It’s been a while since I’ve played anything I truly enjoyed and found immersive. For a time, I thought I would never get that feeling again—being so engrossed in a virtual world. It felt…wrong. I didn’t understand why until I found myself playing an old game I could finally focus on for hours once more. I only realized how much I needed this form of recreation when I reaped the benefits.
I used to write for a website that featured tech articles from gadgets to software reviews and gaming guides. I once wrote an article about the benefits of playing video games backed by research. Today, I am writing about it on my own tech blog from personal experience.
Lately, I’ve been feeling helpless in many ways. It’s been challenging to keep afloat after being burnt out from starting a small business, working, and managing finances. I hadn’t had time to sit down and enjoy myself, not even to watch a show or play a game without my mind wandering to those matters in the background. I felt terrible that every game I played felt like a chore, no matter how I liked it. It felt unnatural. I even felt guilty. Why couldn’t I relax?
My partner finally encouraged me to get this game I’ve wanted to return to for a while. I wasn’t sure I would enjoy it as much as the first time, but it had new features and was available on the console I used. It’s a simple farming game that took much of my time when I first played it. I wasn’t ready to be that distracted again. But I was desperate for some kind of escape from how I’d been feeling. I was pleasantly surprised that it worked, and now, I am not as miserable as I had been.
In this game, I have some control over my circumstances. I have help—basic resources to start with, tutorials, and probably an unfair advantage, which is my previous knowledge and experience of the mechanics. Not everyone gets these in real life. I certainly feel I don’t at the moment. And this is how it has been for all the games I enjoyed.
Video games give you a sense of power because certain elements are predictable. There are clear rules and mechanics to ensure players feel they can win to an extent. Lost in a puzzle? There are tutorials online. You know when to expect an opponent when the environment and music change. You can build on skills and, most importantly, level up those skills so you can progress.
See, all that sure feels impossible sometimes in the real world. Some might say the solutions are the same if you just apply them to your circumstances when you’re not sitting all day on your gaming chair. Sure. But the real world is harsher and often unfair. We don’t instantly heal from an injury or illness by drinking a potion. Not everybody gets a starter kit, sometimes not even clothing or food. You cannot craft a weapon or a tool from the resources around you. And here’s a good one: you can’t just upgrade your house by foraging, collecting stones, or talking to some wizard or dwarf to help you get them faster. Do we even have our own houses these days?
You could say that isn’t very helpful when you must return to your problems after playing anyway. The game didn’t change anything in your real life. Actually, it did. For a time, you had a sense of power, some control, and you know what else? A future. You know there are higher-level skills, weapons, and armor to acquire, and you know there are ways to get them. Who has those these days? But in the game, you do. It’s liberating. Yeah, it sucks when you go back to your desk, your bills, and all the bullshit that doesn’t seem to end in your life. What changed? Your brain.
- You feel confident. It feels almost like a reset, some rewiring of sorts. If you could beat that boss on level 35, you sure could give your daily tasks a shot. At least, that’s how it felt to me.
- You have a sense of freedom. There’s another world out there, and you can enter it when you want. You are not bound by the limits of your body and your circumstances. There are NPCs to interact with that are not your noisy neighbors or annoying family members. You can explore.
- You get unstuck. Your mind is stimulated. Mental stimulation helps in creativity. You can look at life from a new perspective, even if everything is the same boring shit. This helps you solve real-world problems and remember there are 101 ways to skin a cat.
- You can succeed. At least, you feel you can. That makes a huge difference.
I could go on. Most importantly, you have fun. Even that seems like a rarity today.
I can’t guarantee that your life will magically get better, and I’m not telling everyone to pick up a console or buy games if they’re not gamers. I don’t earn from this. Like me, you may experience a period where even gaming doesn’t work anymore. But at least it’s there to try when everything else fails.
I’m sure you have many more thoughts to add. Share them in the comments, and let’s talk about them!