Yes, Parents Can Play Online Video Games Too
Playing online video games is often associated with kids and seldom with parents. With the added stress to everyday life brought about by the pandemic, playing might just be the factor needed to achieve the much-desired balance in life. Physical play is of course highly preferable but online games can provide a welcome respite from the typical worries that occupy adult minds.
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels
This is exactly what I found myself doing one afternoon after a particularly mind-exhausting activity online. I asked my teenage kids to help me find an easily manageable online game. They know me too well not to involve me in complicated game instructions. I certainly don’t want to spend what little free time I have in unraveling mechanics.
What Kind of Game to Play
I believe that playing online games should be enjoyed while trying to win. There are so many choices available seeing that online gaming has come a long way from its early history. For me, there are three basic points to remember in choosing what game to play.
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- Try games from varied categories. It is very easy to limit one’s self to a particular game genre just because it is expected or as a result of stereotyping. You might be surprised to actually enjoy a game even if you’re not particularly keen on it initially. The simple point is you’ll never really know until you try.
- Play games you enjoy. It’s easy to determine this. Do you look forward to continuing to play, resuming play where you left off? Do you feel entertained when playing? Do you look for other similar games with possible unique twists? If you answered yes, then you’re obviously enjoying.
- Play games that challenge you. In time, you’ll realize what particular games you excel in or feels particularly challenged in playing. Exceling and feeling continually challenged in a game easily leads to enjoyment, even if played over and over again.
Why Parents Should Make Time to Play
Parents tend to think that games have no place in their busy lives. All work and no play can lead to burnout. Once this happens, they find themselves unable to perform their roles to people who motivated them to work hard in the first place.
Adults should make time for downtime either by themselves or their families. Fun is not the monopoly of the young. If play is essential for brain development in kids, adults need it to engage socially and in keeping the brain healthy.
My Say
Personally, I prefer simulation games. It copies activities from real life, making it easily relatable and playable. There is one particular simulation game I like which is Tap Supermarket from Plays.org. This preference is obviously connected to what I do every day as a parent running a household.
The three basic functions which the player must do include keeping the store stocked, expanding inventory, and checking out customers. The mechanics are very simple and I can take a break and resume play from where I left off. It’s just perfect for squeezing in between work just to have a break. It keeps me alert without stressing me out. Another favorite game of mine is Brick Out.
So yes, parents like me can play online video games too and I know my family does not take it against me when I do play. It is actually something I get to do with them and that means a lot to me.
