For years I had convinced myself that gaming was something I no longer do. Perhaps even a waste of time. I picked up the odd game on a mobile - phone or tablet - and didn’t really get into it. Monument Valley is the only series I actually completed in those barren years. I forgot the enjoyment, the story, and the engagement that gaming brings.
When I upgraded my Apple TV to the 4K version a few years back, I stumbled across a couple of much more interesting games. Games that started to draw me back in. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate, Sneaky Sasquatch, and LEGO Star Wars: Castaway. It helped that they were games my kids enjoyed. Their enjoyment encouraged me.
So, I kept playing. I convinced myself a Nintendo Switch 2 would be a good idea - have a read of my musings here - and then found some significant benefits to playing ‘real’ games again.
Here are the five biggest benefits I found in returning to gaming:
- Handheld gaming fits my schedule The Switch 2 adds (handheld) gaming back into the mix. The ability to move to different rooms, take it on the go or my commute, and entertain the kids without being tied to a single TV is excellent. I had forgotten how much I like handheld gaming and the simple reason is that it fits my schedule better than a console attached to one TV in a single room.
- Games lift my spirits. Noticeably. Gaming is interactive and requires you to take part in the story. Playing a game lifts my spirits and leaves me feeling better. Especially when compared to the same amount of time I would have spent doomscrolling. An hour looking at my phone is not going to feel good. An hour chasing a dragon across Hyrule does.
- They provide cognitive focus. It’s strange, but I’m convinced I’m cognitively sharper than two months ago. I have better recall, improved creativity in my ideas, a longer attention span, and an ability to get more tasks completed before I feel that I need to take a break. It is very hard to be sure about this connection but I have changed nothing else significant since I picked up my Switch 2.
- Gaming helps me avoid burnout by taking task breaks Whilst I would recommend 15 minutes of daylight time first thing in the morning over gaming, the ability to take a short gaming break is not to be sniffed at. Take a break and come back powered up for the next meeting or work assignment on the list. This is a game changer and a superb brain-reset.
- Games are satisfying simply. because they are fun It seems games are more brilliant and more creative than ever. The wonder of first-party games to me can be found in the creativity and brilliance of the ideas and characters. I’m not knocking third-party games such as Cyberpunk, but Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda and the others just make for some of the most entertaining and endearing characters, worlds and ideas you could dream of. And they are family-friendly right out of the box. These great games have me looking forward to playing a level, beating a boss, or seeing my kids’ eyes light up in amazement. All said, having a simple pleasure to look forward to after a long and stressful day can be the greatest benefit of all.