Achievement Unlocked: 45 Comics Every Gamer Can Relate To

How many of you have felt like a video game protagonist, navigating through life’s challenges, learning skills, and improving over time as you get further? If the answer is yes, you aren’t the only one who has experienced something similar. In certain ways, just as computer games imitate reality, life imitates video games. In just about any scenario, it’s a fascinating subject that needs to be investigated. Who better to depict it than a Clueless Hero as well as the protagonist(s) of a universe where reality and passion for video games are entangled? So, sit back, relax, grab a beverage of your preference as you’ll have a great time reading these! Why? Because we know so for sure you would! So, scroll down, to begin the game.

All images in this article are courtesy of cluelesshero on Instagram

Time travel

The passage of time will hit all living things; it’s a universal truth. But when it comes to our favorite video games, most of the time, they seem unaffected by the flow of time. Why? Well, CluelessHero lets us know why…

Because the moment we rummage through our stuff from our childhood and find that one video game we loved and played over and over again, once we plug it in, we are transported back in time. The game survives the test of time, and it helps us stay young, too.

But why?

One of the most infuriating tropes you can witness in a video game would be this. An all-powerful enemy boss, who is to be defeated by some amazing keyboard skills, becomes so soft when they decide to join your quest.

Like, “where is your all-powerful lightning bolts, dude? You used to lay waste to armies with that. Now you struggle with a simple hellhound!” Doesn’t that just drive you up the wall? Well, you have to trust your abilities to finish this quest, like always!

SP vs MP

A classic conundrum that has stood the test of time and forever will. One truly doesn’t know their own strengths and weaknesses until they compare it with someone or something. It is that comparison that gives us an idea of what we have.

Now, this doesn’t go to say that one should compare themselves with other people. You are unique the way you are. But to have an idea of what you are capable of, you have to compete with opposing factions or forces.

Nothing but the truth

Now, this is as real as it gets. Although a minute takes sixty seconds, sometimes it feels like time just doesn’t work right. As the saying goes, “a watched pot never boils.” And waiting for our food to cook, we can’t help but watch the seconds tick by.

It seems to always be when we’re in a rush or just excited that these things take longer. The worst part about real-life loading screens is that we can’t just do something else while we wait. This is what we’re doing while we wait for life to load.

Aw shucks!

This is something nearly all of us with a regular job can relate to on a very personal level. We dream about finishing that one level that has been bugging us for the entire working day. We just want to get it over with.

But, as soon as you arrive home, you are too tired to even power up the console. You are more likely to pass out on the couch with the controller in your hand, instead. Well, that’s life, ladies and gentlemen.

You gotta feel it!

It doesn’t mean a darn thing if you don’t go through the same motions as your video game protagonist. When they need to dodge, you don’t just sit there and smash those buttons. You make an unconscious movement as well.

That’s what gives a certain edge to the whole ordeal of playing a video game. You just don’t sit still like a statue when you are playing a racing game! You go through the motions to feel the need. The need for speed!

Fight through the anger

Like the Rock, the people’s champion, the Brahma bull, the great one used to say “It doesn’t matter if you hate this game!” You got to finish that level somehow! No matter how mad it makes you or how much it drives you up the wall!

Because you owe it to yourself to finish that level. You started this and only you can finish this! That is why you are the chosen one to finish this maddening level. That’s why games like Dark Souls are beloved to this day!

For the hoard(ers)!

Well, that ought to turn the tide of events to their favor. There is always bound to be something hidden deep underneath all that clutter, that would offer a solution to a specific problem. Hoarding isn’t a problem in a gaming scenario.

It is, more often than not, a solution! You just need to put your mittens in there and find that one enchanted weapon, or that one rare potion, or that one cursed relic that would cease all hostilities like a blown-out candle flame!

Go on an adventure

One common refrain gamers hear is how they don’t go outside enough. Sure, the DS and Nintendo Switch are portable games, but for the most part, video games are played inside. But what most people don’t understand is that we’re not stuck inside…

Open-world video games are hours of entertainment spent “outdoors.” In games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Death Stranding, gamers are out exploring the world and having adventures, even if their physical bodies are seated on a couch.

Gotcha!

It’s almost impossible to escape CAPTCHA challenge-response assessments online. We humans are so tired of telling the website that we are, in fact, not robots! It feels ridiculous at times, because we can’t imagine a robot clicking through random stuff online like we do.

It’s especially annoying if you’re filling out some important form online or doing something for work. It interrupts your groove and you need to go through the indignity of finding the traffic light or identifying stairs. Why does it matter if a bot is looking up stuff on Tineye?

Eye twitching intensifies!

This is something common that we gamers have to endure on a frequent basis. We would be finishing a game, putting in all that effort, time and concentration only to be greeted by this. What causes this to happen by the way?

Well, it appears that you have to finish the game on all available difficulty levels and finish those side quests if available for it to be 100% done. You can’t be leaving anything to chance. Seeing a screen like this is both a challenge and a source of endless frustration.

Is it though?

We try so hard to be chivalrous and just to put up a façade of good sportsmanship. But in reality, nearly every one of us can attest to the fact that losing a game to a sibling or a friend is hurtful.

It is more vanity and a pride thing rather than being competitive. Well, being an overly competitive person also adds up to the hurt a bit. Nothing hurts more than getting beaten on your own console in your own house!

Everything has a use

Hoarding is something that is frowned upon in real life. We see numerous television programs about serial hoarders who just stock anything and everything in their homes. Some residences look like landfills from the stuff that has been accumulated over the years. Truly terrifying!

But not in video games. No sir! The more loot you possess, the more chances of you having something in your possession that would turn the tide when it comes to a difficult mission. You never know when that apple core will be a vital ingredient in a potion.

“Gasp”

Yes. That is the appropriate response when you are stuck in a level that just keeps on beating you to your knees. That message, even though it is not passive-aggressive, sounds like such a weak moment, we are compelled to do so.

To be honest, we just start the game on normal mode to study the missions, the challenges, and the terrain. Only then do we move on to another level. In our opinion, that is one heck of a good strategy, rather than going in guns blazing on hard!

I’ve got to!

Unless you walk the path of the black hand and embrace the ways of buccaneers, you should be having fun playing your game! You did not just spend your hard-earned money on something that you will not be enjoying, right? So, you at least fake it.

You think, “oh the next level will be good” and keep on with the assurances because you got to! This quite points toward games like Battlefield 2042, which delivered such a lackluster performance that people were actually frustrated with the purchase.

Are you ready?

As we grow older, we have the pleasure of raising the difficulty of our games. It happens so slowly, that we often don’t even notice. So, years later, when we think back on our favorite games, we may want to revisit a classic. But this time, things will be different…

It takes hard work, endless hours of practice, and failing hundreds of time, but eventually, we come out on top. And, all of that effort will pay off when we get to face our old foes: childhood games. Armed with years of experience and increased dexterity, we can finally beat that level!

Stealth is always optional

There’s a part of all of us that likes playing the stealthy character. Even if you go for a magic user, playing stealthily has its appeal. Of course, just because your mission involves being sneaky, that’s only half of the fun.

We’re running around in a fictional world, after all, so why not live out our fantasies. Even pacifists enjoy loading up a game to go in guns a-blazin’. Forget playing a stealthy rogue; we’re going for brute force on this mission!

Oh the horror!

We have a love/hate relationship with paywalls. While we support paying for our media, such as news sites, we don’t want to spend our hard-earned money just to skim through an article with an intriguing headline. There’s just no winning, is there?

Of course, some sites give us a teaser by letting us view a few free articles before shutting us out. If we end up like Clueless Hero, we also find ourselves struck with horror at being shut out of the internet.

Gotta have them XP’s

No matter what level of difficulty you choose, you’re sure to encounter those minor obstacles that are only there to slow you down in your mission. At level one, they might take a few hits, but as you go on, it’s all one-hit-kills!

Even though they’re not threatening, and are mostly just a nuisance, the little slimes are good for one thing: XP. Poor slimes, though. We never thought about what life is like for them. But we’re the protagonists, so whatever gets you that sweet XP, right?

Be wary, young traveler!

Well, the previous post and this one go hand in hand. When going on MMORPGs for the first time, it feels like a whole new world of excitement is just waiting for us. We can’t wait to go out and explore. But, much like the little slime, we’re at a vulnerably low level.

It can be disheartening when you first log on. If you’re unlucky, you’ll end up with mean players who just want whatever little loot you’ve managed to collect. But don’t give up! With Mountain Dew, chips, and hours at the computer, you can get there!

Darn it, not again!

If they only knew what we had to go through to come to work every day…Sigh, in that regard, we are not living in a perfect world. Like Steve the blob here, we have to overcome so many obstacles to get to work.

We know what hardships we had to overcome to get to work that morning, but all our superior sees is the clock at the time we arrive. But we left the office so late, with no magic overtime. What about those?

Time is of the essence

Well, this is a hazard that all NPCs in side quests have to face all the time. It is not easy at all to defeat the boss; these things take time and we don’t always get to complete the side quests as quickly as “promised.”

In our attempt to complete the game 100%, we accept every side quest. But without a tracker, it’s easy to forget what exactly we said yes to. We’re just glad that time doesn’t seem to work the same for NPCs.

Goth AF

There are so many ways to play a magic-user, but in the end, it seems like there are two options: light-hearted or dark. Do you want to be like Sailor Moon and trail sparkles behind you? Or do you want to be the anti-hero, wielding dark magics?

Even if you like to play non-lethally, you have to admit that it’s cool when someone uses a necromantic attack. Though, it can lead to some serious tonal dissonance. Clueless Hero shows us exactly what it feels like to play with that one friend who likes to go goth.

These darned multiplayers!!

Talk about having trust issues. You go ahead in the game, thumping monsters and blobs and gathering up the XP needed for you to level up. It wasn’t easy getting the enchanted staff and you need more XP to control it.

But all your effort goes to your team members. They level up from your battles. It is just not fair now, is it? Why doesn’t it factor in who had the biggest hits in the fight? Or, to be honest, who needs the points more!

Hmm…really?

Depending on the types of games you play, loot chests can be a key source of supplies. Some games have them as a sot of freebie, as something you come across by luck or having the right know-how. Other times, you need to get a key first to gain access.

We’re not sure about this tip, but we’re willing to try. Last time we checked, chests are something from the game, and users can’t “lock” them like a safe in real life. So far, the only way we know to get other people’s loot is to kill them. Sorry, but it’s true.

Gory!

Every good game has a boss battle. Ideally, it’ll be some epic monster that is the uniting force behind all of your previous encounters, making it all the more satisfying when you win. Now, not every game is animated with the same bright colors like Minecraft.

With games like Mortal Kombat, you probably won’t get that last panel as your complete screen, but it’s still fun to imagine. We love a good cut scene showing a highly detailed interaction, only to come back to our fluffy character hopping about the world.

Beware Frosty

There are two types of minigames: XP and fun. Depending on what mood we’re in we might go out of our way for the latter type. You know, those silly tasks that don’t do anything except make you smile and wonder, “what programmer had fun adding this in?”

Of course, nothing is an accident in a game. Sure, there are Easter Eggs, but if you can interact with it, there is probably a purpose. Poor Clueless Hero; her beloved snowman turned out to be the next boss battle. That’s so unfair!

Never!!!

All this gamer wants is some support from her friend. She for sure knows that this is one heck of a level and it needs all the effort she can give to make it a success. So she needs her friend right now!

Her friend clearly misread the situation. The gamer didn’t want help putting down the game, she wanted help to motivate her through the boredom. A few words like, “Look I know you can do this, finish what you started” were exactly what she was looking for!

Bling ring

It’s always a tough choice when it comes time to pick a weapon. Do you want the one with superior stats, or one that matches your outfit? If you’re lucky, you’ll have one weapon that combines both, but more often than not, it’s a choice between cosmetics and utility.

Alright, Clueless Hero, we can’t fault you for that one. The first weapon might be better in a fight, but if you’re playing the game for some light-hearted fun, the smiling staff is definitely the way to go. Hopefully, the second staff can be leveled up a bit…

Long rest

There’s something odd that no one talks about in games: healing at an inn. When it comes time to rest, the default option is to go to an inn to rest up. But why is there never an option to visit a “hospital” or even an apothecary.

It’s one of those magical things about video games. We wish it only took one good night’s rest to heal our wounds and increase our energy. What do those inns have that our homes don’t? Is there some special mattress or stew ingredient?

You gotta keep up the hustle

At the end of the day, it’s just business, right? Sure, adventuring is fun, but weapons and wardrobe upgrades cost money. Earning money can take a while, but there are some…shortcuts, shall we say. Clueless Hero kills two birds with one stone: empties her inventory, and gets some gold.

When we do this, admittedly, we feel a bit bad. But, you gotta do what you gotta do, right? Thank goodness the NPC isn’t aware of what happens to her staff. If the world doesn’t have object permanence, Clueless Hero could make a killing re-selling the staff!

Four stages of gamer rage

According to the five stages of grief approach (or the Kübler-Ross model), people who are grieving can get through five phases: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Despite their widespread use in mainstream culture, research has yet to conclusively prove the reality of all these stages.

Of course, video games have their own four stages. Well, maybe not four. According to Clueless Hero, there’s one emotion that occurs in varying degrees: anger. Anger at the game, anger at one’s own skill, anger at the console, and so on.

Wait, what?

Oh, the poor game developers. Well, this isn’t exactly true. Fortunately, it’s not commonplace in the industry, but it does still happen occasionally. These are the risks when marketing and CEOs have no idea how the technical side of the company works.

Why, even in the corporate world, do such things happen? Take for example the tech comedy TV series, Silicon Valley. The CEO of the fictional tech giant Hooli, promises something on the market when in reality, it is not even thought of properly, in reality!

Progress

The graphics in video games have progressed so much over the last two decades that it would be almost comical to see just what our beloved videogames seemed like in 2000. Gaming graphics have changed throughout time because game makers were able to overcome the limits.

Limits which were imposed by previous gaming consoles by gardening additional CPU power. So not only are video games increasingly being played at home, but they’re also getting more sophisticated and appealing to the eye. Something we have taken for granted these days.

Where there’s a will…

Let’s take a second to talk about another category of gaming: tabletop games! DnD has all the fun of video game multiplayer RPGs, but with way more rules and nuance. Honestly, we can’t get enough of it! If only we had enough time to play…

The poor GM. He devised a clever enemy and is fully ready to challenge the party, but they clearly weren’t ready. We absolutely love how Clueless Hero drew this team. Check out the girl in pink reading the Player’s Handbook upside-down!

What in tarnation?

What seems to be the issue here? Wait! Is this one of those games where the main protagonist’s appearance never changes? Why would they even bother designing a different outfit style if the character doesn’t look any different? Poor Clueless Hero…

The only upside of games like this is you don’t need to worry about picking between equipment that looks cool versus has bonuses. Just like the staff from the earlier comic. So why not pick the armor that gives you +5 defense?

How on Earth?

Wow, this is way too true! While there’s technically nothing wrong with the button-smasher method, it’s beyond frustrating if you’re playing with an intense strategy and your friend is just pushing buttons as fast as they can…and win! How is that fair?

Sure, there’s a sense of superiority when you’re in the middle of the game. Knowing the moves and what buttons create what combo, but all that matters is the score. Unfortunately. But even if the button-smasher method works, it’s a matter of pride that keeps us from doing anything other than a calculated strategy.

Peace and Chaos

Even in the gaming world, it’s important to take some time to yourself. Battling the big bads of the fantasy world is hard work! Of course, it’s only relaxing if you don’t think too hard about what’s happening during your downtime…

This probably happens when we spend too long on mini-quests. What is happening in the world? The final boss is still wreaking havoc, right? Well, out on a boat, going fishing, we get to remain blissfully ignorant. Surely the village can wait an extra day.

No time to play

Well, you could have gotten out of that tight spot by saying these magical words. “Kind of stumped this weekend so why don’t we try next?” Using that ploy, you can finally finish that level you have been looking forward to all week.

It is all about being tactical if you want to spend two days doing nothing but playing games and eating junk food. We’ll probably try the “I’m busy” approach the next time our favorite game gets released. Sorry, social life, but we have our virtual life to get to.

NPCs living their lives

The thing about NPCs is that we don’t usually give them much thought. They’re just programs and have no will or “lives” of their own. But, whether we realize it or not, there is a backstory. After all, the king had a coronation, but we never get to see it.

While we’re running around, getting attacked by low-level threats, there are plenty of programs just doing their thing. Usually, that means they’re just walking around town, but we wouldn’t be surprised if some of the programmers wrote a sweet backstory that we’re just tearing through.

NPC loop

“Hey! Can you help me with…” “Be careful of your journey, there are monsters lurking in the sea!” “Are there? Okay, thanks but I am staying in the land. Can you help me to get to the castle shown here?”

“Be careful of your journey, there are monsters lurking in the sea” “Yeah you told me that once already. Thanks. Do you know the way to the castle?” “Be careful of your journey, there are monsters lurking in the sea” “Goddamn NPCs”

Achievements unlocked

For real though. Hitting that waste paper basket far away with a wad of paper is an awesome feeling. So is picking the toy you want using the claw. On the first try!! Also, how can anyone forget their first date?

We might not get a little trophy icon for each achievement in our daily lives, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be proud of our accomplishments. Give yourself credit when you do something right! Life should imitate art in this case.

Smooth transition??

As gaming technology advanced, players began to look forward to the next advancement in gaming: 3D. So far, we’ve seen a beautiful change since 16-bit games. It’s crazy to think back to Super Mario Bros and then look at games like Mortal Kombat.

Looking at these new versions, however, we’re not sure newer is always better. The charm of some of the games lies in their basic design. Some game designers have done a great job keeping up with the newer graphics; Mario, for example, isn’t Nightmare Fuel on the Wii versus the N64.

Interacting with the world

Ah, the joy of smashing jars and crates. While it might start off as a way to find some extra coins or power-ups, at some point, it’s just cathartic. Even if we re-enter the same area, and we already got the coins, we can’t help but smash those crates again.

Of course, there’s always that little part in the back of our minds that hopes that the crates resent and we’ll get some extra coins. Usually, though, it’s just the sense of accomplishment that comes from interacting with everything in the world.

What now?

This is something that gamers and binge-watchers can relate to. Sure, some games can last for days or weeks, but eventually, you’ll end up being it all. That’s the point of playing, after all. But then there’s the emptiness that comes from completing it…

After spending so long playing as our virtual persona, with nothing left to do, it feels like we lost a part of ourselves. What do we do with our time, now? Who are we without a character to level up or a goal to reach?