Games (video, computer, board, or outside) can be fun ways to pass the time, but beneath their seemingly simple surface lies something more serious: an engaging and exciting way to tell stories. Games can bypass the barrier held by childhood, slipping into our adult lives, leaving a lasting impact we'll remember forever.
Reddit user, u/gubbatv, wanted to know what game you'd replay in an instant when they asked:
What game had the biggest impact on your life and why?
Waddle Around And Meet New Friends
GiphyClub Penguin.
It was my escape from the world for years. There I had friends and could lose myself to roleplays that were better than my real life. I'm better now, I have friends and like myself more, but for young me that was the escape I needed.
Collective Storytelling...With Swords!
Dungeons and Dragons. I started playing when I was ten. Here we are 38 years later and I'm still playing D&D. Lots of my friendships revolve around the game.
Same (started way later though), especially right now with the lockdown. For my friends and I, it's pretty much the only routine we still have.
Let's Find All The Moons!
Super Mario Galaxy is the first game I truly fell in love with really kicked off my gaming addiction
Such an amazing game. I still cannot understand how they programmed the gravity, and how they made it feel so natural at the same time
Games Of Adventure To Teach You To Overcome
Far Cry 4. I was going through a tough time in life and missions that took place in shangri-la gave me a lot of insight into how to come out of them. It unknowingly turned out to be a turning point in my life.
I know this feeling. In my second year of grad school I had a full mental breakdown that lasted months and Star Wars Battlefront was a big part of of my recovery. It represented the passive part of my recovery, but was essential none-the-less.
It's A Painting That Comes To Life
Okami.
My absolute #1 favorite game of all time. The first time I ever tried a dating site, I found somebody who had the game listed as one of her favorites in her profile. Jump forward 11 years, we're now married with two children.
The BEST Zelda Game Of All Time. Fight Me.
GiphyZelda: Ocarina of Time - The timing of the game, riding around on your horse and unique temples made this one of the best adventures! There were so many unique aspects to the game that really made it stand out and make it a magical experience.
This Is The End Of The World...Of Warcraft.
Probably WoW, I've never spent that much time playing any game, much less the same game off and on for ~15 years now.
From being a kid and hiding in my real life basement on new years because I didn't want to socialize and watching the fireworks from Org to raiding 3 days a week with a guild of cool people in Legion, WoW's always been there.
WoW is the only reason I learned how to type, learned online etiquette, hell, learned a majority of my social skills.
A Game That Teaches Everything
Runescape changes my life for the better. Seriously.... I played it from 6th grade to when I was a senior in 12th grade.
I of course learned and explored a vast landscape with many hidden secrets but it taught way more to real life then that. I learned to merchant, selling high/buying low. Learned basic economy and trades, and that emotion can be such a strong pursuit in any trade deal where you can in fact benefit and make so much from.
I learned more... during my 7 years, I fell for scams, so many scams. I fell for password scams, lost my Santa hat from people taking advantage of me during a construction skills bug, lost my Abby whip from a scam I really thought I was helping a stranger in the wild. It made me learn to never trust strangers when you think you'll benefit or even to trust strangers with deals that are too good to be true. In fact, I learned to scam back. I scammed a ton of people back in my day when I was younger. The most expensive thing I scammed was an Abby whip - the same way it got stolen from me - I ended up giving the guy the price for it 3 years later & he had no idea who I was or why I did that.
I learned more. My words have consequences.
I learned to type like a wild man with so much repetition "selling 1k lobbies, 200k" etc. I'm such a better typist because of it
I mostly learned friendships. I made friends in the community but mostly I played alongside my real life friends. We went to the wildy, talked about it for days, did quests, merchanted, learned ways to strategize. It was such an experience and I've taken allllllll my lessons from that game and applied them to my real life. Happy to know I've gotten a run through full life before adulthood.
Build n' Build n' Build Together
Minecraft, that game has helped me through so many rough times and i have an incredible sense of nostalgia for it. Even now, in the pandemic, it's still helpin me out, as i can still interact with my friends in the game
At first I didn't understand the appeal for my kids. But they got me to join them in constructing buildings etc.. its therapeutic, I love it.
...well I have to add I play it without my kids now lol. I'm middle age, in a very demanding job... minecraft has the effect of recalibrating my mind after work. I'll call it [Mindcraft].
Any Game That Comforts You Is Worthwhile
GiphyKingdom Hearts.
I was a pretty lonely kid (we lived in the middle of nowhere, and my siblings were a few years older), but playing this game made my loneliness disappear for a few hours.
I started replaying KH1 and KH2 while stuck at home, and it's made me appreciate it so much more being an adult. So many things that I glossed over as a child are much more poignant as an adult.
moonishthingsDo you have something to confess to George? Text "Secrets" or "" to +1 (310) 299-9390 to talk him about it.
Redditor onlyusemefeets wanted to hear about the worst of everyone's family, so they asked:
"When did you find out that someone in your family is evil?"
The Reddit community rose to the occasion to shed some light on their family skeletons.
Money Issues
Wild West Fighting GIF by Buyout FootageGiphy"When they ripped apart 3 generations of my family almost immediately after my dad died for a measly $37,000. He's a millionaire. That kinda money is pocket change to him."
Good Lord
"When my 11 year old cousin got cancer."
"Her mom and boyfriend were shooting up her pain medicine. My cousin was in so much pain, she told her Doctors. Thats when the doctors stopped giving her mom a prescription and the nurses dispensed her pain meds at the hospital. Unfortunately they could not keep track of medication while at home so they reported it."
"CPS removed her. She died shortly after in foster care. Parents were never charged."
dead-parrots
Death
"When my dad died of covid my Aunt tried to say she was entitled to some stuff of his since it belonged in the family. She even called a lawyer on us and it was big deal and my mom didn't need to deal with that trying to raise 3 kids on her own so f**k her. She still bothers us about stuff and all it is like plates and some pictures and some other things."
"Sunken Cost Fallacy"
"My brother's addiction has led to him spinning some ridiculous stories. I'm not sure if he is very convincing or if my father chooses to believe him because of some 'sunken cost fallacy,' or he genuinely refuses to give up. But my brother has told lies and stories about me and my siblings to the point that he's the only child who talks to my father anymore. He convinced my father that I forced him to do drugs."
"But I knew my brother was evil when scared away my sister with physical violence. Last month, he went missing for a weeks only to turn up after flipping his car high on pills. My father doesn't know it yet, but my mother is planning on leaving him because my father chooses my brother over her. No one can convince my father that he's enabling. No one can convince my brother to stop. Hard drugs really destroy entire families."
sleepypanda59
A New Family
Frustrated Skip Bayless GIFGiphy"When he purposely excluded his 4 year old son (from a previous relationship) from his wedding to his new spouse, deleted all photos of his son from his social media, and legally signed away all parental rights. He has since had 2 more kids with said new spouse."
FeminaCanadiana
How can parents act that way?
Failure...
"I don't know about evil, but my dad got remarried and has a kid and stepson with his new spouse. All of that would be fine if he didn't pretend that none of us (offspring from first marriage) exist so he can pretend this family is the first family and we never happened."
"Once this realization hit me, I stopped contacting him, and once I stopped putting in the effort, everything else dissipated. We haven't spoken at all. He does not care in the least. I honestly believe that he wishes we never even existed. He is a failure as a father and as a man."
Raindrops_On-Roses
Oh Brother
"When my husband's brother (1 of 5 siblings) said he couldn't make it to our house to plan their mother's funeral because he had to work. Meanwhile we found out he wasn't working because we caught him on ring doorbell entering the moms house to rifle through it while the rest of us were planning the funeral at my house."
Legitimate_Energy257
The End
"When my ex said 'you've been a godsend, I want a divorce.' I had taken time off from work to take care of her parents. She told me this right before her dad died, and she inherited. She found a boyfriend while I was with her parents. She got the house by declaring I had abandoned it. I was with her parents."
rollercoaster_5
Evil
Season 5 Nickelodeon GIFGiphy"When my dad tried to throw my 6 month old sister when he was drunk. That man is a monster in disguise"
iinattanii
So many people really need to be screened for their abilities to raise kids.
Redditor thunderchild10 wanted to discuss everyone's thoughts on the friends with benefits scenario, so they asked:
"What's your opinion of friends with benefits?"
I've never done FWB.
I feel robbed.
After a while...
Friends With Benefits Herkenbaar GIF by GoPlayGiphy"Fun, and fine for a while, but less fulfilling than a relationship. Also, you both need to be good at compartmentalization, otherwise one of you will likely end up catching feelings."
Akiram
Be Clear
"My FWB caught feelings even though we were always clearly communicated as FWB. We were both in a big but really close friends group. I got a gf (she had recently had a bf as well) and she got mad. I ended up losing all my friends. It’s been 4 years, and she actually successfully managed to get 20+ ppl to forget I exist."
"Wouldn’t recommend."
sadbudda
The Rule of Three
"I had 3 throughout college. Two ended in us dating and then breaking up. The only one that worked and lasted two years was me and an ex from high school. We never hung out but were cool after our breakup. Didn’t speak for like three years and then when we were in college we saw each other at the bar, hooked up that night, then like two days later she asked if I wanted to meet up and I said sure."
"Then it just continues for two years. We rarely spoke outside of the bedroom other than like ‘pick me up from the bar’. Overall it was cool but I think it’s very rare. You have to find two people who just don’t have any desire for each other other than when horny, which a lot of times is not the case in one side"
InternationalMouse56
Confusion
"I honestly don't understand it at all. Having any sexual relation with a person whom I don't love and who doesn't love me seems pointless and even scary to me. I guess I am over-sensitive or something, because the thought of being so close to somebody without actually having a connection, an exclusivity, without knowing if this will ever happen again, is genuinely horrific to me."
"I don't care what others do in the bed and with whom, but this kind of relationship is just not for me."
ZidanSufuzki
For Life
Corona Snap GIF by INTO ACTIONGiphy"If they can provide Medical, Dental, Unemployment, and Retirement benefits then they’re a friend for life."
Stupify_Me
Benefits are benefits. I'm in.
Forever
married single ladies GIFGiphy"It didn't work out. We couldn't keep it just friends once we started the benefits. We will celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary in 2 weeks."
dirtysecretsofmine
Hey Buddy
"Very messy. You gotta either be f"k buddies only, dating, or friends only. Trying to keep feelings out of FWB is too difficult."
MarthaTheTRex
"That's a great point. I agree that it's tough to keep feelings out of the equation. I think it's best to just be honest and open with your friend so that you both know the boundaries of the situation and can stick to them. That way, both parties can be sure that they're getting what they need out of the relationship."
Professional-Help114
Taking Chances
"Seems iffy to me if you want the friendship to lay long term. Doesn't someone usually catch feelings, so after the FWB finds a partner they want to keep, it leaves the other party out. Especially if the new bf/gf doesn't want you to be friends with someone you've had sex with."
"Yes? No? I'm not into casual sex for myself, so am I off base?"
lifehappenedwhatnow
Developments
"A lot of people are saying 'someone always inevitably develops feelings' and that it ends badly, but that's not been my experience. I'm still friends with a few of my FWB's that I'm no longer sleeping with over the last couple of years and I'm genuinely happy for them that they've found relationships that make them happy. And I know of quite a few others similar to me."
playswithf1re
In Sync...
Sacha Baron Cohen Thumbs Up GIF by Amazon Prime VideoGiphy"A great plan when both participants are on the same page. Whether that is 'stay FWB' or 'hey we caught feelings, let's give a relationship a try'. A mess when only one participant catches feelings."
Gwywnnydd
Don't get hurt...
"Terrible idea, someone always inevitably develops feelings and gets hurt."
"It can work sure, but in general, unless you're both 100% sure (which, how can you ever really be?) beforehand that you won't develop feelings for each other, I generally have seen it not work."
"In my personal experience, someone always had to break it off just as feelings were starting to arise. So yeah, be careful I guess."
PodcastingPodcastGuy
What have we learned?
Communication is key.
Do you have any WTF FWB experiences to share? Let us know in the comments below.
