How Often Do You Use Guides When Gaming?

[Signalstar]

Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes. How often do you find yourself consulting a guide of some sort to help you clear a game? ? How extensively do you use guides, do you use them for the whole game or just difficult sections you get stuck on?

Are there certain types of games or particular series you find yourself using guides more with?

Do you prefer using text or video guides? What about official printed guides that were more prevalent back in the day?

Personally there are certain games and series I find myself falling back on guides on. I am an adult gamer of sufficient skill so that I thin I should be able to clear most games in a straightforward manner. However, nothing irks me more than getting stuck on a game where the solution is unclear or not intuitive. I don't feel guilty about resorting to guides in those cases. Its a level design critique of mine.

Games I mostly play with guides are Zelda, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, and the like. I mostly stick to text guides. Shout out to GameFaqs. Watching a video walkthrough sometimes spoils the fun because I see what happens in the video before I experience it in the game. 

For platformers and other games where I find myself stuck on an annoying bit I might just do a quick Google search or pull up a Youtube vid to help out.

How about you?