If you got to live inside a video game world, which one would you choose?
I have never understood the attraction of video games. It’s not that I object to them. I’ve simply never felt the urge to spend hours inhabiting a world someone else has invented when there’s so much of this one I haven’t explored.
But I’m surrounded by people who do. When I meet someone who’s enthusiastic about gaming, I sometimes ask which game they enjoy most. Minecraft is a remarkably common answer, particularly among the university students I meet.
I’ve since discovered that Minecraft isn’t simply a children’s game. It’s a world where people build things, explore landscapes, solve problems and spend time with friends. Some of the people playing it today have been doing so since childhood.
So, if I were to live inside a video game, I think I’d choose Minecraft. But I’d arrive as a tourist. A slightly bewildered tourist, admittedly, with no idea where I was going or what I was supposed to do.
I’d want a local guide. Someone who could show me around, explain the landscape, introduce me to the culture and tell me the stories behind the things people have built. Who constructed that extraordinary building? What’s on the other side of those mountains? And is there anything I should know before wandering off on my own?
Once I’d found my bearings, I’d be perfectly happy exploring. I’d give myself one task each day. Something modest, just enough to provide a little direction. Then I’d wander off. Follow a path because it looked interesting. Climb a hill to see what was on the other side. Discover something I hadn’t known was there.
I suspect I’d be an exasperating companion. While everyone else was busy constructing elaborate buildings, collecting resources and achieving whatever it is that Minecraft players achieve, I’d be disappearing over the horizon because something in the distance had caught my attention.
But that’s how I like to travel. Some of my most memorable experiences have happened when I’ve left the itinerary behind and followed my curiosity.
Perhaps that’s what appeals to people about Minecraft. It’s a world where you can create your own experience rather than simply follow someone else’s story.
One task each day. Then get lost and see what happens.
If you got to live inside a video game world, which one would you choose?
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