Many of us, especially people playing lots of RPG's, have likely used a strategy guide to find all the missables, find some secrets, and as of recent times, get trophies/achievements easily. I certainly have used those when I was a teenager. I especially liked paper guides, as you simply can't beat colorful, game themed "books".

Trying to do so recently however, makes games feel like chores and work, not to mention that in my opinion it leaves you much less liberties in taking your "own path" in games that allow choices. Guides don't let me get absorbed into the game, as I have to look at some text and side crap, again and again, so I have stopped using them - it's not like games are difficult these days, so one can do just fine without them as far as I am concerned. 

Nevertheless, there is a big demand for guides as evidenced by the supply kind souls provide on the internet and through youtube. What is your stance on guides?

I'm afraid I don't have the luxury of replaying my games anymore, haha. Too big a backlog. But if I were to come into with the aim of replaying, I would go guideless the first time, and guided the second, to complete it 100%.

There are sadly no games that warrant that it my eyes, though =P perhaps NieR Automata, but it's not like replaying was a choice in the case of that game, you HAD to do it.

If it impact how I'll feel the story I won't use it on the first time (most of games), but if I liked the game enough to take the time to plat or collect all I use several guides.

Well, I can't say I don't kinda have an nostalgic connection on paper guides. During my Snes/N64 times I used to have soooo many magazines with guides and cheats. Unfortunatelly many got lost during the year, but there was two, one of Banjo-Kazooie and one of Ocarina of Time, they were complete guides with details about the characters, plot and artworks. They were my treasures and pride.

Nowadays, I mainly search for an online guide if I got stuck in the game. I try as hard as I can to play without a guide but if I noticed I had spend multiple hours stuck in certain place in the game, I search for some help.

I used guides a lot when I was a teenager but I stopped. they take away my enjoyment fr the most part..tho I did use a guide when i replayed life is strange to get all the pictures

It's fun to have them. When I play longer games, which basically is all I play I want to play the most efficient way. I hate finding out that I have played sub optimally and then have to start over. Also, the FF guides are really really pretty.

They absolutely are. They are the first guides I've gotten, and they've made me love paper guides.

I only use them AFTER I have completed most of the side content and the main game on my own, if I am trying to 100% everything. I used them as a kid, but now I relish a good challenge and pride myself on being able to do it on my own.

I'll use guides after I'm done with the main story or for a second playthrough. Although, I'll admit I did use one to get to right answers to some classroom questions in Persona 5.

On your first time through a game...well, once you've hit a wall and seem stuck long enough ("long enough" being a time determined by the individual), I see no harm in looking at a guide to keep progressing. I can think of quite a few examples of NES games where I wouldn't have moved past a spot without clarification from an outside source (tip book, playground chatter, etc.)

On a replay, bust that guide open. A replay means I really love a game and want to see all it has to offer, and often a guide is the only way to do that due to missable elements.