This was actually the second time I stopped learning game development and it was for the exact same reason and at the exact same lesson; basically I was learning 2D game development, got to the stage where you set up the sprites and can decide how long each sprite lasts for (so perhaps one frame in a several frame long sequence you want that one sprite to last on the screen a little longer than the rest, you can), and also setting up each sprite and such, only to realize I'd have to do this for everything that has sprites and was like noooooooope.
Maybe if I ever try to learn game development again I'll just stick to ASCII games or something. I watch the game dev videos where people make games in a short amount of time, see all the work that goes into the stuff they do, and realize it's not for me.
I'm honestly way too lazy to do any of this stuff. I wanted to be a game developer ever since I was a kid, but I'm also infinitely lazier now than I was back then.
I don't have much to add but I feel ya. Planning on using Unreal Engine to make some stuff.
Honestly as someone who doesn't think they're a competent programmer and knows only basic stuff with C and Python I'd be proud If I do the thing with adding Mario in a realistic setting lol.