Top 23 Hobbies for Gamers to Try
There is a wide range of hobbies for gamers to enjoy outside of actually playing video games. Many of these hobbies, or gaming hobbies, can enhance your skills in video games, or provide insights into why certain features or choices are made within the games.
These gaming hobbies can also provide a refreshing break from the long hours behind a computer screen or game console.
In this list, I have strived to find some of the best hobbies that can be used with very little equipment or cost and I’ve related how they can improve the gamer’s skills or experience. Let’s dive in!
New Hobbies for Gamers
- Creative Writing
Creative writing is an interesting hobby for gamers to explore as it teaches character development, plot lines, and descriptive storytelling. Gamers can use this to build their setting or world, creative writing can also give insights into why their favorite games have certain features, characters, or storylines.
- Beta Testing
Beta Testing is a great hobby for gamers as it gives gamers the ability to test upcoming games that the general public doesn’t have access to yet. In addition, gamers can use their valuable skills to enjoy gameplay while helping game developers to gain valuable insight into the content and if there are any bugs, glitches, or other issues that need to be addressed.
- Streaming
Streaming is a favorite hobby for a lot of gamers. It provides the opportunity for gamers to teach others about their games of choice, socialize with others who share a common interest, and show off their gaming skills. In addition, it can provide some additional income through the use of sites like Patreon that gamers can always use to pay for their games.
- Foosball
Foosball is a great choice of hobby for gamers because it improves hand and eye coordination which is important in most video games. In addition, it can improve the ability of a gamer to focus intently as well as provide a chance to socialize and compete outside of video games.
- Strength Train
Strength Training is an excellent choice of gaming hobby. It has several benefits including increased endurance, muscle development, and can help improve one’s focus. These benefits are of great use to Gamers who often play for extended periods, have to focus intently on what is occurring in-game, and often have to use muscles rapidly.
In addition, it provides an opportunity to step away from the game and participate in life outside of the Gamer’s normal location.
Hobbies to Replace Video Games
- Dungeons and Dragons
Role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons are a great choice of hobby for gamers to either expand their interests or to replace video games. It allows the participants a chance to socialize, tell great stories about their player characters, and explore whatever type of setting interests the players.
7. Reading
Reading, much like creative writing or Dungeons and Dragons, is an excellent choice of hobby for gamers as it allows the opportunity to explore different settings, themes, and storylines which can tie into the gamer’s choice of games.
8. Collections
Collecting things such as comics, figurines, and artwork is a hobby that seems to go hand in hand with gaming. Regardless of whether it’s a particular character, artwork depicting locations within a game, or figurines, collectibles are a great way for gamers to enjoy something outside of actual gameplay while still feeling an attachment to a game of character.
Other Gaming Hobbies
9. Listening to Music
Listening to music can be a fun hobby for a gamer. Depending on the type of music, it can be relaxing or upbeat. This hobby can also be done while gaming so it provides a perfect opportunity to enjoy a hobby that can enhance the gaming experience.
10. Anime
Anime is an interesting choice of hobby for gamers. Anime can provide an opportunity to learn new things like culture and history, exercise one’s imagination, and explore meaningful concepts such as life and death. All of these things can provide gamers with insights into their favorite games as well.
11. Coding/Game Design
Game design and coding are great choices of a hobby for gamers. It allows designing your games in a setting of your choice. You can also include features that you wish your favorite games had as well as gain valuable insight into why and how game mechanics work.
12. Photography
Photography can be an interesting choice of hobby for gamers. It provides the opportunity to be active and exercise your brain by going out into the world to take pictures. It can also be used to document interests and achievements.
13. Cosplay
Cosplay can be a great hobby for gamers. It provides an opportunity to dress up as your favorite character and can be used to increase your confidence. In addition, it connects you to other people with similar interests and can teach you new skills like sewing and fashion choices. These skills can help train a gamer’s mind to think outside of the box and with hand or eye coordination.
14. Survival Skills
Survival skills can be an excellent choice of hobby for gamers as most games include some form of survival skills. Things like knowing how to read various forms of maps, navigating by the position of stars, and using a compass can translate into pretty much any game that has different locations or methods of transportation.
15. Social Media Communities
Social Media Communities are an outstanding choice of hobby for gamers because you can connect with people who share your passion and interest in gaming. These communities often provide tips and tricks to increase your gaming skills and increase the efficiency of your time spent in-game.
In addition, these communities are often built around guilds or alliances in-game which consist of people you may interact with while playing the game.
16. Gardening
Gardening can be a very rewarding choice of hobby for gamers. It can often be done right outside of one’s home and it gives a gamer the chance to get some fresh air or sunlight. In addition, it can be very soothing to work in the soil which can reduce stress and muscle tension that can arise from long hours behind a computer screen or console.
17. Cooking
Cooking can be an excellent choice of hobby for gamers. Many benefits and skills you learn from cooking can transfer over directly into your gameplay. Things like hand and eye movements from cooking multiple things, multitasking, and the patience you learn while cooking are very beneficial for gamers.
And the best reason of all is that you can eat what you produce or have snacks while you are enjoying your favorite game.
18. Martial Arts
Martial Arts is an interesting choice of hobby for gamers. There are many benefits to this hobby such as being committed, teaching discipline, and increased focus and awareness. In addition, it provides both a form of exercise and relaxation through the use of Katras such as in Tai-Chi.
A great benefit to this and yoga is that it can increase your flexibility and mobility which can increase the quality of your gameplay.
19. Learn about History and Culture
Learning about history and cultures can be a good hobby for gamers. In addition to increasing an understanding of other people, this hobby can also improve your understanding of a game or the stories within a game. A lot of games are based on mythology from different cultures.
20. Computer Repair
Computer repair is an excellent choice of hobby for gamers because it teaches how technology works and ways to fix problems that can arise while gaming. In addition, it teaches patience and attention to detail which many gamers can find useful.
21. Puzzles
Puzzles can be a great choice of hobby for gamers as it teaches logical thinking and sometimes creative solutions. In addition, a lot of games include some form of puzzle during gameplay, so experience with solving different forms of puzzles can be a huge help to gamers.
22. Learn Another Language
Learning another language can be a good choice of hobby for gamers since there are gamers from all over the world. It can help gamers to understand other players and lead to insights into how language itself is used within the game.
23. Fan Art
Fan art can be an excellent choice of hobby for gamers. Whether it’s drawing or painting, this hobby is often relaxing and increases one’s focus and imagination. In addition, gamers who partake in this hobby can produce art relating to their favorite characters and locations from their game of choice. This art can often lead to working with a game design company or selling their artwork for extra funds.
Have You Found a New Gaming Hobby to Try as a Gamer?
We have covered 23 different hobbies for gamers and the benefits of partaking in each hobby. Whether you need change or are looking for new ideas, many hobbies are not only different but they provide benefits to gaming. From skills to thought processes, there are cool things out there to make you a better gamer. I hope you enjoy the list and find it useful.