Skyrim: nine ways to make it the worst game ever

We despise the phrase "doing it wrong", because it suggests that gaming is fundamentally a skill, rather than a pastime, and that if you don't have the skill, you should naff off and read books or something. But there is such a thing as "doing it boringly". Given a player who's unwilling to take easier or more entertaining routes, even the very best titles can be tedious. Even the likes of Skyrim, front-runner for OXM's game of the year.

If you're finding this wondrous experience a chore, have a glance down the list below. Chances are that you're to blame. It takes two to tango.

1. Pick up everything, even when you don't need it

When you're starting out in Skyrim, it's only natural to hoard each and every spare tomato, ring, book or dagger you come across. You're still working out how to play, after all - still trying to amass enough gold to buy your first Steel helmet, still getting a handle on the realm's rich folklore and geography. Try to lose this instinct as soon as possible, however, or you'll end up massively over-encumbered on a mountain somewhere, trying to work out which of five hard-won enchanted weapons you can least do without.

In particular, resist the temptation to automatically scoop up alchemy, smithing and cooking ingredients, as they can add up to a lot of excess weight. Learn to prioritise - if you're playing a light-armoured thief, for instance, you don't need a lifetime's supply of Dwemer metal ingots.

2. Don't fast-travel to places you've already visited

You'll want to revisit every valley, mountainside, road or forest in Skyrim at least once or twice - there's too much content to exhaust in one pass. But don't take the long route for the sake of it, unless you're iron-willed enough to ignore all the distractions, or patient enough to turn back halfway to store or sell off loot. You aren't "cheating yourself" when you warp-jump between known areas - the land in between isn't going anywhere - and choosing the order in which you discover things will make the resulting sense of accomplishment all the sweeter.

3. Refuse to abandon unwinnable fights

Skyrim does scale up the difficulty to match your level at times, but for the most part, difficulty depends on area. Which means you can always skip a particularly gruelling dungeon or encounter if you prefer. Seize the opportunity. Again, the content isn't going anywhere. If you're getting your arse repeatedly handed to you on a side mission, return to the main quest. If the main quest isn't coming quietly, check out the side missions.

4. Don't adapt when it makes sense to adapt

Skyrim's create-your-own role-playing can wrong-foot players accustomed to the class systems of past Elder Scrolls games (and fantasy RPGs in general). The key thing to remember is that while it's good to specialise, your options are always open. You don't need to be wearing the light armour to sneak, you don't need arms like pillars to wield a double-handed axe, and you don't need the eyes of a hawk to use a bow. Give your adopted disciplines their due, but don't be afraid to experiment when the situation calls for it.

5. Ignore the first clutch of Whiterun missions

Until you slay the dragon near Whiterun, that's the only dragon you'll ever see. Muddle your way through the first three or four quests in the main story arch at least. That way you'll unlock dragon-shouts (if not the capacity to upgrade them) and be able to bash winged lizards ad hoc as you roam the continent.