Gaming as a kid was pure joy. I still remember the late 90s, when I first got to use a computer. There were only a few PCs in the entire city, and somehow, I was lucky enough to get access to one. It was all floppy disks, game demos, and pixelated characters jumping across the screen. But none of that mattered. I wasn’t chasing graphics. I just wanted to play. 

In school, we would talk about Max Payne and NFS Most Wanted like they were part of our world. Sometimes we even reenacted the slow-motion stunts in the middle of class. Later, when GPUs started showing up, I would wait eagerly for my brother to return from his hostel in Sikkim with his PC. That was my gateway to high-end graphics and immersive storytelling. 

Back then, gaming was about fun and awe. No expectations. No overthinking. Just play. 

Fast forward to today. I still game, but the reasons have changed. 

Adulthood brings its own kind of pressure. Work, deadlines, burnout, responsibilities. And in the middle of all that, I find myself going back to games. This time, not just for entertainment, but for peace of mind. The small wins in a game remind me that progress is possible. The immersive worlds give me a break when reality feels overwhelming. 

As a kid, I could play anything. Bugs, bad controls, lag. But none of it bothered me. Now, I find myself being more selective. I look at how the game feels, what it offers, and whether it’s worth my time. The stakes are different now. 

Even how we connect through games has changed. Back then, it was cheat codes shared during lunch breaks. Today, it’s co-op sessions on Discord with friends across cities. But the need for connection is still the same. 

Gaming now is more than just a hobby. It helps me reset. It keeps the child in me alive, even when the world around me feels heavy. What has gaming meant to you over the years? 

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