I have tried to pick up the Switch a bit more often in the last few days. Doing so has made feel very challenge-averse in games. A game is not bad because I fail a couple of times at something, and if I do fail simply trying again should be the default option. Not sighing and jumping out to the Switch home screen, wondering if there is anything else I could be doing instead.
So I try one more time. Try to rebuild the slightest bit of gaming muscles. There is fun to be had and things to improve, even on a tired Tuesday evening.
Putting in that little bit of work, overcoming challenges and feeling a sense of progress is of course also fun in itself. Back in 1992 or so, I read a review (most likely in Datormagazin) of History line: 1914-1918 which gave me a surprisingly lasting a-ha moment about good challenges in games. The reviewer wrote that they had failed one of the missions and turned off their computer in anger. However - and this was a sign of the game being good - their mind had immediately started working on what they could do differently to succeed next time, and soon they had found themselves starting the game again to try those ideas.
I like to think of this when I fail in a game. What can I do differently, even if needing to do so seems annoying and unfair in the moment? Oh, and remembering that simply trying again after a break can yield amazing results is also good.
My current playlist is Super mario bros wonder, I, robot, and a little bit of Akka arrh.
Building muscle, one Mario rep at a time.