As far as hobbies go, gaming gets left off the list 9 times out of 10. That’s something we want to think about here today. Gaming is a great hobby to invest in; many of the products involved can carry a hefty price tag, but the enjoyment of even just one game on one console can be endless! And seeing as it’s such a diverse space, you’ll be able to find something that’s just perfect for your time, skill, and taste. So thinking about all of that, let’s go through the best parts of gaming as a hobby down below.
You Can Flex Your Mental Muscles
Gaming is a good way to keep your brain young and healthy, thanks to just how tuned in it can make you. Even people who may struggle to focus, such as those living with ADHD, can block out the rest of the world and get invested in what a game’s world has to offer. And as you do so, you can strengthen the core skills every person should have. This is when finding the best games to play is important. You may want to enjoy a game of online chess, card games, puzzles, or video games. Whatever it is, they all serve a purpose for flexing those mental muscles.
For example, your hand and eye coordination can improve, you can help yourself to think more creatively and out of the box, and you can develop your patience and tolerance when a hard puzzle needs a bit more thinking about! No matter what game you decide to play, you can tune your own playstyle and find the best way to play the game for you.
You Can Make Some Great Friends
Another tick in the box for us! Gaming is a very popular hobby, and at least 3 billion people around the globe play a game at least once a week. That’s a lot of potential friends you can meet! Even people who prefer single player experiences, and you only like to follow a narrative and get involved with NPCs, there’s always a multiplayer game out there you’ll mesh with as well.
If you’re worried about going online in a game, thanks to just how toxic many playerbases can be, take some steps to protect yourself first. You can use ‘push to talk’ to ensure you only speak when you want, make liberal use of the block button for any player that oversteps the mark, and you never have to talk to someone you don’t like the sound of.
There’s Some Good Representation
The world of gaming stretches further than any other kind of media. Both film and TV alike trail behind when it comes to the representation on offer, thanks to just how easy it is to make a game. Even a 2D sprite dungeon crawler can be one of the most diverse things you’ve ever seen!
And the bigger companies don’t mind investing in big forms of representation either; there are countless female characters in Mario and you can play as any kind of protagonist, of any age, gender, race, or sexuality, in most AAA games now on the market.
After all, it’s up to you how you play, and this is reflected in the character customization decisions you get to make. You could read a book with some predefined characters, but if you want to try out something a little more interactive, give gaming a go in the near future.
It’s Just a Lot of Fun!
Let’s face it, playing a video game is fun. And that’s the number one reason why it’s such a good hobby. All of the best hobbies ensure you have a good time with them at least 90% of the time, and gaming is definitely up there in the top quarter of these statistics. The more you play, the better you get at it as well, which is common for many other hobbies too.
However, you don’t need to be good at a game to enjoy it. Even if you struggle, as long as you enjoy it it’s going to be a good use of your time. You don’t just have to stick to the games on your phone just because they’re a bit more simple to use!
Gaming is a good hobby for anyone to try out. Even if you’re not sure you could use a traditional gamepad or controller, you can always try a mouse and keyboard or invest in a more accessible option offered by all big development studios. So why not give it a try, if you’re bored at home right now and you’ve only dabbled in the past? It’ll definitely open up a whole new world for you!
