We’ve all been there. You buy or download a new game like Call of Duty, excited to start playing. You watch the loading bar slowly edge forward while the installation completes, only to have to wait a bit longer for the game to actually load once you open it.
After what seems like an eternity, you’re presented with the menu. You choose an online game to play, select the mode and character settings, and then click on play. The tension builds as you wait to be matched to a lobby and as other names begin popping up on the screen.
A countdown begins, it’s almost show time. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO…..you hit the run button, take a few steps and then BANG. Headshot. To rub salt into your virtual wounds, you’re taunted by a replay of your digital demise.
You put it down to a fluke, respawn, take a few more steps, get a little further into the map and then BANG. You rinse and repeat, respawning and taking hits over and over. You manage to get a few points on the board before the game is over, but it’s clear you need to boost your skills if you want a chance to beat these other players.
Here are some top tips for leveling up your gaming skills.
Brush Up on the Basics
You might want to dive right in and start pulling off expert tricks, but you should always make sure you can walk well before you try to run. To aid with this, it can often be a good idea to put down the controller and look elsewhere for some information.
For example, if you’re starting out playing poker, then having a strong understanding of the rules of the game will put you in good stead at the table. There are many books that offer this sort of information, but you don’t need to shell out any cash to learn. Leading online card rooms like PokerStars have created extensive libraries of resources that explain how to play poker, from the basics like hand rankings to more advanced strategies.
Resources like this exist for almost every game. Another example is Chess.com, a site that allows you to play the popular board game online against a computer or other players. Alongside the gameplay itself, the site also has an extensive selection of guides covering every element of how to play chess, from how each piece can move to countering different plays.
Watch Other Players
In addition to educational resources, the internet is awash with video game streamers. No matter what you’re looking to play, you’re almost certainly guaranteed to find online streams where players have broadcast their gaming sessions over the internet.
While not all are, most of these videos are created by professional gamers who have hundreds, or even thousands of hours of competing in their particular title of choice. With this experience, they have picked up many key skills that can help them win games, so watching them can be a good way to learn from the best.
You’ll find such content on sites like Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook, as well as smaller and more niche places.
Practice Makes Perfect
Once you’ve learned the basics and picked up some techniques by watching pros play, it’s time to put it all into practice. This, more or less, just means playing a video game that you already like, which should make it an enjoyable experience.
However, rather than just playing aimlessly, structure your sessions so that you work on the skills you’ve learned from your reading and watching others. Where possible, focus on one improvement at a time, spending a session working on one particular skill, similar to how you might have ‘leg day’ in the gym.
Over time, you’ll find your skills start to improve. Once this happens, work another skill into your practicing. You can repeat this process over and over, observing more traits from other players and learning more advanced strategies, and then using this learning by putting it into practice in a live game.