Video games are excellent at allowing us to live out our wildest dreams, and with so much to do in any given video game, there are times when indulgence or routine gets the better of us. As pointless as these things are, we can’t stop! Here are 10 things that you always do in video games.

10. Obey the rules of the road (at least once)

Whether you’re playing L.A. Noire or Cyberpunk 2077, you’ve got to at least spend a little time stopping at red lights and stop signs, yielding to turning cars, and keeping your vehicle below the speed limit. One thing is for certain, though: NPCs are terrible drivers!

9. Showboating when you finish a level or win a race

Once you start mastering a game, there is nothing like showing off a little. Who of us can say that they never double jump-flipped onto the finishing platform in Super Mario 64? Or drifted across the finishing line in Forza? Did you use a flashy emote before getting that Battle Royale winning elimination in Fortnite? Sometimes, we like to rub it in.

8. Climb mountains that are clearly not meant to be climbed

Ok, Skyrim, we know that there is a path around this giant mountain, but we are totally going to try and climb it first for 45 minutes. Yes, we do see that the game is not meant to be played like this, and no, we don’t care.

7. See how far you can go in the open world

Open-world games are getting bigger every year, but so is our curiosity about just how big they get. Some games may use invisible walls to keep us in the sandbox of the game world, but others have more unique ways to keep us in line. GTA 5 will allow you to take a vehicle a pretty far way away from the island of the game before the vehicle breaks down and leaves you stranded in the middle of the ocean. And yes, it is as terrifyingly surreal as it sounds!

6. Jump in the water to see if your character can swim

We see water and want to know if we can use water. It is an element that a hilariously long list of video game characters are mortally vulnerable to, but it is just something that we just have to know. Sorry Sonic!

5. Pushing enemies off of ledges

This may be the most maniacal thing on the list, but who can say that they have never tried to push enemies, even NPCs, off of ledges? None are as satisfying as doing the “This is Sparta!” kick to enemies in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. See you next fall, buddy! (Wow, that.. was bad!)

4. Keeping gear based on weather or what you like

Gear in video games is a staple of the medium. There is nothing like outfitting your character to look as cool as possible and grinding to get the best gear. Sometimes, however, the gear that is the best may not be the gear that you think looks the coolest. The Nora Tracker outfit in Horizon Forbidden West may not be the strongest, but, damn, it looks so cool and cozy. Also, it can get cold, and Aloy needs layers. This is the pinnacle of video game immersion.

3. Mashing buttons to make your character do things quicker

We have all been there… Your character is running, but you’re going to keep clicking the sprint button just in case they go faster. You hold the analogue stick harder because it totally makes your Kart turn faster in Mario Kart. Well, we can all blame GTA for this and their sprint mechanic that requires you to keep mashing the run button to keep your character running. Well played, Rockstar (pun intended).

2. Pressing buttons while waiting in the loading screens

Loading screens are pretty much a thing of the past with the impressive load speeds of the newer game consoles and PCs, but we can all remember a time when we had to wait for what felt like an eternity before our game loaded. It was pretty instinctual to press some of/all of the buttons on our controllers while we waited, you know, to keep sharp. Some games even added loading screen minigames to keep you entertained, like Devil May Cry 3, which allowed you to attack the “Now Loading” text on the screen. Iconic.

1. Running off in the opposite direction of the story

Let me set the scene… You have just watched an intense cutscene, and your characters’ emotional stakes in the story have never been higher. So, once you get control back, what is the first thing you do? Naturally, turn around and see how far in the opposite direction you can go or even see if you can return from where you came. Games have taught us from a young age that collectibles and secrets are off the beaten track, and we have really held on to the idea, haven’t we? We’ll get to the objective; we just gotta check out this random little house that clearly has nothing in it first.

Well, that’s our list! What do you guys think? Do you have any other pointless things you do in video games? Let us know below and on our socials.

As for me, I am going to take care of my Chao Garden in Sonic Adventure. They grow up so fast!