinished.

[cypherbrain]

When I was younger, I was obsessive about finishing every game that I started. I was the same way with books. I didn't want to quit a game without giving it a real shot. My rationale was: "If I quit as soon as I wasn't having fun, what are the odds that I'd ever stick it through with challenging experiences?"

I'm not like that anymore. I don't have any problem quitting games that are no longer engaging me. Life is too short and the medium is too rich to spend time on things that I'm not enjoying.

[NowSayPillow]

I don't feel bad about dropping games; I normally try to finish games, but I figure if I'm not having fun with the game then it's not doing it's job. And if it's not living up to it's side of the bargain why would I give it any of my valuable (and increasingly limited) time?

[ANtY]

I've quit a bunch of rpgs right before the final boss because I just stopped having fun. I don't see a reason to worry about leaving something like a video game unfinished.

I second this, if I'm not having fun with a game I already wasted money on why would I waste my time too.

Though thanks to how I feel in the recent years it's hard for me to stay focused and / or enjoy any piece of media so I tend to give up on most of the games around 10-50 minutes in.

[Schoq]

I do try to push past any initial attention hurdle to give a game that seems interesting a chance. but like if I'm already halfway though, or at the end, I already know if continued play is gonna stay fun or not

[Pfotegeist]

I started with an hour each day. Most of the early games seemed impenetrable, impossible to comprehend. I told people who I didn't mind knowing I'd be a game "programmer" if that was possible.

So between then and future game... escalation- I dabbled, spending time outside, playing with blocks, thinking, trying to be creative, finding out how little I had in common with the insane neighborhood I was in. + I mean they imagined stuff and couldn't tell the difference between that and reality, and as a kid I really preferred the scientific method of verifying truth so this was repellent.

I began stealing more time at night when the games required long exposition and reasoning, an hour of game time walking back and forth to find the next town didn't really feel like I was playing long at all.

I was repeating the games I understood in my teens when I had more time.  The other games... idk what happened, I guess I never met the requirement of navigating moon logic on my own.

At the peak several masterpiece 90 hour worth games came out. I was finishing them. Then that seemed to end but I think I changed.

I took a break to exercise seriously one summer and try more engaging sports, my game hobby really took a dive and I went a little crazy hehehehe.

If a game's particularly bad at meeting expectations I will drop it, and watch someone else play to see if there's something wrong like maybe it glitched.

So there was this game "Shadow man" and I couldn't get all the souls, I even revisited all the areas after hitting the brick wall. There was some kind of bug then, it didn't increment, and that type of thing really makes you yell at the TV, but the game was scary and I went back to play it about 3 times, so yeah, I do generally finish games.

[Dre Reid]

Back in high school days with my portables (psp ds) sure. Nowadays not so much, thats why im more a fan of medium lenght games.

[Superb Joe]

only yakuza games. everything else can hit the road after a couple of hours

[s0]

some times

[Josh Bossie]

I used to abandon games so quickly when I was a kid. I don't even know why

Something changed a few years back and now I absolutely love finishing games. There are definitely games that ruin themselves in the final stretch, and that kinda sucks, but it's still a valuable thing (as player or designer) to see the entire arc of a game

[Inner]

If I start a new game project, I've to finish it. This is like a principle for me.
If you drop the games out continuously, It can become a habit but if I realize that the game is a real garbage, then I can drop out.

[Ordnas]

For me games are art and culture, so when I start a game I always try to finish it, to understand the game design, the story in their whole, so it is not just playing to have fun and pass time, but some sort of "study" of the medium.

[GravityStoop]

only once I did not finish a game. Just didn't see any point on that cuz the idea of that game made no sense for me anymore.

[TobbleCobble]

I used to never finish games and just messed around with them until I got bored. Now if I find a good game I'll finish it. If I get a game for free I am pretty much guaranteed to not finish probably playing it for like an hour after downloading it then forgetting about it.
I try to finish the games that I start but I either lose interest in them or can't find the time to put into them.

[woodsmoke]

I've been playing Nuclear Thone a lot recently (57h) and it won't let me finish it! I can't even get to the endgame room.

Many/most of my games tend to have no story or ending. A lot of simulation games (MWLL, Live for Speed, VRC Pro, Aerofly FS, Lunar Flight).

[Karlipoppins]

For me games are art and culture, so when I start a game I always try to finish it, to understand the game design, the story in their whole, so it is not just playing to have fun and pass time, but some sort of "study" of the medium.

It'd be interesting to read some of your game reviews if you ever decided to write some...

[Ordnas]

For me games are art and culture, so when I start a game I always try to finish it, to understand the game design, the story in their whole, so it is not just playing to have fun and pass time, but some sort of "study" of the medium.

It'd be interesting to read some of your game reviews if you ever decided to write some...

Actually I already write game reviews!  They are just for fun but I try to be objective. You can find them on my Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.