I’m a 50+ Gamer and I Have No Shame
I don’t even care about being “unproductive” anymore!
When I was in my 20s, my boyfriend and I used to play video games every chance we had. People would come over and play games with us. There would be people sitting all over our living room with a controller in one hand and a drink in the other.
I miss those days, to be honest. Despite the fact that D. and I broke up two kids and many years later, I kinda miss the fun we had. Sega on the TV, friends surrounding us, laughter and good food. It was a long party!
But, with the addition of kids and bills and life, someone had to grow up. It was me. I grew up. Became the responsible one. Worried about things like buying a car, buying healthy food for the kids, saving money for a future.
I’m not saying it was wrong. It had to happen. But damn, I sure didn’t like it. And I resented the hell out of him for being the one to not grow up. Because while I was stepping back from all the fun stuff, he just kept right on being a kid. Sure he worked — sometimes. But when he wasn’t working he was still playing video games.
Nintendo Switch made me realize how much I missed that.
I got my Switch as a way to unwind after work. I thought it might be something I would do once or twice a week when I had a little time. I had no idea that I would love it so much.
The thing is, although I have a partner I live with and I still have bills (more than ever probably), I can find a way to balance it all now.
Well, maybe balance is not quite the right word. I find a way to make both of us happy and still keep up with my adult responsibilities. Wait — maybe that is balance. Maybe I found a way to be both and adult and a kid?
One of the main reasons I bought the Switch was because it was affordable. And because I could play Toejam & Earl, one of my favorite Sega games. I’d wanted to play it ever since I found out that it was being re-released several years ago. D. and I would play this game for hours on end, bopping through the levels of Earth, avoiding aliens, and collecting parts of our space ship.
But then I discovered Animal Crossing…
Why was this silly game so much fun. It was simple, easy, non-combative, friendly, funny, and goofy. It was a game for children wasn’t it? My son recommended it to be and I ignored the recommendation for a few months. But when I finally downloaded this game…
I was hooked.
I’ve been playing it for about a year and a half now and I have about 1100 hours in and it is my go-to game. The game I go to when I have a little bit of time to chill out. The game I go to when I really need to relax. The game I go to when my brain is reeling and I just want to stop thinking for a little while. The game I play when I want to spend some virtual time with my daughter (who is 10 hours by car away from me) so we can go to each others islands and run around dancing and exploring each others’ islands.
But my new gaming adventure didn’t stop there!
Since then, I’ve added games to my Switch like Assasin’s Creed (Ezio), Hokko Life, Fae Farm, and others that have all been enjoyable.
And, my partner bought me a PS5 last Christmas. Totally not expected but turns out it was a system I’ve very much come to enjoy.
My favorite game on the PS5 is Stray. You play as a cat is a post-apocalyptic future and interact with a droid and robots who have evolved to have feelings and lives. The robots are super cute. But there are zurks everywhere and the zurks, who look like big rats with glowing eyes, eat both flesh and metal and they are very dangerous. This game was awesome and will totally be a replay for me.
I’ve since added Horizon Zero Dawn, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Hogwarts Legacy and a few other games to the collection. Ok, a lot of other games but I haven’t had time to play them all.
And, to top that all off, I’ve since acquired an XBox 360, unplayed! It’s been sitting in a box in my partner’s closet all this time. So, my next mission is to set that up and acquire some games.
I even set up an account on Twitch so I can enjoy some streamers. And I’m fascinated by that. I might even start streaming myself in the fall!
So, maybe there are some people who don’t consider me a “real” gamer because I mostly play cozy games with a chill vibe. Whatever. I play video games as much as I can find time for. I’m a gamer and I have no shame in it.
If you play video games I’d love to hear your recommendations for cozy games (or games that are close to that genre) for the PS5, Switch, or XBox 360. Leave me a comment and I’ll check it out!
