Stress Level and the Feel of a Game

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 She just lost a game of StarCraft 2.

Lately I've been playing StarCraft 2, League of Legends, Minecraft, and Fable 3.  I've noticed that the game I play is dependent on the feeling I get while playing the game.  Let me try to explain.

I was playing a lot of League of Legends last week and I took a break to play some SC2.  When I jumped into the 1v1 ladder I felt an enormous amount of stress while playing.  Because of the ladder system I constantly know that I'm being judged and only I can do anything about it.  In a 1v1 I have no back up, no help, no one else to blame my flaws on.  On top of that, in SC2 I have to manage my base, my resources, build my army, control my army, and execute a strategy all at the same time.  It's extremely hard to do, which is why the game is interesting, but it's also stressful to juggle all those tasks simultaneously.

Stressful but interesting to play.

I switched back to League of Legends and instantly my stress level decreased.  In League I only control one character and I'm part of a team.  The one character means I don't have to keep my attention on 10 things at once and having 4 teammates spreads out the pressure to perform well.  League has been my favorite game lately because it's competitive but my stress level is minimal.

I've also been playing Minecraft and Fable 3 where there is absolutely zero pressure to perform.  That's one of the greatest parts of single player games, no one knows if I fail or succeed. In Minecraft I build and explore the world in whatever way I want to.  In Fable 3 I can mess around with townfolk or continue an epic quest for vengeance and freedom.  They can be played on my own time and at my own pace.  Single player games are the most relaxing type of game because of it.

All four are great games that I plan on playing regularly, I just thought it was interesting that the tone of the game is so different for each one.  Maybe that's why I always like to have a few different games that I'm playing, I never devote my time completely to just one.

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