With a massive 3 billion gamers all over the world, gaming has never been so popular. But if you are looking for something more immersive, here are some alternatives to video games.
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High-Intensity Escape Rooms
Escape rooms are very popular these days. Perhaps because while most people can go their whole life without realizing it, video games are actually massive puzzles. And escape rooms are the same.
Yet they appeal to people who don’t necessarily play video games, too, because they are group activities that test your problem-solving skills. Ironically, just like video games. But if you are looking to peel your eyes from your screen for a while, these are a great alternative.
Live Action Role Playing (LARPing)
You would be forgiven for thinking LARPing is just about dressing up like you are at a renaissance fayre and pretending to be a king, knight, or serf. Of course, there are LARPing groups that do this. But LARPing extends far beyond medieval reenactments.
Today, there is LARPing for spy activities, James Bond style, military exercises, and even corporate espionage. In short, LARPing offers a way to bring popular video game tropes into the real world.
Alternatives to Video Games Includes VR
VR is still video gaming. But it’s just so much more. It hasn’t been around for that long. But since Palmer Luckey created the Oculus Rift, VR has come into its own. Today, devices like Meta Quest and PSVR 2 offer wide FOVs and 4K VR gaming.
The difference is that you get a much more immersive feeling than playing 2D games on a TV screen. Coupled with other tech like haptic feedback and 3D audio, you can experience games like RE: Village in a whole new way.
Learning a New Sport, Hobby, or Skill
Whether you play 2D or VR games, most of the time, you will be doing something that is a representation of something you can do in the real world. Budgets and disabilities aside, there’s a reason why you can’t take part in a real-world counterpart.
For example, you may get a good feel for using a canoe from Kayak VR: Mirage. Yet you might want to put those skills to the test by finding a local kayaking club. In this way, games can be a great gateway to real hobbies.
Developing Your Own Video Games
Who wouldn’t want to live in a world of their own making? Like authors get lost in their novels, as a game designer, you can immerse yourself in your own video game. This can be hard. But it’s not as inaccessible as you might think.
You can, of course, enroll in a college program for game design. But you can also learn how to use consumer game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine 5. Or even create your own game worlds inside other games, such as Sony’s Dreams.
Summary
You can often crave more immersion as a gamer. Some ways to do this include escape rooms and LARPing, getting into VR gaming, and even developing your very own video games.