While I was brainstorming a narrative that would accurately represent me, I realized that I’ve always had an unexpected appreciation for video games. I wouldn’t consider myself a traditional gamer: I’ve never played a first person shooter, I’ve never downloaded a mod pack, I don’t even own a PC! But Wikipedia classifies a video game as any “electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface … to generate visual feedback from a display device” which pretty much encapsulates the mobile and browser games I have such a soft spot for.
Not to contribute to the increasing number of listicles this issue, but I’ve compiled a selection of games that I’ve found have greatly impacted my life up until this point, some of which I no longer play while others I find myself cyclically coming back to.
Cookie Run: OvenBreak
Cookie Run: OvenBreak is a simple platformer game in which players jump, slide and run as cookies to collect jellies and destroy obstacles. Despite its uncomplicated gameplay, I’ve developed such an intense love for Cookie Run that it’s culminated into a six month daily log-in streak, only to be broken by the time I tried Cookie Run: Kingdom and forgot my OvenBreak responsibilities.
As a lover of art, I’ve always appreciated it within the Cookie Run franchise. The visuals themselves are stunning, from the vibrant jelly-like art style to the unique cookie designs complete with exaggerated cartoon features. And if there’s any game that knows how to commit to the bit, it’s Cookie Run. Cookie Run’s tight schedule of multiple character releases per month has led to the creation of totally bizarre cookie variants such as Black Garlic Cookie and Escargot Cookie, never failing to make me laugh.
Royale High (Roblox)
Even though I haven’t played Royale High in years, its impact on my late-elementary and pandemic era self was as culturally significant as the Renaissance. The game itself is supposed to be an RPG; there are multiple “realms” players can select to visit from a tropical island paradise to an urban scene complete with apartment buildings.
But most players, including me, just treat it as a dress-up game. I remember calling with friends for hours playing mini games and farming the in-game currency, diamonds, to buy the latest accessories to customize my avatar with. After a while, the currency inflation and me getting locked out of my old Roblox account has eventually contributed to my losing interest in the game, but hearing the words “Royale High” will always bring a pang of nostalgia.
Chess.com
This one is definitely cheating but in my heart it counts. I recently got back into chess via a close friend. While I’m still pretty trash (my ELO is 410 as of writing this), I’ve had a lot of fun playing so far—partly because I enjoy the quick, back-and-forth competition and partly because I’ve come to associate chess with family.
When I was a kid, I used to play on a physical wooden board with my dad and grandpa, but nowadays I’ll play more often with my sister. When I’m not defeating opponents on my own, holed up in my room, I’ll usually team up with her to strategically raise my ELO. This arrangement seems to work well for our mutual-tsundere relationship as I can nonchalantly call her downstairs to the kitchen to play chess and steal some secret sisterly bonding time.
