Why Gaming Can Be One Of The Best Hobbies To Have

In some form or another, games have been around for millennia, making gaming one of the oldest hobbies people have used to have fun. Games like Ur and Go are thought to have been around for thousands of years. So, despite the term “gaming” being relatively recent and associated with video games, gaming has been around a lot longer than you or I have been enjoying the pastime.

And while the games of today can be wildly different from those old board games, that doesn’t change the fact that gaming can be one of the best hobbies to have.

Whether it’s video games, card games, board games, or even casino games, gaming is a hobby that many people use to relieve stress, have fun, and wind down from a hectic day at work. Games can also be a great place to meet new people and form friendships. Or just escape to a new world where you can be anyone but yourself. They can also be a great way to exercise thanks to games like Ring Fit Adventure and Beat Saber.

For some people, gaming is a healing mechanism. It might help some people cope with a terrible time, bringing some level of normalcy to their lives. It can help people with depression. The list goes on. Whatever your preferences, there’s likely a game or a platform out there for you. For example, if you really love PC and console games, you might check out one of our lists like the Best PC Games or Best Nintendo Switch Games.

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Hobbies like gaming are many things to many different people

Whether you’ve been playing games your whole life or only recently started in the last couple of years, chances are gaming to you might be very different from what gaming is to others. For example, maybe gaming became one of your new hobbies during the pandemic, as a way to fill time. And we wouldn’t blame you if it did. For one, games are fun! And there’s loads of different kinds. And we think it’s awesome that so many people started their gaming journeys these past two years

In addition to that, let’s be honest, here. A lot of us were stuck inside for the better part of two years because of lockdowns, working from home, and the general lack of desire to be around other people in these crazy times. So, what better way to spend some of that time than escaping into the worlds of games?

If you’re like me, gaming has been around your whole life. You grew up with games. And, as the years passed, they stuck with you. Saturday mornings were filled with cartoons. Then taking turns with your siblings on the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo, PlayStation or any other number of consoles. If you were an only child, maybe games were a way to feel less alone.

Like me, games may have helped you with depression. And helped to get you through some of the toughest times of your life. Maybe gaming to you is none of that. Maybe you just get a sense of wonder every time you see a new world created by one of your favorite gaming studios. And you can’t wait to explore it. Either way, I think many people can agree that gaming is amazing. Whatever your reasons are for enjoying it.

Gaming in the social space

If you like to play games to be social, there are tons of different options for you. MMOs are some of the best games to play if you like social interaction. Games like World Of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV are excellent options for interacting with others.

Not only are they played by millions, but MMOs also serve as a great way to foster other skills. Like teamwork. If you’re new to MMOs, a big aspect of them is grouping up to take on tougher challenges.

Activities like dungeons and raids usually require you to work together to take on hard bosses and other difficult encounters. When they’re new, they usually can’t be completed solo. So when you sit down and think about it, it really is amazing how a game genre like MMOs have gotten people to use teamwork to get through content. While we won’t say this transfers over to real life for everyone, for some people it can be a great way to build up a skill like teamwork.

Of course, not everyone plays MMOs to be social. Some people have social anxiety. MMOs can be great even without the social interaction because of how vast their worlds are, and because of how much there is to do in those worlds.

I’ll use Final Fantasy XIV as an example here again because of some of the changes the developers are introducing to make the game more playable for single player experiences. For instance, many of the game’s group activities are and will be playable with NPCs (non-player characters) going forward.

All of that aside, MMOs, and really any online game, can be great for people who want to play games but be social at the same time. So they’re worth checking out.

If competition is your thing, there’s a game for that too

Games are certainly fun, and many people play games for that reason and that reason alone. But you might also be one of the people that plays games (or has thought about it) because you enjoy the thrill of competition. And if that’s the case, then there are games for that too.

Racing games, fighting games, first-person shooters, MOBAs. Even battle royale titles. These are all great examples of competitive online games that can get you amped up and riding high on the feeling of victory.

And really, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of trouncing your opponents in that heat of the moment with a clutch play that wins the match. This is part of the reason Esports has become such a big industry. Competitive games are not only fun to play, they’re fun to watch.

Though it takes a great level of skill and many hours of practice to compete at a professional level, competitive games can still be extremely fun with friends. Loser buys dinner tonight.

Gaming is for everyone, but it’s not necessarily to everyone’s taste

It would be naive to think that while gaming is for everyone, that everyone should love it. Everyone has their own personal tastes and passions. With that said, it might be worth your time to try playing some games to see if it’s something you might be interested in.

Gaming is larger now than it ever has been and with the scale of how many ways there are to play games these days, it should be pretty easy for most people find at least one or two games they find fun.

So, even if you’ve never put your hands on a controller before, or a mouse and keyboard if we’re talking about PC games, consider rifling through your many different options for gaming. Some games might surprise you.