What is your strategy to keep your gaming under control?

I have 2 kids under 4. Problem solved.
- I play multiplayer, I have a baby, I have a friend with a baby, I have another who’s a borderline alcoholic, it’s a miracle we all turn up for a scheduled game as often as we do.
- I have one kid and one business to run, same result.

I'm very lucky that right now my first instinct pulls me to do other things than gaming first, so playing most video games is an active choice for me now—which usually happens when I actually have time to game and not when I should be doing something else. It wasn't always this way.
A common trigger for getting me to game is if I'm with friends, because although we did not become friends over video games it has weirdly turned out that most of my friends like video games. We might play two different games, just coexisting in harmony enjoying each others' company, or play together, or watch the other play. And of course, their availability and mine puts a limiter on how long we're gaming.
If you legitimately struggle with managing your gaming and not having it take over your life… reddit.com/r/stopgaming exists as a starting point. I know a lot of people including me are on Lemmy because we wanted to get off Reddit, but I rate "help fix an actual life problem, possibly an addiction" much higher than "stay off Reddit." I don't begrudge anyone who still needs Reddit for its r/stopdrinking or other support communities. Also, there are apps for mobile and programs for PC that can lock you out of opening certain applications, including games. I know about 1Focus for Mac. I have not used it in forever, but if I recall correctly the typical workarounds you would use to stop it from blocking the stuff you want it to block wouldn't work—so the self-imposed restraint you set wasn't so easy to just reverse. Don't want to make assumptions about your situation, you might have just been asking as a conversation starter, but on the off chance anyone actually needs help…

Don't buy early access. I almost never game as a result.

Buddy, I've been gaming everyday for 20+ years. It's all I think about and I still haven't gotten addicted so doubt it's happening.

My trick is to never play Factorio singleplayer

My what, now?
- Under what?
  Do you recognize that word?
  
  I know all the words in that sentence, but they don't cake any sense, strung together in that order.

Nothing. Embrace the chaos. My 5yo ensures I have no gaming sessions past 30 seconds.

I don't have a strategy, as much as I have obligations now that I'm supposed to be an adult. I've been a geek and a gamer for 30 years, and I don't see that changing any time soon.
Retirement is gonna be awesome.
- Same. But: Binging is a real problem for me. For months I did not play factorio at all, but then …

About 15 years ago I did this one little trick. People have been doing it for literal millenia, and it really helped me cut back on the time spent gaming. I had kids... Since then, I only ~~get to~~ play on weekends.
- Seems a bit excessive to me, but as long as it works for you all is good. You had to implement multiple kids though? One did not do the job?
- Doesn't help - I play instead of sleeping