Hina Ishida, fellow writer for Her Campus Warwick, recently published an article titled Why we Keep Gaming: Answers from Women and Non-binary Gamers (hercampus.com). It discusses the difficulties faced by female and non-binary gamers in a male-dominated subculture, many of which I relate to. Whilst I don’t have experience with PC gaming, as Hina and some of her peers do, I am part of the gaming community in other ways. And so, I recently invited gamers to give quotes under the broad prompt of ‘why I game’. Below are some of the responses, as well as my own thoughts and related experiences. I want to celebrate the inclusivity and variety of gaming, as well as how influential it can be to a person’s life.
The first submission is written below, and is one that I resonate heavily with. The gaming community may be massive, especially when considering all the forms of gaming, but there will always be room for more. Not long ago, I was having a rough day and bus delays were only making matters worse, until I overheard two people talking about Dungeons and Dragons (coined D&D by many). Although my experience is limited, I joined in and asked if anyone had listened to Not Another D&D Podcast, or NADPod. From this, another stranger joined in and the four of us had a 20 minute conversation about the game, including our own experiences and advice for beginners such as myself. What I’m trying to say is that gamers are everywhere and, for the most part, are incredibly welcoming. The quote below proves how important gaming can be for a sense of community, as well as respite from daily life.
‘I game for the sense of community! I’m a tabletop-game player. [Gaming] helps me forget the stresses of student life [by immersing] myself in a fictional reality or setting, so you could also say that it helps with my well-being and work-life balance. I’ve met some incredible friends through games, and I hope there are many more to come!’
Short and sweet, but nonetheless truthful. My relative got me a paint-by-numbers of a boat for Christmas, and I absolutely love it. The paints and brush came with it, so all I need to do is pop on some lofi beats and try to stay in the lines. This next one demonstrates how diverse gaming can be, and how many people focus on console/PC gaming as opposed to shorter-lasting games. It also shows how games can be both relaxing and focusing, providing clarity in an unobvious way.
‘I mostly play simple games like 10:10 or paint by numbers. It’s just a nice way to keep my brain busy.’
Alternative worlds are something that we are all familiar with, be it in books, films, gaming or other media. Sometimes, your own imagination can feel limiting, so exploring a world created by someone else (or, more realistically, a team of people) can cause great excitement. Through experimentation, players can figure out what narratives and worlds they are most drawn to, then use that information to look for similar games. There’s also that kick out of controlling or influencing the actions of others, or maybe I’m just egotistical. Either way, you can stretch the realms of possibility and do things you thought never possible in real life.
‘I enjoy the storytelling elements in gaming. Games go beyond most films and theatre performances, allowing you to influence and immerse yourself within the action and characters.’
This links to the next quote, where the blatant honesty is funny or, at most, borderline alarming. But we’ve all got a dark side, and at least this gamer is willing to admit it. Sometimes, you’ve just got to button-smash your problems away. I’ve been there.
‘I love horror games- I find them really effective in helping with stress because of how immersive and interactive they are. You can’t think about uni when someone is about to kill you and set back the whole game lol’
As you may know, I’m a big fan of Pokémon, be it the main entries of spin-off games like Mystery Dungeons. It’s not a surprise to hear someone else became interested in gaming because of family members, until branching off and finding their own interests. On top of that, it has made me realise just how inclusive and wide-reaching gaming is, even across generations. And, of course, we love a queer campaign and all the madness that came with it. I can only pity the GM (Game Master) who had to voice NPCs (Non-Player Characters) that were likely subjected to sexual/gender exploration.
‘I got into videogames at quite a young age as my older family members were very into Pokémon. Starting to play that and other JRPGs is what eventually got me into RPGS (mainly D&D but now Alien and City of Mist). My love of RPGs mainly came from my friend group, who wanted to explore their identities through characters (this led to some very queer campaigns!) and, since then, I’ve loved the worldbuilding and narrative of any form of RPG.’
From the submissions, I can safely say that immersion and community and key to why many game. I resonate best with community, but undoubtedly love the immersive elements. Personally, my course can be overwhelming and philosophical, so I love to game to take a break from the Big Brain Thinking (I’ve capitalised that in the hopes that you will know what I mean). Also, gaming is invaluable to my mental health, whether it is to perk me up or calm me down post-crying. There’s been more than a few occasions where I’ve utterly worn myself out and want nothing more than to go someplace else. Be it Solitaire, Horizon Zero Dawn or Ticket to Ride, there’s always a game for what I need. I invite you all to think about what games you play, whatever the form, and how they’ve helped you. Better yet, think about how they can help you, if you just give them a chance.