A new game becomes exhausting when every menu, system, and strategy feels like required reading. You only need enough knowledge to understand the immediate play loop; curiosity can handle the rest as the game gives you reasons to care.
Learn the immediate loop
A new game may introduce controls, currencies, maps, equipment, and social features together. Start with the basic loop: what action do you take, what feedback do you receive, and what can you do next? Understanding that sequence gives the other systems a place to fit.
Read the instructions relevant to the action in front of you. You do not need to memorize every menu before completing a first simple objective.
Leave room for experiments
Try a small, reversible action when you are unsure how something works. Open a menu, inspect a description, or practice movement in an appropriate area. Avoid committing scarce resources (sponsored) merely to clear a notification you do not understand.
If friends already know the game, ask a narrow question. What should I pay attention to in this activity? is often easier to answer than asking them to explain the whole game at once.
Decide what interests you
After a short introduction, notice which parts you enjoyed. You might prefer exploring, organizing a group, solving challenges, or improving a particular skill. Those preferences can guide what you learn next.
It is also fine to decide that the game is not for you. The purpose of a first session is to understand the experience well enough to choose your next step, not to prove that you can master every unfamiliar system immediately.
Give your next session one modest purpose: understand a mechanic you have already encountered or follow the objective that interests you most. Leave advanced systems alone until they answer a question you actually have. You can decide whether to explore further after you have spent some time with the basic play loop.
If you keep forgetting where you stopped, try a small gaming notes page. A reminder about your current objective and one unanswered question can make returning easier without turning the game into homework.