Games Everyone Pretends to Love (But Secretly Quit)
- Braheim Gibbs
- 4 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Let’s say the quiet part out loud: Some of the most praised games in history are also some of the most abandoned.
Not because they’re bad. Not because players are “casual. ”But because loving a game in theory is easier than finishing it in practice.
These are the titles people defend passionately online… while their save files collect dust.
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Why people quit: The scope crushes momentum
This game is revered, and for good reason. Incredible writing. Deep world-building. Memorable characters.
But it’s also enormous in a way that quietly exhausts players. Side quests spiral. Maps overflow. Momentum dies somewhere between your third monster contract and your fifteenth hour of inventory management.
Most people don’t hate quitting The Witcher 3.They just… stop.
2. Red Dead Redemption 2
Why people quit: Realism over fun
A technical marvel. A narrative achievement. A masterclass in atmosphere.
Also slow. Painfully slow for many players.
Animations take forever. Missions feel rigid. The game demands patience like it’s a moral virtue. Plenty of players admire it deeply—then quietly decide they don’t feel like riding another horse for ten minutes to hear a conversation.
They respect it. They don’t finish it.
3. Elden Ring
Why people quit: Freedom without direction
Fans will tell you it’s the most accessible Souls game. That’s true—relatively.
But open-ended difficulty plus vague storytelling plus massive scale equals a lot of players hitting a wall and never coming back. Not because they can’t beat a boss, but because they don’t know why they’re doing anything.
Many stop after the awe fades and the confusion sets in.
4. Breath of the Wild
Why people quit: Systems fatigue
It redefined open-world design. It earned its praise.
It also asks players to constantly manage weapon durability, environmental survival, and physics-driven problem solving. For some, that’s magic. For others, it becomes friction.
Plenty of players adore it conceptually… then wander off mid-journey and never return.
5. Skyrim
Why people quit: Infinite distraction
Almost everyone has played Skyrim. Far fewer have actually finished it.
The game is a black hole of side content, mods, restarts, and “I’ll make a new character.” The main quest is practically optional, and for many players, completely forgotten.
It’s beloved. It’s rarely completed.
6. Death Stranding
Why people quit: The vibe doesn’t click
Some players find it meditative and profound. Others feel like they’re doing FedEx quests with a philosophy lecture playing in the background.
If the core loop doesn’t emotionally resonate, no amount of thematic depth will save it. Many players bounce early, nod respectfully, and never touch it again.
7. Destiny 2
Why people quit: Burnout disguised as content
At its best, it’s addictive. At its worst, it’s a checklist factory.
Players don’t usually quit Destiny 2 dramatically. They just log in less. Then stop entirely. Seasons pile up. Systems change. The grind outpaces the joy.
They’ll still say they loved it—past tense.
8. Hollow Knight
Why people quit: Precision fatigue
Beautiful. Atmospheric. Brilliantly designed.
Also unforgiving, sprawling, and easy to get lost in without clear direction. Many players hit a difficulty spike or navigation wall and decide, quietly, that they’ve had enough.
They’ll recommend it anyway.
9. Persona 5
Why people quit: Time commitment shock
Stylish, character-driven, and critically adored.
It’s also long. Extremely long. With tutorials that seem endless and a pace that demands serious commitment. Many players fall off halfway through—not because they stopped caring, but because life got in the way.
They swear they’ll go back. They don’t.
The Pattern No One Likes to Admit
These games aren’t failures. They’re victims of a culture that equates endurance with excellence.
We’ve trained ourselves to believe that quitting means we didn’t “get it,” instead of acknowledging that a game didn’t sustain engagement for us.
You can admire a game. You can respect its ambition. And still decide your time is better spent elsewhere.
That’s not heresy. That’s honesty.
Let’s Be Real
What’s the critically acclaimed game you absolutely pretended to love…but quietly quit and never looked back?
Say it. Someone else is relieved you did.
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