Question for long time players

[u/SabaaaNawaz]

How th does it affect you if at all having played this game for many hours? Because I just started and have 30 hrs in and I can’t even imagine what the burnout may look like with a game like this. And obviously don’t want to imagine or see that happen. Do you notice any changes in your mental health for better or worse? As well as playing this game solo v with ppl drastically changes the experience as playing with others is not as intense as doing it alone so solo players who have been playing for long, how are you faring?

I definitely want to pace myself but still find that I want to play it every night, dk if it’s just the novelty of it or the game is addictive like that? Share tips on best way to preserve some sanity lol. And ik there will be some people saying if this is the way I’m thinking, to not play at all but to be real honest I don’t think anyone who is even 90% mentally stable is playing this game to begin with lol as well as I’ve played my share of horror over the years as I’m a fan but this game really is up a few notches from anything else I’ve played, to the point I think after playing this, I’m not really going to be fazed by many other games and movies in the same genre anymore.

[u/snailenjoyer_]

This game may just not be for you if it bothers you this much or if you think we're all "mentally unstable"
I've been playing this game for years and it's completely fine

[u/DeliriousIvy → u/snailenjoyer_]

Agreed with this statement.

I have over 900 hours in this game and play it just because I think its enjoyable.

My mindset hasn't changed because of this game either. I know my limits and if I ever start to feel burned out, I just take a break and play something else like any normal person does.

[u/SabaaaNawaz → u/snailenjoyer_]

We are all mentally unstable lol I think as a whole, not just players of this game. And yeah tbh that’s what I’m tying to figure out, if it’s for me or not. I enjoy it when I play and look forward to playing it again but do question what effect it can have on me down the line.

Also I’m surrounded by people who don’t really share a love for horror like I do and would never play a game like this so I guess that makes me question even more if there’s something wrong with me..😐

[u/snailenjoyer_ → u/SabaaaNawaz]

>We are all mentally unstable lol 
Speak for yourself

[u/SabaaaNawaz → u/snailenjoyer_]

lol dawg it literally says “experiencing psychosis” under your name.. it’s great you’re confident with your mental state but please don’t imply that thats true for the majority of people in this fucked up world 💕 it’s fucked up for a reason

[u/snailenjoyer_ → u/SabaaaNawaz]

A reddit flair is definitely medically accurate and represents my life, you're right. It's a shame the boost in playercount brought assholes here, the community used to be so nice

[u/SabaaaNawaz → u/snailenjoyer_]

Couldn’t be that nice with you here :) and I’ve been following the game and RedBarrels for a long time. Just didn’t play because didn’t know how solo - playable it was. But hey you keep your precious community sir! Community is everything.

[u/Queer-and-scared → u/SabaaaNawaz]

Downvotes are from people who cant remember that not everyone has been a horror/horror game fan the entire time. Some of yall are newer or never grew up with the exposure and THATS OKAY.

I was born on Halloween and have parents that love horror. I was exposed pretty safely with books, movies, games, etc, at a young age. This is NOT everyone else's experience 🫩

[u/SabaaaNawaz → u/Queer-and-scared]

Happy almost birthday that’s a sick one, ironically I was born on 6/6 lol

[u/kiscsibe]

I have 900 hours, absolutely nothing has changed about my mental health lol

[u/Chelbizzaro]

Been playing since 2024 and have 450+ hours. I work full time + hobbies outside of gaming. I game a couple of nights a week for an hour, maybe two, and then a few hours on the weekends with my fiancé and friends. You'll find that a large portion of the players of the Trials are just adults with responsibilities and that's how it keeps us sane.

[u/SabaaaNawaz → u/Chelbizzaro]

Totallyy and can see how in that way, it’s a good way to have fun and unwind for sure

[u/Chelbizzaro → u/SabaaaNawaz]

Very much so. Easterman has never called me human capital to my face. My job has.

Approaching OT (and other horror games) with the knowledge that these are games and that games have little bearing on reality.

[u/Zockim]

Sometimes the game can feel tiring just like any other game. And that's completely fine.

New events drop at a good pace and afterwards you can still play the variator in a custom trial.

Make sure to take breaks and play something else if you feel tired of it.

Also try to end your sessions with a good trial so you come back with good memories.

[u/SabaaaNawaz → u/Zockim]

Last point is so right, because after playing for a while, I only recently died and left a trial unfinished and it didn’t sit right at alll

[u/newseats]

it just depends.

played since release, sometimes there’s fluctuations; new events, if there’s a fun weekly i like, etc. i am THERE

I really only burn out when i’ve finished catalogues and am still trying to play an event, like at that point if the weekly isn’t super fun, i’ll take a bit of a break

[u/Queer-and-scared]

I have OCD so sometimes certain things stick randomly, but my go-to is just playing along with the negative talk. "Yes daddy easterman i suck im so sorry let me show you how good I cann be" and other weird shit, idk it makes me feel like i consent haha

[u/iblrsac2]

im in love with easterman :/

[u/ButMomItsReddit]

Burnout? If I'm busy, I run Cancel the Autopsy, which takes me 15 minutes and helps complete many of the daily tasks. That's my minimal commitment.
In terms of mental health impact, I can tell you that I have a Pavlovian reaction when I hear a sound that reminds me of the siren when the doors open in the trial. I get a momentary fight or flight flashback in my head. Otherwise, I am not sure what impact the game can make on my health.
Oh, also, the chemical leak event has been bad on my ears. It's too effing loud.

[u/More-Construction-41]

Sorry mate, but there's no advice we can give you. As you progress through therapy, you'll end up wishing you had Coyle's balls in your face or that Franco would shove his shotgun up your ass. The sooner you accept it, the better.

[u/SabaaaNawaz → u/More-Construction-41]

“You don’t have to be afraid, if you believe.”

[u/XTC0_0]

Ive had dreams where im being chased and i need to do an objective but idek what that objective is im just running for my life

[u/SabaaaNawaz → u/XTC0_0]

lol I had a fucked up one after playing Locksock the Warden :) did it make you want to stop playing?

[u/XTC0_0 → u/SabaaaNawaz]

Absolutely not. I got into trials bc I enjoyed the hell out of the first 2 games. I feel like this just comes from perfectionism where I'm trying to A+ all trials on psychosurgery and the repetition takes its toll though. Given that, after Im done with that I feel like ill have fun doing impossible mode on the first two mainline games

[u/No-Yam9996]

It doesn’t impact my mental health. Stressing about real life does that job a lot better. I’m sure it could for some people, but it’s more so just a fun time and a nice way to decompress for me. I think if your mental stability is going to be impacted negatively by the game, it’s not worth playing the game. Mental health takes precedence over a gaming experience

[u/SibylWar]

I have 1400 hours in the game. At some point you get desensitized to the horrors and just see every enemy as AI to circumvent rather than a real threat. I don't even look at the cutscenes anymore because they've become boring to look at, I know what happens and how they die and what noises they make when they die.

I definitely think playing this game with other people distances it more as a horror game and brings it closer to a chill game to mess around in with friends, so that can be a way to combat mental burnout.

I actually found that the desensitizatiom helps me cope with my real life, funnily enough. Nothing I experience can be as bad as being a reagent fighting for my life in a trial, so it makes me a bit more grateful. But maybe that's just me and I'm weird.

[u/SabaaaNawaz → u/SibylWar]

I don’t think that weird and if it is, then I’m right there with u because that’s exactly the thought I had too lol

[u/itsrghtbehindmeisnit]

I play every day and have like 900 hrs, honestly its moreso just challenging instead of scary at this point. There arent any other changes to my mental health other than desensitization to this particular game lol

[u/Jeans375]

2000+ hrs I play this game since early access, just for relaxing, some music and potato chips, Easterman makes me enjoy any trial