Some of the best geeky hobbies are no longer exclusive to geeks, but that doesn’t make those hobbies any less geeky. It just means now you have even more people to enjoy your favorite hobbies with. If you’re looking for a new hobby to try, why not embrace a few of these.
1. Tabletop RPGs
Probably the most popular geeky hobby is playing tabletop RPGs. What once was just a group of geeks sitting in a basement rolling dice has now become a massive hobby millions enjoy. Some businesses even use RPGs as team building exercises.
Tabletop RPGs are like highly immersive, strategy boardgames that can last indefinitely. Players create characters, interact with each other, and try to complete campaigns lead by a game master or dungeon master. Campaigns can be long or incredibly short. What people love most is you can be as creative as you want.
While Dungeons & Dragons is the most well-known, there are endless tabletop RPGs to try. If you want to learn more about D&D, check out our guides on being a great dungeon master, tips for finding D&D groups online, and the best YouTube D&D channels.
2. LARP or Cosplay
While the two are the same, LARP (live action role play) and cosplay do share one similarity – becoming a character. This is usually a fantasy, comic, anime, TV show, or movie character. With LARPing, you don’t just dress up. You embody the character and meet with other LARPers to act out scenes as if you really were those characters. If you want a simpler option, cosplay isn’t quite as immersive.
Outside of actually acting like the character you’re dressed as, there’s a crafting element. Some people just order costumes. But, others make their own costumes, armor, and weapons. They become highly skilled at makeup and even adding prosthetics.
While you might already be familiar with cosplay, check out these LARP YouTube channels to learn more about this hobby. Want to try it out yourself? Find LARP events near you and use these resources to create your own armor.
3. Raspberry Pi and Arduino
When you think of geeky hobbies, technology might be the first thing you think about. If you love technology and building things, you might want to try your hand at working with Raspberry Pi and Arduino. Raspberry Pi is a single board computer you can customize and build upon to create your own computer, robots, and even gaming systems.
Arduino is similar. It’s open-source and lets you use Arduino boards (microcontrollers) along with the Arduino programming language to build both simple (turning on a mini LED bulb) and complex (robotic pets) projects.
Even if you’ve never tinkered with stuff like this before, the Raspberry Pi and Arduino official sites can help guide you. Plus, both have active online communities to get you started.
4. Write Fanfiction
While fanfiction sometimes gets a bad reputation for NSFW content, that’s just a small subsection of this geeky hobby. Many famous authors, such as EL James and Cassandra Clare, actually wrote fanfiction before going on to become bestselling writers.
The premise is simple. Pick a fandom and write your own story using characters from the fandom. Change up the original stories completely, create different endings, or branch out to create new adventures for the characters. For instance, Harry Potter fans who didn’t like how the main characters paired off in the end, write their own versions with Harry and Hermione being together.
Fanfiction can be short stories, novels, poetry, artwork, comics, and more. If you want to share your work or read other fanfiction, check out:
- Archive of Our Own
- DeviantArt (mainly artwork and comics)
- FanFiction
- Wattpad (mix of original and fanfiction)
Remember, you can also create your own website or blog.
5. Geocaching
Do you love scavenger hunts? Then, you’ll love geocaching. It’s one of the lesser known geeky hobbies that’s growing in popularity. All you need is an app and the desire to go outside and explore. At the time of writing, there are currently over three million geocaches hidden worldwide.
The object is to get people outside for a treasure hunt and help them explore their local area. Other players hide boxes and even small pill-sized containers for their fellow players to find. You use the app to help track the location and use the clues to find the actual container.
Once you find it, you win! Sign the included logbook to show you’ve been there. Some containers have trackables. These are devices meant to be found and then placed in other geocaches. Players can track where trackables go to see just how far they travel. Visit Geocaching to download the app and check out the rules.
6. Retro Gaming
Sure, modern games like Elden Ring are fun, but there’s still something fun about retro games. Maybe you used to play classic NES games or you’re young enough you don’t even remember NES, Sega, PlayStation Classic, or even Atari. Either way, collecting and playing games from decades ago is incredibly entertaining. Just imagine not needing an Internet connection to play video games!
Many retro games are available for digital download on platforms like Steam. You can also download retro games from GOG. Of course, if you want the full experience, pick up retro consoles and games online from a variety of gaming stores. It’s a great nostalgia hobby that’ll bring you endless enjoyment.
7. Building Models
You might think model building is just for kids, but actually, it’s a popular hobby for all ages. That’s also what makes it one of the more popular geeky hobbies. You buy kits and put them together. That’s all there is to it. Think of it as 3D puzzles.
Go classic with model car and truck kits, like this Batman Forever Batmobile. Or, try your hand at intricate Metal Earth models, such as the Star Wars X-Wing Fighter. If you want bigger models, then Legos are a must, such as the I Am Groot figure.
If you’ve never done any model building before, start with smaller, simpler kits to learn the basics. Then, go as complex as you want. For instance, there are Lego kits with over 9,000 pieces.
8. Board Games
If you don’t have a stack of board games, can you really call yourself a geek? It’s not just about playing the game though. It’s about getting together and destroying all your friends to become the victor, or just having fun.
You can keep it simple with classics like Monopoly or even Sorry. Try party games like Cards Against Humanity or Apples to Apples. Or, opt for strategy games like Scythe, Terraforming Mars, or Pandemic.
The great thing is you can gather friends in person or even play online using tabletop gaming platforms. If you prefer board games on your favorite console or PC, try these digital board games.
9. Learn Programming
Not only is it a useful skill to have to better understand how technology works, but it’s surprisingly fun to type up some code and see something happen. Sure, creating a basic webpage that says “Hello world,” might not be the most amazing thing ever, but what if you could create the next viral mobile app? Maybe you’d like to go beyond basic templates for your own website and create something fully custom.
The best part is you don’t have to spend anything other than time to enjoy this geeky hobby. There are numerous free resources. A few places to learn the basics (and some advanced skills) include:
10. Play an Instrument
Sure, the band geeks weren’t usually the most popular kids in school, but learning to play an instrument is one of the best geeky hobbies. You don’t have to be the next big rock star to enjoy this hobby. Just the process of learning to play an instrument boosts your cognitive function and memory retention. It also relieves stress.
The best part is it doesn’t matter what instrument you learn. Go with the two most popular – piano and guitar. Or, go a bit geeky with an ocarina, just like in Legend of Zelda. You could even be the next Weird Al and learn to play the accordion.
No matter what you choose, just enjoy the process. You could even learn different instruments with your friends and jam out together.
Don’t forget, no matter what hobby you choose, YouTube probably has videos about it. You can pick up a variety of hobbies and skills just by subscribing to the right channels.
Image credit: Ravi Palwe via Unsplash
