Unplug, Baby!

Happily moving forward to an analog life

In years, I’ve been a huge lover of video games. From retrogaming to the hottest games on PC, I loved playing so much.

Then something broke. Or rather changed. As I work 8+ hours a day in front of a computer screen, the least thing I want to do is going back to another screen to play video games.

I’ve been playing some digital implementations of my favorite board games, like Scythe, Munchkin, Star Realms, Lords of Waterdeep, and Race for the Galaxy. I also was in love with Board Game Arena, a web service that lets you play digital versions of a huge selection of board games directly from your browser. I used to play a lot of games with friends and strangers alike, although I never subscribed to the Premium version, which lets you play a wider number of titles, with no limitations on the table setting, etc.

Then, something changed. I slowed down a lot, until quitting from playing digitally at all. Looking back at the previous months, I realized I stopped playing Star Realms, for example. As well as I quit BGA.

It was not planned, but I slowly moved further away from digital games. Silently, I quit online gaming, except for Race for The Galaxy, which I don’t own physically and I keep on playing against the AI from time to time.

Probably, my mind is looking for a balance between my digital and analog life. I spend a lot of time using computers and devices for my job, so it was natural to step out from further exposition, I guess.

Well, unplugging was my best choice ever. I started playing guitar again, getting lessons, practicing, even singing! And then, I keep on playing my beloved board games on the table, both solo and with others.

The tactile nature of moving my Zombicide Invader minis around is something soothing and relaxing. Drawing cards, chucking dice, laughing with my friends when I derp or - more rarely - make the big move, like a recent huge combo at Pan Am which guaranteed my victory! All this is unparalleled. No screen, no video game can quite compare to this.

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against digital games or even board gaming apps (I use the official Dune Imperium App to manage the solo mode, or the Xargon app when I want to play HeroQuest without a DM, among others). But I need to unplug as much as I can. The dopamine rush of doom scrolling is intoxicating, but my brain feels the urge to slow down and focus on things that are actually good to me. When was the last time you’ve read a book without stopping to check your phone? When did you watch a movie without the distraction of scrolling your social media walls?

Is boredom really so scary? Sometimes I force myself to sit idle on my couch, and let my mind drift. Sometimes I just play a record on my stereo, leaving the phone in another room. Those are the best moments of my day. The first times I admit I felt uncomfortable, like feeling FOMO or just the anxiety of missing a call or something important. In time, however, I learned how to fully enjoy these moments.

Well, nothing is more important than our well being, both physical and mental. And board gaming, slowing down, reading, playing an instrument, all these things which felt so natural and ‘obvious’ a couple of years ago, are the new luxury, maybe? I don’t know, but whenever I have 10 minutes to spare, I feel it like a privilege.

Find your time. Play a board game, or walk through the park. Touch grass, as they say, disconnect, unplug. Talk to someone you love. Take care of yourself. I am trying my best to do so.

Let me know in the comments how are you dealing with these topics, maybe you can inspire or help somebody with your experience!

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