Since browsing this site, you would undoubtedly agree with me when I say, “video games are among humankind’s best inventions.” Although I’m sure art majors would argue with me on this, in a way, it’s also the highest art form. After all, it incorporates all of art’s elements, from visual to auditory, and unlike other media commodities, it is interactive.

Like various art forms, video games appeal to many people from different walks of life. It is a uniting force that drives people to form communities, creating a space for everyone to express themselves, have fun, and thrive like Walla משחקים. Let’s look at how it manages to do so:

Games can be global villages

In a way, video games can be a cultural exchange with a push of a button. You can log into experiences like Fortnite, Roblox, and VRChat, where you can interact with players worldwide. In the case of VRChat, players from around the world converge, conversing with one another and forming distant yet strong bonds. Some even practice their foreign language skills in a give-and-take relationship. Apart from these, survival games like Conan Exiles, Ark, and Rust enable players to collaborate by constructing buildings, fighting, and trading.

Although we cannot deny everything is sunshine and roses, games are now social hubs and global villages. It’s not farfetched to say that the Metaverse could end up becoming a reality in the near future.

External communities outside the gaming environment

Apart from in-game communities, video games bring people to external websites where they can socialize online. For example, various gaming communities interact in forums on Steam and Reddit, exchanging ideas. Meanwhile, gamers also coalesce in Discord communities, particularly developer-hosted ones, where gamers can provide feedback to devs in real time.

Games for elders and toddlers

It’s a long-standing misconception that video games are only for kids, teens, and young adults. These can also be played by kids and the elderly, especially casual experiences, including those in Walla games. Grandparents can be treated to game genres like hidden object experiences, along with easy-to-play match-3 titles. They’re a fantastic way to keep the brain active and a good socializing activity since family members can play with them together. The same can be said about kids diving into such experiences, which some of the games in Monstera Playcan complement further.

Forging friendships with shared experiences

Most games are essentially shared experiences; even online games have, one way or the other, collaborative and even PvP capabilities. With that said, it’s pretty common to forge friendships and social links with people you encounter in a game. Some relationships go further beyond the digital plane and last for a lifetime. In the case of existing friendships, players can hang out and play together online, which was one of the highlights of the recent pandemic, where people used video games to sub for real-life events. One good example is a Japanese class holding their graduation on Minecraft.

Overall, video games are not just a means of entertainment but a way for people to gather, unite, make human connections, and collaborate. As Cory Barlog said in a speech after bagging the 2021 Game Awards Best Director Award, “There is so much more that unites us than divides us.”