What's you number one video game rule?

Beware of the dark.  If you cant see into some corner or down the hall it means that something is about to go very badly for you.
Seriously, whenever there is darkness in a game I get super paranoid about it and move like 1ft at a time and then look all around me just in case.
 
And also like some other people here, I never look at manuals or controls and I hate it when games force me to learn all of them one by one.
 
Its just like, Shut the fuck up, Ive got this! Ive played games before.

Eliminate all enemies before moving on

I should make a blog post of this! But to think up some rules...
 
Ok, my first rule applies to shooter games. It is "Marksmanship will get you very far." True, and mysterious, as is the three dots that ends my sentence...

Always save right before the boss battle.

Maximum DPS, defense is for sissies.

Reload gun after every kill if no enemies are around.

let your AI teammates go in first

" Save before, save after, save often, save every chance you can. "

" "Left is right, right is wrong." I use this ALWAYS when there are two paths splitting apart. Never look back, unless of course you find out that left was actually wrong, and right was well...right. Then you have to. USE THESE WORDS WISELY. "

" Mine is "Wait till I pause or say 'okay' before you cut in front of the teevee."  Fuckin' inconsiderate guest asshole bitch motherfucking bastards.... "

 Always go on google and find a nude mod if the game has lots of female leads in them.
 
For actual game play:

• Reload gun every time you are not getting shot at.
• If there is more then one way to go always check the other ones before you go down the one the game is telling you to. There is almost always something to help you or some kind of secret.
• If there is a jump button spam that mofo all the time!
• If you are in an in game cut scene that lets you control your guy, always run in circles and try to make it look like you giving people blowjobs or taking it in the butt.
• If a guy smokes, has an eye patch, or has a general fuck the world attitude in your party he is nine times out of ten the secret bad guy who has been behind the games evil plot the whole time. Even though i know this and try to kill him many times the game keeps telling me no and gives me the game over screen.
• GUARD THE MOTHER FUCKING GUY WHO IS KEEPING YOU AND YOUR TEAM FROM DIEING!
• Save at EVERY checkpoint i come to. If its a game that has battles like FF Tactics Advanced then save after every map you fight in.
• and most importantly of all, scream BULLSHIT every time i die in an FPS, or I/the game does something stupid that causes me to die or get hurt. Seriously it's a bad habit i picked up at some point but i say bullshit A LOT when i play a game.
• Have fun.
  

Always check behind any waterfalls for secret crap.

 Wash your greasy fucking hands before touching my controller 

" Shutup! Cut scene! "

"Reload gun after every kill "

Always check behind the waterfall! 
 
@buzz_clik said: 

" Always check behind any waterfalls for secret crap. "

When it is a new game, let all the developer and publisher intros run when it boots up.

check your corners

Close all doors behind you.

'To play the game'

No dual wielding.

mine is "You must construct additional pylons"

Always reload after killing someone, unless someone is behind the guy you just killed. Then kill the guy camping behind the dead guy, then reload.

Rule for shooters: 
If I can't pull the left trigger to aim down the sights, hit the eject button on the disc drive.   

Rule 2 for shooters: 
Single shot weapons are full of win.  (give me select fire in my military shooters)

Rule for rpg's: 
Try not to think of Mass Effect because everything sucks in comparison.  

Rule for story games: 
Make me laugh and try to make me cry at least once. 
 
The number one rule for games: 
Play them in the dark with surround sound; especially the first time they come out of the shrink wrap.

" No dual wielding. "

tapping buttons doesn't make it load faster.

1. Headshots & Reloading will get you far.
2. Play to win. If you're in a team game and the only way to win is by doing the dirty work and letting your KDR suffer, take one for the team (and for your w/l ratio).
3. Little green bastards with glowing eyes that wear a cloak, carry a chef's knife, and move very, very slowly will TOTALLY WALK UP TO YOU AND STAB THE SHIT OUT OF YOU, KILLING YOU IN ONE MOTHERF*CKING SHOT!!

Don't fucking talk during the god damn cut scenes, especially when they can not be paused! 

If it is up and down, I will go up.  It was left or right, ill take the right first.

Rule number one : Don't get caught.... sorry, been watching too much Dexter!

When ending cutscene plays, put down controller and watch 'til end of credits carry me back to title screen, or enough time has passed when credits are done that I know there isn't anything else... then press button.

" Don't ask me what the buttons do...just press them and figure the shit out. "

Gears of War: Headshots are like Pringles, once you pop you just can't stop. 

Keep hands clean, don't like grease and grime on my controllers.

When in doubt, jump over the big-ass ramp.

Always wear the wrist strap whilst playing the Wii.

If there are things to collect, in any form, collect ALL of them. Spyro the Dragon, i'm looking at YOUUUUU. 
 
@skippyscissors said:

" Always wear the wrist strap whilst playing the Wii. "

" Mine is, "always go the opposite of the way you're supposed to go."  Say your going down a hallway that splits left and right and the game map says to go left.  I will just naturally go right first because there is usually something that way that will help me, like health or ammo, or there might be a  collectible or unlock.   "

I don't really have any rules I go by, but I do have a habit that has to do with RPGs (JRPGs, more often than not).
 
Be as overpowered as possible.
 
This usually entails a long time grinding for levels and money, or going to places I shouldn't really be going to yet to get items early on (whenever possible). It tears me apart if I fight the next boss knowing I wasn't as powerful as I could be.

Save, Save, Save, Save, Save, Save, Save, Save and Save again. Even if a game has autosave, don't forget to save it yourself.
 
I've lost so much gaming time in the past because there has been a power cut at the wrong time, or someone has tripped over the power cable, or the game has crashed, and I hadn't saved for several hours.