Have you ever experienced what it’s like to be the hero who saved a village from an incoming invasion?
Or been so invested in characters and where their story takes them that you cannot rip yourself away?
I have – albeit virtually, but it’s still pretty cool.
As someone who regularly plays video games, being stuck in my own house because of lockdown has given me some much-needed time to catch up on gaming – and I know I’m not the only one who feels that way.
Most games have had a surge of players recently and some, like Animal Crossing, The Sims and Table Top Simulator (that allows you to play board games online) have also seen a real increase in popularity.
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What’s great about these games is that they don’t require you to have the best PC or laptop – which means they are more accessible to more people.
Personally, I also feel low-maintenance games are sometimes equally as good as the ones that require better graphic cards and specs.
During coronavirus lockdown, these games allow us to forget about the pandemic for a few moments and get lost in a world where things aren’t quite as bad – or at least one that has very different sets of challenges.
This alternate reality also has the added bonus of no life-changing consequences, if we fail to complete our goals. We can always try again.
It’s weirdly therapeutic to tend to a virtual garden, build a career for your characters or aid a helpless villager in finding their lost child – especially when we feel quite restless and helpless.
Gaming has always been a welcome escape to me, so in many ways I feel quite well-equipped to deal with the current situation.
During times in my life where I found things hard, gaming was my safe place. It has been there through every break-up and death and, most significantly, through my transition.
It’s weirdly therapeutic to tend to a virtual garden, build a career for your characters or aid a helpless villager in finding their lost child
Over the few years leading up to me coming out, games were instrumental in me coming to terms with being transgender.
For a very long time, I struggled to be able to admit it to myself, let alone anyone else. I felt deeply ashamed of it, and all I wanted was to push it away, forget about it and get on with life.
Through the games, I was able to create different characters, live out different lives and experience what it was like to be a person that fit who I was.
When I started playing online video games I took my first steps in introducing myself as a girl or a woman, and I remember the freedom and feeling of a weight being lifted off my shoulders just writing it.
Eventually, I met up with a group of people from an online community IRL and went as myself – a journey that lead to me eventually coming out to the world.
I owe gaming a lot, and I don’t quite know what I’d do without it.
Aside from being an avenue of comfort and self-discovery for some, games provide a much-needed distraction in this day and age.
It’s so important to learn how to shut off and take a break from the news or social media. Games offer a unique and a visual way of getting invested in something –even if that is just a virtual garden – or simply blowing off some steam.
I’ve used this time to play games I’ve been waiting to replay, or games that have just been waiting for me to start. I find it highly relaxing and entertaining.
So if you’re feeling restless and running out of things to do during these times, maybe experiencing the magic of gaming is just what you need right now.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing claie.wilson@metro.co.uk.
Share your views in the comments below.
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