Sekiro has ruined gaming for a non-gamer in a good way

Should start by saying I don’t even consider myself a gamer. I didn’t have a system for most of my life, so I’ve only played a handful of games: Inside, Plague Tale (both parts), Home Sweet Home, CSGO, and Outlast. That’s about it. Now that I finally have a system, I decided to try Sekiro… and honestly, it has completely changed how I see gaming... and even how I see myself. I am still playing and am currently at Senpou Temple, slowly exploring it.

In Sekiro, victory depends entirely on me. If I lose, it’s my fault, not the game’s. The game forces me to pause (not just externally but internally), observe, and act with clarity. Every duel feels like a mirror of my own state of mind.

In most other games, you can grind, level up, and collect items to eventually brute-force your way through. But in Sekiro, there’s no such escape. It’s just me. My patience, my focus, my willingness to learn.

And strangely, that has made me more introspective in real life. Sekiro taught me that every failure is feedback, every victory is proof that I adapted, and that growth only happens when I stay present instead of rushing.

So yes, Sekiro may have “ruined” other games for me... but only because it showed me something deeper. It stopped being just a game and became a reflection.

Has anyone else felt this way... that Sekiro isn’t just something you play, but something that plays you back?