adminWe tend to think that playing video games is something that we do purely for pleasure. To while away a little time escaping from the “real” world so we can relax from its normal pressures.
But what many people don’t realise is that many forms of play are also teaching us valuable skills that we can transfer into our life.
Different games can help to hone different abilities ranging from the mental to the physical. And, because enjoyment is an intrinsic element in most games, this makes us extra receptive to the lessons being learned as we play.
Strategy games
There are plenty of examples of games that can help players to think and act more strategically and one of the most popular of these is undoubtedly Minecraft.
Over ten years old and still incredibly popular, it offers the winning combination of allowing you to play aggressively, taking on enemies while also planning and building the sort of world in which you want to live. As well as developing strategic skills, it can also foster co-operation between players, another invaluable skill in the real world. As a side benefit it has also introduced many people to the basics of coding and even basic engineering tasks.
Another more unusual way to develop strategic thinking is by playing many of the kinds of games that you’ll find on a site like ballycasino.co.uk. Particularly games like blackjack and poker enable you to develop your strategic skills as you calculate probabilities that are going to inform the decisions that you make.
Blackjack even has its own system called “the basic strategy” that the best players follow to the letter as it increases the chances of beating the dealer. Roulette also has a number of strategies which aim to tip the odds of success in favour of the player.
Another example of a game that helps with planning ahead, and dealing with setbacks when they occur, is the excellent Stardew Valley. In this game you need to create a successful farm learning not just how to plan ahead but also how to cultivate plants and livestock effectively.
Practical skills
In fact, there are countless games that can also help you to develop and enhance your practical skills – so you really are learning as you play.
For example, if yo’’ve ever fancied saving on garage bills by taking on some car maintenance tasks yourself then playing Car Mechanic Simulator could be a step in the right direction.
It can actually teach you more about the subject than just maintenance and repair. Within the game you also get the chance to buy cars to work on and, hopefully, sell for a virtual profit. And all without ever getting your hands dirty.
If you feel like the kitchen may be more your natural domain than the car workshop then Cooking Mama could be on the menu for you. Teaching everything from the basics of food preparation to following quite complex recipes, this also has the added appeal of letting you upload images of your culinary triumphs onto Instagram.
It also seems only logical that there would be a video game that teaches you how to build your own custom-made computer. PC Building Simulator not only achieves this, it can also teach you to diagnose and solve many basic computing problems as you play.
Driving and flying
Our final category is one which has had some very real results for some people.
When we think of racing games and flight simulators it’s hard to imagine if those skills can be directly related to driving cars and flying planes.
However, in the case of driving it’s true that one keen player of Gran Turismo has managed to make the leap up to driving in a real racing car. It’s such an incredible story that there’s now even a Hollywood film about it starring David Harbour and Orlando Bloom. The particular skills developed playing the video game mainly focused on improving reaction time as well as hand-eye co-ordination, then the rest followed once behind the wheel of a real car.
There’s a similar story about Microsoft Flight Simulator. A teenage boy in the USA became so proficient at the game that, when he came to apply for Primary Flight Training for the US Navy, the examiners were stunned by the ability he had developed already and immediately admitted him on the course.
What’s more, soon afterwards both the US Air Force and the Navy were including sessions on the game as part of their standard training.
So while you may not become the next Top Gun or Max Verstappen yourself, there’s plenty you can learn while you’re playing you favourite video games. And you won’t just be picking up skills, you’re sure to also be having fun in the process!
Online Reporter