Nearly a year on, it is fair to say that the coronavirus pandemic has impacted us all. Stress, anxiety and isolation are all deeply understandable sensations in this age of uncertainty, and we all find different ways to get through it–TV, books, crafts or indeed, video games
While gaming might make you think of first-person shoot-em-ups or high-speed car racing, there is a softer side to video games too. From aeroplane flight simulators to virtual farming, players are taking more comfort than ever in meditative games of repetition and strategy, where game over is not an option so much as infinitely remodelling imaginary worlds. At their best, these video games can offer a real sense of immersion, and we’ve been drawn in our droves towards titles that offer simple, slow-paced gameplay, soothing in their lack of peril.
Whether you’re an experienced gamer or a technological novice, it’s never too late to try something new. Here, three gamers explain how their favourite meditative titles have helped them to manage times of grief, depression and isolation, turning their virtual worlds into a welcome escape.
HAVING EXPERIENCED SEVERAL close family losses, Kevin finds Football Manager to be a nostalgic, soothing way to manage his grief.
“I was staying overnight at a friend's house when I first experienced the game that would become Football Manager. My friend’s parents had bought him a PC to help him with his schoolwork, and Championship Manager 2 was the only two-player game he had. Even though it took the best part of an hour to load a new game, we were always happy to wait.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Reader's Digest April 2021 من Reader's Digest UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Reader's Digest April 2021 من Reader's Digest UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
EVERY SECOND COUNTS: TIPS TO WIN THE RACE AGAINST TIME
Do you want to save 1.5 seconds every day of your life? According to the dishwasher expert at the consumer organisation Choice, there’s no need to insert the dishwashing tablet into the compartment inside the door.
May Fiction
An escaped slave's perspective renews Huckleberry Finn and the seconds tick down to nuclear Armageddon in Miriam Sallon’s top literary picks this month
Wine Not
In a time of warning studies about alcohol consumption, Paola Westbeek looks at non-alcoholic wines, how they taste and if they pair with food
Train Booking Hacks
With the cost of train travel seemingly always rising, Andy Webb gives some tips to save on ticket prices
JOURNEY TO SALTEN, NORWAY, UNDER THE MIDNIGHT SUN
Here, far from the crowds, in opal clarity, from May to September, the sun knows no rest. As soon as it’s about to set, it rises again
My Britain: Cheltenham
A YEAR IN CHELTENHAM sees a jazz festival, a science festival, a classical music festival and a literature festival. Few towns with 120,000 residents can boast such a huge cultural output!
GET A GREEN(ER) THUMB
Whether you love digging in the dirt, planting seeds and reaping the bounty that bursts forth, or find the whole idea of gardening intimidating, this spring offers the promise of a fresh start.
Under The GRANDFLUENCE Suzi Grant
After working in TV and radio as an author and nutritionist, Suzi Grant started a blog alternativeageing.net) and an Instagram account alternativeageing). She talks to Ian Chaddock about positive ageing”
Sam Quek: If I Ruled The World
Sam Quek MBE is an Olympic gold medalwinning hockey player, team captain on A Question of Sport and host of podcast series Amazing Starts Here
Stand Tall, Ladies
Shorter men may be having their moment, but where are the tall women?
