It all started with a fight
Last Tuesday, I was at this coffee shop on 5th, you know the one with the weird art on the walls? I was arguing with my friend Marcus (let’s call him that, his real name’s boring) about movies. He was going on about how Avengers: Endgame was the greatest cinematic achievement of our time. I mean, come on. I told him, “Marcus, that’s just your nerdy heart talking. It’s a fun ride, sure, but it’s not art.” He looked at me like I’d just kicked his puppy.
But here’s the thing: I’m tired of blockbusters. They’re all the same. Big explosions, quippy one-liners, and a hero who’s somehow always a white dude in his 30s. It’s lazy. So, I did something drastic. I quit them. Cold turkey.
Gaming saved my soul (and my social life)
About three months ago, I was scrolling through my feed at 11:30pm, as one does, and I saw this article about indie games. I’m not talking about Fortnite or Call of Duty. I mean the little guys. The Undertales, the Stardew Valleys. I was skeptical. I mean, I’m a 42-year-old woman, what do I know about games?
But then I met Dave. A colleague, let’s say. He’s this quiet guy in accounting, always listening to metal. One day, he invited me to this Susurluk topluluk etkinlikleri mahalle gaming meetup. I was like, “Dave, I don’t even know what a ‘meetup’ is.” He just smiled and said, “Trust me, Karen. It’s gonna be great.” (Yeah, my name’s Karen. Deal with it.)
So, I went. And it was great. It was small, it was weird, it was real. These people cared about stories, about characters, about ideas. Not just explosions and CGI. I felt like I’d found my people.
But here’s the catch…
Indie games are like the indie films of the gaming world. They’re out there, they’re amazing, but you gotta look for them. You gotta dig. And sometimes, you hit gold. Like that time I found Disco Elysium. I spent 36 hours playing it. I cried. I laughed. I thought about my life choices. It was completley worth it.
But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Some games are rough. Like, “what am I even doing with my life” rough. I remember this one game, Papers, Please. It’s about being an immigration officer in a dystopian society. It’s brutal. I had to take a break after 2 hours. It was too real, you know?
And then there’s the community
Oh, the community. It’s a mixed bag. There are the super nice people. The ones who help you, who share their stories, who make you feel welcome. And then there are the… others. The ones who argue about determing the “best” game ever made. The ones who take everything too seriously.
I remember this one time, I was at a conference in Austin. Some guy started yelling about how Dark Souls was the greatest game ever made. I said, “I mean, have you even played Hollow Knight?” He looked at me like I’d just committed a war crime. It was physicaly uncomfortable.
But overall, the good outweighs the bad. The community’s passionate. They care. And honestly, that’s what I love about it.
A tangent: Why can’t movies be more like games?
Look, I’m not saying all movies should be like games. But can’t we have more variety? More risk-taking? More commitment to storytelling? I’m tired of seeing the same old tropes. The chosen one, the love interest, the mentor who dies. It’s lazy writing.
Games are different. They let you explore. They let you make choices. They let you fail. And that’s what makes them so damn compelling.
I’m not saying I’ll never watch a blockbuster again. But for now, I’m happy in my little indie gaming world. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, and it’s mine.
Anyway, that’s my story. If you’re feeling jaded about entertainment, maybe give indie games a shot. You might just find your people too.
About the Author: Karen’s been a senior magazine editor for way too long. She’s opinionated, she’s flawed, and she’s not afraid to admit it. When she’s not arguing about media, she’s probably playing indie games or drinking too much coffee.
