Social Games Make Us Feel Normal After Lockdown

After more than a year of lockdown, things getting back to normal might feel awkward. Spending time with people in the flesh might provoke anxiety and general uncomfortable feelings. Although we might wish there was a magic cure to make all this go away, there isn’t.

However, people have found other ways to feel normal again after social distancing. What helps most people get back out into the world and start socializing is talking with friends. But since not everyone can do that, people have started connecting through games.

We’re not talking about board games that gather all your friends around a table, but social games that help you interact with other players. Such games have helped many people get back to normal or accept the new normal we live in today. Since many of us associate these games with feelings of comfort and security now, let’s dig deeper.

Social Games Help Our Social Distancing

Since the previous year was marked by social distancing, it’s not surprising that people turned to social games. Namely, social games allow us to interact with other people online while enabling us to have fun and stay entertained. What’s more, these games welcome just about anyone — whether it’s your best friend or a total stranger from across the world.

Thankfully, social games have helped us stay safe at home, allowing for much-needed social distancing. That’s why we can sing our praises to many online games, such as social media games like FarmVille, Mafia Wars, Restaurant City, and similar titles. Not to forget secondary social games like those you can find on House of Fun, spinning the reels, or waiting for your cards to be dealt.

Not only do these games keep us occupied, but they also benefit our mental health. Having fun, laughing, and fueling your competitive spirit releases endorphin — the so-called happiness hormone. So, it’s nothing odd that people have benefited from social games during these challenging times.

Bringing People Together in a Time of Need

Now that we’ve begun to feel nostalgic for crowded places and noisy people, playing poker at our favorite casino or drinking a glass of wine while playing charades, devices keep us close together. That became obvious to me once I started playing online games, such as Poker Heat and PUBG with my friends.

Whether we play together or against each other in a virtual world or take advantage of Zoom and Skype, I feel these games have kept us tight. Many other benefits arose while playing these social games, like strengthening family bonds and connecting away from work and school pressures.

These games kept our minds away from the TV and constant updates, and they’ve been shown to reduce stress levels since they’re used as part of an unwinding activity. Not to mention the positive effect some of these games have on cognitive learning and memory skills.

How Can We Benefit From Social Games?

Aside from the benefits we’ve mentioned above, there are a few other hidden benefits that we don’t pay attention to very often. For example, music is one of the things that help us get through the day, so it’s not surprising that many game developers pay special attention to it. As you’ve probably noticed, music in games has a tremendous influence on our mood and how we perceive those games.

Other things, like aiming towards a goal, the surprise effect, making decisions and strategy as you go along, getting involved in a storyline, taking inspiration from the game, and more, only add to the overall benefits. Games that draw us in and bring us into another dimension help us overcome challenging times.

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