The greatest power of games is that you can explore this landscape of different agencies. The greatest danger of games is that you can get sucked into this experience of just craving and wanting to be in a clear, crisp and gentle universe where you know exactly what to do and exactly how well it’s measured.

Play provides freedom from time. When we are fully engaged in play, we lose a sense of the passage of time. We also experience diminished consciousness of self. We stop worrying about whether we look good or awkward, smart or stupid. We stop thinking about the fact that we are thinking. In imaginative play, we can even be a different self. We are

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We have an endless amount of information and games at our fingertips, but it’s rotting our brains.

We need to soak in more idle time. No scrolling, music, podcasts, or audiobooks. Try it, even for a few minutes.

Notice how relaxed and grounded you feel when you simply observe and think?

We really don’t know how to stop and smell the roses anymore.... See more

This is key. Sometimes, I can find the idea of an open world, where I can do anything, overwhelming. But when my anxiety is incredibly high, playing a game that doesn’t have set goals is very rewarding and cathartic. When I’m overwhelmed, I often revisit older games as well.