Over the summer, some friends were generous enough to buy and build a PC for me. They all wanted to play video games as a group and surprised me on my birthday with all of the components. It was built within a day, and then I was prepped to start downloading games such as “Hearts of Iron IV” and “Fortnite” (I promise it’s actually a pretty fun game) to play with my friends. I promise it’s actually a pretty fun game.
Unfortunately, when I moved into my residence hall, something happened during the transfer of the PC and it did not function properly. I was horrified because I thought I had ruined a very new and expensive gift from my friends. Thankfully, one of them was able to meet me here and fix it. Following that harrowing experience, I was ready to use the computer and make up for lost time.
So far, my favorite game is “Unrailed!” because it is very stressful, but is also goofy and an easy game to play once you get the hang of it. In the game, you play as some sort of animal and are responsible for clearing a path and making rails for a moving train. As you complete levels, there is more difficult terrain to remove and the train becomes increasingly quicker.
Another one of my personal favorites is “Overwatch,” especially when we have enough people in a match to play as a group with only our friends in it. In the game, there are many different maps and types of objectives you have to complete in order to beat the other team. Sometimes you are moving a robot to another area on the map or you’re simply gaining objectives by having possession of the territory for a longer period of time.
I love getting to progress and become better at aiming or beating a level that I struggled with the day before. Gaming is a perfect way to destress by putting effort into an objective that means something to you, and even if you don’t achieve what you set out to do, you always have the next day to try again. I am also gaining confidence in gaming on my own, which can be just as rewarding as playing with other people.
Even though gaming alone is exciting and engaging, the best part about gaming is hanging out with my friends. I met many of my gaming friends through high school and we are all extremely close. I was worried that once we all went to colleges in different places we would lose touch and only ever see each other at class reunions. Luckily, since I got the computer, I have another way to keep in contact with my friends and hang out with them even if it’s through a screen.
On top of this, I have many interesting stories to share after I shut my computer down. For instance, one time I decided to play “Lethal Company” with my friends Riley and Michael. The idea behind the game is to land your ship and collect loot together, then get the loot back to the ship without dying from various dangerous creatures. Unfortunately, you can only hear other people speaking if you are near them.
I returned to the ship and decided to wait for my friends, but they were nowhere to be found. I could not hear them and it was getting late. Thinking they had died, I took off right before they returned to the ship and lost the game. It was extremely funny, albeit embarrassing for me, but it makes for a hilarious anecdote to bring up when I talk to them.
All in all, I used to poke fun at my friends for how often they play video games, but I’ve learned that they are super enjoyable when you have a chance to play. I highly recommend getting some sort of gaming console, no matter if it’s a new PC or an ancient Nintendo Wii, and playing games with your friends or roommates to get to know them, make memories and end the experience with new stories to laugh about.
