AtaraxiaI was never really into video games. My passion has always been nestled in the pages of old, sometimes worn-out books. My happiness was found among words, telling stories more captivating than the last. But then, Hogwarts Legacy was released, and the urge to explore every Floo Flame became so strong that I couldn’t resist playing. Luckily, Atanaria had a PlayStation she could lend me. Suddenly, fighting trolls became interesting—even without the “Avada Kedavra” spell that makes things so much easier. Hogwarts Legacy was a good game, but not enough to make me dive into other adventures.
Then one evening, during a nostalgic conversation about childhood, I shared with Atanaria my sudden desire to replay the game I used to play with my father as a child: Hitman. It was almost a family tradition—this game kept us busy for countless weekends. Watching my dad masterfully eliminate targets gave me a strange sense of satisfaction. Now, as an adult, I decided to revisit the games that shaped my childhood. This led to countless evenings and long afternoons where Atanaria and I took turns playing as secret agents, eliminating targets without getting caught. We dove deep into the game—so much so that we spent hours perfecting the manor mission, ensuring we missed no clues, and endlessly replaying the train mission to kill everyone on board while racking up the highest score. Suffice it to say, we spent days immersed in this game.
But missions aren’t infinite, and once my nostalgia wore off, I had no other game I wanted to play. I still wasn’t a true video game fan, and the idea of spending so much time in front of a screen didn’t appeal to me. That is, until my stubbornness and pride were put to the test.
One Sunday evening, after a long road trip where I drove over eight hours, Atanaria and I agreed to spend the day at home, relaxing and staying in bed. Being a lifelong gaming enthusiast, she instinctively dove into her favorite game, Dark Souls 3. Bored and intrigued, I started paying attention to her battles. Sensing my interest, she decided to teach me how to play. The problem? I hadn’t touched a controller in months, and I was as clumsy as a kid who just took off their training wheels and immediately fell into a bush trying to ride like a pro.
So, she set me up with another game: Elden Ring. She thought it would suit me better because, while I enjoyed combat, the mechanics of Dark Souls didn’t click with me. She’d later regret introducing me to Elden Ring. When I found myself in a cave facing a giant wolf, I spent two straight days trying—unsuccessfully—to defeat it. Eventually, I leveled up by repeatedly killing a troll and finally managed to take down the wolf. Before I knew it, I was spending hours each day playing Elden Ring, passionately cursing bosses like that fire-breathing cat or Margit, who, despite being one hit away from defeat, made me fall off a bridge when I backed up too far.
You might wonder, compared to our usual articles, what’s the point of this one? Honestly, there isn’t much of a point, except to share my story and maybe reassure other young adults that it’s okay to spend time on video games—even if they weren’t previously into them. For those struggling to find the right game, perhaps my experience will resonate. Sometimes, all it takes is the right game or person. Yes, spending all your time staring at a screen isn’t the most enriching pastime, but if it makes you happy, why deprive yourself?
In today’s world, where so many forms of entertainment are just a click away, it can be hard to resist diving in. While my first love remains books and art, I’ve discovered that blowing off steam by battling foes in Elden Ring can be surprisingly therapeutic. And the satisfaction of defeating a boss after days of effort is a sweet reward.
That being said, I have about fifty books to read and a new region to explore. So, I’ll leave you here—I have giants in the North to slay.
