5 Advantages To Playing Video Games

Playing video games has many positive effects on a person.
Gaming Kids
Photo Credit: Pixabay

There are many with a lot of time to spare right now, and boredom can be easily achieved. However, there are a few ways to overcome boredom and use up some free time. One of the ways to overcome boredom is of course video games.

Here are the top 5 advantages of gaming:

1. Promoting healthy lifestyles

I have found that video games give me a better sense of routine and even reminds me to eat and exercise as I play.

2. Increasing social activity

Playing multiplayer games, or even playing games that I know others in my friend and family circles gives me something to talk about. Discussing different ways to do the game or finding solutions with another person keeps me socialized instead of isolated. 

3. Can potentially slow the aging process

Can also be part of having a healthy lifestyle but less noticeable in the short-term. The games I like to play are generally storytelling or city-builders and these improve what I am able to concentrate on and both my short-term memory and long-term memory. 

4. Make the participant a better decision-maker

This one is certainly an effect I have noticed in myself. Games that involve puzzles or figuring out the clues to something helps me notice more than I would without that focus. Some decisions I make in games can be stressful and makes me question my general beliefs and that can help me to figure out the decisions I need to make outside of that game.

5. They can also potentially help those who have multiple sclerosis with balance and improved cognitive function

I have an auto-immune condition that can limit my movement and how much I can do, but video games keep me moving in ways that are consistent. My body is still able to keep moving and my mind helps in that regard as well. When I move fast in games, my character is running and my mind needs to keep up. As that happens, my hands move over the necessary controls, I can play through the difficult body movements. 


Video games can have amazingly positive effects. There a number of studies performed on both the positive and negative effects that video games can have on people's minds, and it seems that only recently that these studies have shifted towards the positive.

There are video games on just about everything. There is a huge variety of options, ranging from idle games to app games to larger computer games. 

Here is a list of the top games from a large library of games that are available on your smartphone and downloaded through app stores on Android and Apple devices.

Bitlife
Photo Credit: Bitlife Simulator Facebook
  • Bitlife simulator, where you take a person through their entire life, making decisions to go to school, make friends, commit crimes, and continue their family legacy. 
Taptap
Photo Credit: Taptap Facebook Page
  • TapTap Music games are quite fun. They are the smartphone version of the DanceDance revolution and come in a wide variety of options. You follow the beats to songs and try to hit them each time to get a perfect score. 
Fruit Ninja
Photo Credit: Fruit Ninja Wiki
  • Fruit Ninja is an addicting mobile game where you literally slice fruit for points and do your best to avoid bombs. 
Tetris
Photo Credit: Pixabay
  • Then there is the classic Tetris, trying to get the maximum amount of point by completing lines and some versions have levels that become faster and faster in an attempt to keep you focused. 

Games on your phone can be played anywhere and almost anytime. Some use up more battery power than others but just keep an eye on the levels and you’ll still be able to have fun.

Here is a list of the most popular games that are available through various consoles like PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo: 

Horizon Zero Dawn
Photo Credit: Creative Commons
  • Horizon Zero Dawn is a recent release, a beautiful open-world game where the world is ruled by machines. That is a game where you are playing a single character and trying to figure out her past. 
Animal Crossing
Photo Credit: Animal Crossing New Leaf Wiki
  • A popular game right now is Animal Crossing: New Leaf. It is played on the Nintendo Switch and has a multiplayer option that allows people across vast distances to create together.
Mass Effect 3
Photo Credit: Creative Commons
  • Mass Effect is played on multiple platforms for all four games in the series. It is almost a decade old and remastered several times. It is among the first games where choices mattered in the long run. 
Stardew Valley
Photo Credit: Creative Commons
  • Stardew Valley is a farming style, pixel game that rose quickly in popularity due to its in-depth story, simple gameplay mechanics, and LGBTQ inclusivity. 
Minecraft
Photo Credit: Creative Commons
  • Minecraft is another popular choice where survival and creativity can be done on their own or at the same time. It is a game that started out as a simple indie game that has evolved to inspire creativity in various mindsets, such as building, coding, and entertainment. 

Here is a list of the top massive multiplayer online role-playing games or MMORPG that are usually free with various subscription options or in-game purchases.

WoT
Photo Credit: gamespur.com
  • World of Tanks is an epic online multiplayer game featuring authentic tanks from the mid-20th century. Take control of steel beasts and battle through historic locations where strategy means victory.
DOTA 2
Photo Credit: levelpush.com
  • DOTA 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game in which two teams of five players compete to collectively destroy a large structure defended by the opposing team known as the "Ancient", whilst defending their own.
Hearthstone
Photo Credit: hearthstone-decks.com
  • Hearthstone is a free-to-play online digital collectible card game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. The game is a turn-based card game between two opponents, using constructed decks of 30 cards along with a selected hero with a unique power.
SW
Photo Credit: steampowered.com
  • Star Wars: The Old Republic is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) based in the Star Wars universe. ... This story takes place in the Star Wars universe shortly after the establishment of a tenuous peace between the re-emergent Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic.

These are popular options around the world. There are many options in the games and even stories to follow. These games are generally only available on PC platforms with a constant internet connection. They can help to create social connections that are otherwise lacking in the world right now.

There are so many games to chose from and video games can be beneficial in the way they engage with different aspects on a day-to-day basis.

Some of the benefits of gaming are physical, psychological, and social. With video games, you either win or you keep trying, learning from your mistakes as you progress until you reach the goal.

Gaming can improve cognitive abilities, such as increase visuospatial cognition, mental rotation, attention, and help individuals overcome cognitive limitations. Video games can also prime natural positive aggression, helping behaviors, and prosocial behaviors.

Not only are there benefits from a scientific standpoint, but they are also a great deal of fun. Having fun will keep you coming back to your favorite games and build a multitude of skills. Perseverance is of key importance in playing video games, building skills for those games, and for real life, and it's important in having fun playing these games.

An avid writer, who likes to write in many different styles. Right now Ronnie goes by they/them pronouns and identify as Two-Spirit.

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