Often me. I make tools/interactions for learning management systems. So the back end is a thid party I have no controll over. Just take the api and make the magic happen.
You need me to save data somewhere but don't want to buy server space? Sure we can cram that into places it's not ment to go within the system. It will slow things down and likly cause issues but it's free.
Comming from a simular situation. So the best I can give is my own story.
Nearing my 40s. More of a rimworld/minecrafter. Every day off work, every waking minute im in a game.
short version of a long story. I'm experiencing huge life changes. Therapy and friends convinced me to remove one of the major causes of my isolation. And with it going away I saw just how isolated I actually was all this time. I saw how badly it has affected me. The negativity is part of that. It's like a symptom of isolation poisoning.
I feel for the first time that I've wasted so much time. I didn't value making friends or seeking a life parter. Though having made a friend everything changed.
Honestly the desire to play games is fading and it now feels bad to play games all day. Making a real friend who is postive made me want to be more positive i leared that it's a genuinely good feeling.
Isolation is comfortable but it comes at a cost you may not see. It's good to go out and get some perspective occasionally.