You don’t need a reason to play, but there are some good ones.
For me, my gameplay tends to be crossword puzzles, online word games, and nerdy board games. And it seems to me that I do them all for the same combination of reasons.
- To calm my mind. I find that a puzzle or game can help me tune out the world for the length of the game. It’s a sort of moving meditation.
- To challenge my brain. Play can feel like an electric jolt to the creative brain, and I leave the game energized and awake.
- To connect with loved ones. Playing games with friends – sharing scores like Wordle, or online Scrabble with a friend, or a rousing game of Catan – is a great way to connect with the people I love. It’s an act of love to play.
Play isn’t just the things I mentioned. Playing is gardening, cooking, any hobby. Playing is camping. A lively conversation with a friend can be play.
What it isn’t is work. I don’t do these things for money, fame, or fortune. Play is for yourself.