I have been an avid gamer, clocking several hours a day, for most of my life. I cut my teeth on D&D and Magic the Gathering. For video games, it was open world, story heavy ritles and never-ending dungeon crawlers. Then life got busier, and I lost any free time to enjoy those things. For years I looked for a mobile or handheld game that I could get into but could also enjoy on the go. I have tried a lot of different games. Most of the titles I’ve found don’t really scratch the itch. They were fun for a few weeks but none of them ever stuck. Either they were too engrossing, not challenging enough, or flat-lined behind pay walls and stale content. There wasn’t a sustainable balance for me.
This game isn’t perfect. There are definitely bugs that pop up regularly that can frustrate to no end, but I absolutely love it. For better or worse, it’s constantly evolving. It’s the same but different often enough that it provides me familiarity but also a sense of newness. I get to strategize and build teams like I did with MtG. I get to use my pattern recognition skills that are both blessing and curse for something that I enjoy. I can disconnect from daily stress and overwhelm for 10 or 15 minutes at work, or I can play sporadically for hours on a rainy day at home, while still being present with my family. On particularly hard days/nights, when my body needs to potato or insomnia kicks in, I can play mindlessly but with enough mental stimulation to calm this brain that never stops. It helps me finally shut it down enough to sleep.
Thank you, Devs and players, that keep it alive! Thank you for a community that’s into it as much as I am.
. Like you said, it’s good to disconnect for a bit and yet you’re still making overall progress with your account.