When are they hanging videogames in museums?

I hopped into my Mcqueen driving simulator to drive around in Radiator Springs, countless hours of turning right and left to judge incoming cacti that would slow me down. That is my earliest memory of being completely immersed into a videogame. For years after that my fascination continued. From building my first house in Minecraft to fighting my aunt and uncle in Street Fighter IV, I could never get enough.

Unfortunately, my love for videogames was shadowed by a need to fit in, to play the cool kid. I stuck to playing what I want to assign as “Marvel” games for the rest of this story. These games are the most mainstream: Call of Duty, FIFA, Fortnite, GTA V, Rocket League. It is important to mention these games because they are my comparison of what the Marvel films are to the world of film. Nobody expects to watch a Marvel film to see extremely good acting and writing, but they look crazy and your brain is pleased with Iron man and lasers. 

The pandemic gave me more than enough time to jump back into the real world of gaming, exploring indie games by small creators and cult classics like Risk of Rain 2. After many hours spent looking at reviews and playthroughs I would quickly buy random games that hooked me instantly. I was 6 years old in my Mcqueen simulator again. 

So here is my argument, my call to arms, if you love art, then take some time to explore true gaming. A good combination of acting, writing, directing, cinematography, editing, sound design, can make a really captivating film. A videogame can have all of those yet if it isn’t fun to play then it will just be forgotten, left to the dust. It takes artists huge amounts of creativity to come up with crazy new games that can keep people hooked. The team behind Elden Ring should be in the conversation for humanity’s greatest artists. 

Consider the stereotypes people have of gamers, true gamers, who consume art in an obsessed way. They are not too different from museum lovers, sports enthusiasts, and your local film nerd. Before you go I will leave you with a list of works of art you can play on your phone that can, and hopefully will, turn you into a true gamer.

The list: 

• Balatro (2024): Published by LocalThunk, this game takes your simple playing cards and adds magic. Prepare for a new addiction and simple mechanics for a lot of replayability.
• Monument Valley (2014): Ustwo Games redefine puzzle games with beautiful visuals, relaxing sounds that will massage your brain, and enough complexity to exercise your brain. It has two sequels if you really really like it.
• Super Auto Pets (2021): Team Wood games released an auto-battle masterpiece to put your team of cute pets versus other people. It gets very rewarding to combine your pets’ ability and have a very powerful team.
• Vampire Survivors (2022): Poncle games, is a one-man studio that put out a retro adventure game, super easy to play and climb through the stages, visuals are crafted very carefully and the gameplay is magnificent.

These are a few to get started, yet you can always download steam on your computer or go into itch.io to learn about new games coming out daily. Enjoy games, enjoy the highest form of art.