I know exactly what you mean! So many games have been sitting in my “to play” list for way too long because I felt like I needed to “play them properly”.
10 times out of 10 throwing caution and deference to the wind and just jumping in and screwing around, restarting when I need to, has been the best way to go. It’s never spoiled my experience of a game, and in fact I feel like it’s improved it.
Memorising the manual, then sitting down with all the reference cards, a notepad and a serious scowl, on a mission to do the game justice, just isn’t a recipe for enjoyment.
Letting the game show itself to you and earning your full attention organically is always the better way to go.
I worry about wasting my time. But really, what’s more of a waste – 15 minutes of silly fun before restarting, or 15 years of a great game sitting on a shelf collecting dust?
I’ve known this for a while, but still I keep doing it the wrong way…
