Gaming is much more accepted as a pastime now compared to not too long ago. But it can still receive criticism from some people for being a waste of time or childish. There’s no need to have any excuse for playing games other than it’s fun, but there are also plenty of other benefits. From video games to tabletop games and even casino games, one of the things you can get out of them is building new skills. Playing games can teach you things without you even realising it. If you want to actively and consciously build skills through playing games, there are various ways to do it.
Try Out a Wide Range of Games
There are so many different types of games you can explore. Even if you like video games, you have a choice of different platforms. From consoles to PCs and even mobile games, you can play however and even wherever you like. If you want to learn as much as possible, try exploring a broad variety of different games. Look at games on different platforms and games that require varying skills. Some games are based on strategy while others are all about being creative. Find the ones you enjoy and that help you work on skills you want to prioritise.
Explore Different Gaming Strategies
Whenever you’re playing a game, you can find there are certain approaches and strategies you can try out. This is particularly true for a lot of table games, board games and even casino games. If you’re playing roulette, a seemingly fairly simple game, you can take a number of different approaches to try and get the best outcomes. If you want to learn to play chess, there are thousands of strategies and moves you can learn to improve your game. It’s a good way to learn how to look at things from different angles and explore various perspectives.
Game with Others
Some people see playing games as an activity for loners, but they couldn’t be more wrong. While there are plenty of games you can play alone, many people love to play with others. In fact, there are lots of games that require at least two people to play. Gaming with others is a great opportunity to be social and build certain social skills. From conflict resolution to public speaking, playing games of all types can help us keep our social skills sharp. And as a bonus, it also helps prevent loneliness and enables us to maintain a healthy social life.
Mix Win/Lose with Sandpit Games
Some games are competitive and based on whether you win or lose. Other games just focus on playing and don’t necessarily have an end goal or any particular narrative. Mixing these different types of games is a good way to grow different types of skills. Playing competitive games helps you learn how to win or lose graciously. It can teach you how to take risks in a safe environment where it doesn’t really matter if things go wrong. Playing more sandbox type games gives you the opportunity to be creative, explore new things, tell stories, and much more.
Be Creative
Games where you have to create something yourself can be amazing for exploring new skills. Studies have actually shown that these design-based games are the best type of video games for learning new things or improving existing skills. There are lots of games like this, where you might spend time designing and building a house or developing a story within the game. You can even create your own games, whether it’s by coding a video game or developing your own board game.
Run a Business
Some games can be surprisingly helpful if your aim is to learn how to be a successful entrepreneur. Sure, you’re not going to gain an MBA from playing games but you can pick up some handy skills that are useful in business. Games where you create a simulation of a business or where one of the key features is having to earn and manage money can be really good at teaching you real-world business skills. Without realising it, you’ll be learning skills that could help you be a better entrepreneur or might teach you skills to manage your personal finances.
Learn to Be a Leader
General communication skills are one thing you can pick up from playing games, but you can also learn how to be a good leader. Leadership skills are something you could pick up from being a D&D dungeon master or taking the lead on a raid when you’re playing a video game. In some games, you could be in charge of dozens or even hundreds of players at the same time. When you have to take responsibility and give people directions, it helps you learn to be a better leader and build skills like planning and strategizing.
Improve Your Focus
Games of all kinds can be fantastic for helping you improve your focus and concentration. You have to focus on one thing, whether it’s playing a card game or getting through a round of a video game. Having to focus on completing a goal in a game could mean you build your ability to concentrate in other situations. Not only that but it can help you prioritise tasks and know when it’s time to switch your focus. Finishing a game might be important in the moment but sometimes you have more important things to do.
Manage Stress
Stress management is one of the best things you can get from playing games. Games can sometimes be stressful but they can also be stress-relieving. When you do experience any kind of stress when playing a game, whether it’s good or bad stress, you can take the time to learn to manage it in a safe and relatively risk-free environment. Then you’re free to take those stress management skills into other areas of your life.
Playing games of all kinds will help you build various skills, even if you don’t really realise it. You can also seek out specific gaming experiences to build the skills you want to work on