Not Get Caught Playing Computer Games
Have you ever gotten the feeling that you have worked too much? Drowned in boredom due to excessive schoolwork? There is a quick and easy solution to these problems, computer games! One hour of action-packed, animated bliss is just what you need to regain your ability to work for another couple of hours. Just one problem though. How do you play without getting caught by your parents? This guide is written for those of us who just cannot get around the parent factor, and need advice to continue their craving for computer games.
Steps
- Turn the speakers off. Whatever game you may be playing, whether it is Mario jumping around on turtles or shooting people in Halo, it is bound to make a noticeable amount of noise. Do not take the chance that your parents will not hear while you are playing; it is too risky. Though turning the speakers off may impair the game experience, most games are still feasible without any sound. You could also try using headphones or Earbuds, but that could get you caught if you don't hear your parents coming towards you.
- Be prepared to minimize the game. Your parents will usually come to check up on you to see if you are actually doing your schoolwork or not. If you hear any indication of them coming towards your room, minimize your game immediately, even if it may be a false alarm. Do not make the mistake of taking the time to pause your game, you would be surprised at the speed with which some parents would make it towards your room. Even if you lose one life, what is a life in a game compared to the countless hours you could be playing if you do not get caught?
- Do not play games full screen. Try to shorten the space the game takes on your monitor as much as possible. On the offhand chance that you do not realize your dad just snuck up behind you, he is less likely to notice that you are playing when the game isn’t thrown out full screen.
- Try playing games that require minimal concentration. You will need to be able to focus enough to realize when someone is coming up behind you. If you are one of those hardcore gamers that fall into a state of coma whenever you play, try playing something else that will not take as much concentration. It is essential that you watch out for anyone that may be making their way towards your room.
- Keep open numerous other files related to schoolwork. The greatest mistake that you can make is to leave only your game file open on your computer. After you minimize it, you have nothing to show that you have been working for the past hour. Open anything school-related, such as past essays, projects, or math homework. If it is an essay, it is recommended that you delete about half of it so that it looks like you actually wrote something in an hour instead of just opening a random file. If you're on a mac, fullscreen both your work and school files and switch it when your parents are here.
- Change the school-related files often. Do not just open up an essay and sit there playing for two hours straight. Change the files you have open related to school every 45 minutes or so. Remember, parents usually know the common tricks that their children play to get around them. If you keep changing files, it looks like you have made progress in your work whenever they check in on you.
- Turn your computer monitor away from entrances. This step will ensure that even if someone does walk in, they will not be able to see what you are playing. You will be given a few extra seconds to minimize the game before they reach you. Do not try this step if you have a computer table that is facing away from the entrance. Turning your computer and the whole desk around is a big giveaway because it shows that you were probably trying to hide what you were doing. If you have a laptop, this step will work best for you.
- Make it seem like your game was just a random pop up. Often, pop ups display random games with ads attached to them. If you made your game small enough, it may seem like just an ordinary pop up at first glance to any parent. Do not take any more time than necessary, say, “Stupid pop up,” and move on. Caution must be taken when using this step though, as parents might quickly realize that it is not any ordinary “pop up.”
- Have an excuse ready. In the worst-case scenario, your parents realize that you have been playing games for a couple of hours, and they start yelling. You can quickly stop all of this by having a handy excuse ready, such as, “I already finished all my homework,” or, “I’m taking a quick break from all this work.” Whatever excuse you make, the key is to NOT HESITATE when speaking. Speak clearly, and do not give any indication in your voice that you are lying; the key here is to sound confident. Hesitating when giving an excuse is a quick way for your parents to realize that you are trying to make something up on the spot.
- Think SMART! Last, but certainly not least, always think smart. If your parents are on the other side of the house, then it’s a good idea to try gaming for a while. If suddenly your parents move to the room right next to yours, it’s probably a good idea to stop gaming for a while. Think according to the position of your enemies at the moment; never play like a fool. Besides, your parents will probably move away after a couple minutes or so, and you can go on happily gaming.
- Also remember that you can also open a new tab (if you are playing in browser), then the new tab will be where you are playing. If you hear someone coming, switch back to your schoolwork.
- Use Windows 10 Task view. If you have windows 10 installed on the computer there is a button with 3 rectangles. That lets you create 2 or more desktops on one PC, use that to your advantage and play your game on another desktop while on another is your homework or essay.
Tips
- · Try not to make a lot of noise clicking or tapping the space bar when playing certain games. A parent may begin to wonder why you would need to click multiple times in the first place.
- · Always be on the good side of a younger sibling if they catch you playing. You would not want them snitching on you to your parents.
- Never EVER use your microphone. Those in-game voice commands are good enough for now.
- · Some graphic cards allow you to change desktops on your computer. A faster method compared to minimizing would be to create two different desktops, one for gaming and the other for schoolwork.
- When using headphones or earbud's make sure your headphones or earbuds in one ear only, so you can hear your parents coming
- Use the keyboard combination Alt+Tab to quickly switch between windows without making much noise. It will go to your most recent window. Parents usually notice when you click right when they walk over.
- · When you are using the virtual desktop method (for Windows 10) it is easier and less noticeable to use keyboard shortcuts. To make a new desktop simply use this keyboard combination: "ctrl+win+D" to change between desktops simply do "ctrl+win+left/right arrow key" To close a virtual desktop do ctrl+win+F4
- On some computers, you can use "ctrl+tab" to switch to the next tab and "ctrl+shift+tab" to switch back to a tab
- If you want to play fullscreen, you can download Borderless Gaming, it allows you to minimize the game very quickly.
Warnings
- If you use step 9 "I finished my homework already" Your parents might want to check if you really did or not.
- · Being caught playing multiple times when you were supposed to be working may cause your parents to confiscate your computer from you, or not allow you to be on the computer
- ·If you are trying to use Step 8, your parents would sometimes notice the taskbar with the game. Auto-hiding the taskbar may be helpful.
- · If you have a long-term project due the next day, I recommend putting off gaming for a while.
- · Continuously playing computer games may lead to either addiction or extreme procrastination in your work. Do not try this method often, as it may cause you to fail a class.
