Although many are often skeptical about using video games as a medium to relax, The Omega has talked with some TRU gamers who have challenged this belief.
Now that students are busy with the impending task of completing final assignments and exams, it seems like video games not only allow entry to worlds of endless possibilities but also enhance the studying experience.
In this crucial side quest, four interviewees shared how their journeys with video games have supported them during stressful academic times, offering recommendations for others to enjoy.
DR𝝮: Do you remember the first time you discovered that video games de-stress you?
Janessa Rushka (JR): “It was with my brother. I found that, even though at the moment it was very stressful, afterwards I felt a lot of relief. I was on a Game Boy Color Advanced, and I got really good at Pokémon Gold. I played that over and over again.”
Maria Paula Garrido (MG): “The very first time I played was when I started university, actually. It was League of Legends. I was very stressed because I had a lot of midterms and lab exams. I was also discovering Canada as well … At that moment, playing and laughing with my boyfriend and his friends—It was awesome because it allowed me to forget about the things pressuring me.”
Samuel Weir (SW): “Oh man, I mean, I was so young when I started playing video games. I think the first console I used was the Wii…I remember thinking, ‘As soon as I get out of school, I get to have fun.’ I didn’t have to worry about school or anything.”
Maya Lipkwich (ML): “I think I’ve been playing since I was six, and I’m pretty sure the first thing was Minecraft Pocket Edition on iPhone … I don’t really remember there being really any stress involved, it was just a kind of fun little thing for me and my sister to do.”
DR𝝮: Now that final assignments and exams are approaching, do you find it difficult to balance your time between academic responsibilities and gaming? How do you handle it?
JR: “I struggle a lot with this, ‘cause [I shift from] not having any time to do video games and focusing fully on studies to have debilitating stress that make me ignore my studies. So I struggle a lot with finding balance, but I found video games actually helped. It’s about taking that break in between—like [I] study for a bit, take a break and just play 30 minutes of Stardew Valley.”
MG: “Oh, 100 per cent. As a STEM student, we have so many assignments and projects that we have to submit within the frame of a week… Every time I’m not working on my assignments or doing anything related to studying, I’m sleeping. It’s kind of difficult to balance it off, especially near finals or midterms.”
SW: “I’d say it’s pretty balanced for me because I use gaming as a tool in a way where if I’m feeling over-stressed with an assignment, then I’ll just go into my PlayStation. I’ll usually put up a sports game, probably Madden or FIFA, and I’ll do that after I’m doing an assignment or even like in between [one] … It gets my mind all fresh.”
ML: “I mean, I can only really play games when I actually have some free downtime, but like especially now, there’s just so much to do all the time that I can’t really justify it, you know? It’s pretty hard to balance. I think I’ve only played maybe like an hour or two in the past 2 weeks… [when] usually I have an hour or two a day.”
DR𝝮: In comparison to other hobbies, what do you think video games have that make you feel relaxed?
JR: “It’s just about making that connection with people [through] video games. When I do things with a group of people, it’s a lot of other people, and that kind of drains me. It’s about having a video game that is [solitary], but I still have people that come along with it.”
MG: “Well, I’m a very socially anxious person—I don’t like to socialize a lot, so being able to play video games allows me to just play with my friends that I already have a certain connection to … Also, you don’t have to leave your house, which is awesome because when you’re a STEM student, you’re never home … You can just enjoy that time with yourself, and also stop it whenever you want. And, as an international student, I play certain video games that allow me to play with my friends in my own language, which helps me detox from everything.”
SW: “Just the sense that I can take it on my own time, I think. I can stop gaming whenever I want. If I’m going for a bike ride or a run and I realize I’ve been out there for a while, it’s going to take me a little to go back.”
ML: “I find that it’s very low stakes. I can chill, you know, and get into a grind sort of. Being able to customize all these different things … I think in that regard, it’s sort of like a creative outlet a little bit, but it depends. Other times I’ll be playing games like with a story or horror games with my sister, and I don’t know, it’s got that like a fun little adrenaline shock or whatever.”
DR𝝮: Tell me about one video game that you often go to when feeling stressed.
JR: “I’m on my maybe 50th run through of Pokémon Shield. I know that game in and out now that I go back to it, and back to it, and back to it [because] it’s not a shocker. I don’t even have to listen to the story, I just button mash and I—Oh, I love it.”
MG: “I enjoy doing puzzles. I found a page where you can literally connect with all your friends and do puzzles. Is either that or playing Uni on Roblox … It’s fun to see the net reactions between us because we’re pissing each other off way too much.”
SW: “I usually play some games that are pretty stress-inducing, actually. I’ll play a game called Rainbow Six Siege, which is a tactical shooter and strategy game. … I had a French exam on a Thursday morning, and on a Wednesday night I was playing this game and I was stressed out for the entire thing, but all my senses were engaged … so I feel like I kind of used that energy the following morning.”
ML: “Skyrim … It’s my favourite game of all time … My dad had it on his old Xbox, and I used to play on that. Then, I learned about Skyrim and I was like, ‘I need to get in there.’ I think it’s just like the nostalgia factor … And even though I’ve played through all these quests before, it is still fun. I get to go back and think of it when I first [played] it when I was in middle school.”
DR𝝮: What video game would you recommend to a person who is skeptical about gaming but is looking for a way to relax?
JR: “There is no one video game that fits them all; it’s very personal. Do you want to have a cozy game where you spend the days farming? Then that’s Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing. Would like a little bit of action, but predictably and a planned-out route? Then I would recommend Pokémon for that or platformers (like Super Mario Bros.). And then if you want to have dentures and want to do crazy things, I would recommend open worlds (like Final Fantasy, Dragon Age or Skyrim).”
MG: “If they’re people that like technical gaming, I 100 per cent recommend League of Legends, but if they’re looking for a chill game, I recommend Sims.”
SW: “If you have access to a Nintendo, I think Mario Kart is a mix of fun and rage where you have to be strategic on how to use your items and when to leap into first place.”
ML: “See, I’m so biased. I feel like Skyrim is such a good introductory game because it’s got relatively simple gameplay. You have your guy, you kit him out with swords or whatever, and it’s approachable and it’s fun for anybody who likes fantasy.”