Side Quest Energy
Excitement about random activities
Example
Weren’t you supposed to be writing your paper today?
I was... but then I spent three hours building a birdhouse
Wow. That’s some peak side quest energy right there
I know. No regrets though—the birds are gonna love it
Take the pop culture acronym challenge
Side quest energy is a Gen Z slang term that describes moments when someone is doing something random, offbeat, or wildly unrelated to their primary goals, just like a side quest in a video game. It’s the vibe you give off when you’re fully committed to a spontaneous detour, whether that’s baking bread at 2 a.m., helping a stranger with directions, or deep-cleaning your closet instead of doing your actual work. It’s not always productive, but it’s entertaining, and it often feels oddly fulfilling.
The term started gaining traction around 2022–2023 on platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and Twitter, where gaming references are deeply woven into online humor. “Side quest energy” gained popularity among students and young adults as a humorous and relatable way to describe procrastination, quirky hobbies, or random acts of kindness. People often use it affectionately or self-deprecatingly, like “I was supposed to be job hunting but ended up walking dogs for two hours, total side quest energy.”