Looking for a New Way to Relax? Consider Gaming

If you have been looking for the perfect way to relax and unwind after a long day, and reading doesn’t do it for you, watching movies or binge-watching series bores you – have you ever thought about gaming? Many people associate gaming with people who never go out, who spend hours and hours online and have few real-life friends (and that’s no bad thing!) but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are so many different types of games that you’d be hard pushed not to find a single one that you enjoyed.

Let’s take a look at a couple of the options, what they are called and what they entail.

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Massive Multiplayer Online 

Photo by Ugur Akdemir on Unsplash

When it comes to MMO – probably the most well-known of which being World of Warcraft (there was even a movie!) They’re played over the internet and are accessible for millions of people, hence the massively multiplayer online name. This is a neat way to meet new people, virtually, that live in different countries all over the world. You can play against, play with, and get super social. It is a time investment to get your character into the high levels, and there is a lot of teamwork involved too. Great fun.

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Puzzles

Puzzles. Games like Brain Age had millions of people all hooked. Playing the game daily to improve memory, get faster at mathematics and even reading. Although these aren’t action packed, they do require daily attention for you to improve your score and it only takes approximates 30 minutes to complete all of your activities.

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Hadouken

via GIPHY

Street Fighter anyone? Well, there are a few other prevalent options like Killer Instinct, Tekken, Mortal Kombat and Guilty Gear.

There has been a recent Nostalgic-driven resurgence in  retro games with some major titles getting modern revivals. Whether you go old school or new school, they’re still a lot of fun to play alone in campaign mode or with multiplayer.

So what's so relaxing about a fighting game you might ask? Well, while it might  not be the first thing that comes to mind,  actually, much like the new ‘anger rooms’, these high action games are known to relieve stress and are an easy way to get out any frustrations while also making progress in the game.

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First-Person Shooters

FPS – first-person shooters. These are crazy popular because you are the main character. The whole game, apart from cut screens, is played as if through your eyes. These are pretty engaging games, simply due to the fact it is as if you were doing it. The only downfall? You’ll never see how cool you look unless you find a mirror or a cut screen moment.

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Role-Playing Games

Does the idea of being Sir Redikins the Great, a high priest of the mountains stoke some flames for you? Well, RPG might be your jam. Role Playing Games mean that you take on the role of the character (or toon) that you created. You create a whole story, and life for them and the entire time you play, you will be in the role. Very immersive and can take a lot of time

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Sports

Sports games – FIFA, NFL, basketball and so much more. You can dictate and guide your sports superstars whole career – where do they play? How much are they earning? What about the contracts? Very cool for people who like to mix sports in while some strategy.

Fun fact: The popular sports game Madden first debuted in 1988.

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Racing Games

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As a kid, Mario Kart was my favorite game of all time. That is just one example of a racing game but there are so many options.

These could be car career games, multiplayer matches or some bike games from smartbikegames.com.

If you like cool cars, working on mods, career modes with the options for races with your mates, then these are for you. Light and relaxing (unless you’re very competitive).

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Simulation Games

These are incredibly popular. With many YouTube channels dedicated to ‘Simming with’, now while most of those are talking about The Sims, there are many more of this type of game to choose from. Hospitals, Theme Parks, Zoos, Cities and even simply flying aircraft for hours. Easy to dip in and out of, for the duration of the time you are playing it you can guide the game and when you close it, (most of them) are saved at that point, and you can pick it up later on.

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Action Games

These fast-paced, action-packed games that usually involve fighting, challenges and strategy. This combination means you might need quick reflexes and enjoy a continuous journey with a lead character.

It might take a few different types of game before you find what you enjoy the most, and just because you haven’t seen one yet, doesn’t mean that you never will. With new consoles and games on the market every year, it is highly likely that you can find a console and game for you. Once you have a feel for what type of game falls into which category, you can find something with ease.