Due to my addictive personality type, I try to avoid video games that require a lot of time commitment. I was never a big gamer anyway but when I do get involved with a game (sounds serious) I get easily overly absorbed. That's why I resisted work colleagues peer pressure to play Hearthstone for well over a year. Well, until last December.
This is a casual game, I can dip in for a quickie at any time and dash out without any consequence of neglecting real life, I thought. The free-to-play concept and levelling up is so well designed that before you realise it, you are hooked. Just one more quickie and then I'll go to sleep. Just one more quickie and then I'll go cook. Just one more quickie...
Fast forward a few months of game play and I start to notice that this game has hijacked more of my life than I would ever have imagined. Not only that, the luck aspect of it has way more hold on my mental state than it should. It is the most tumultuous emotional roller-coaster I have experienced (and I work in IT)!
When I win I'm a skill-full badass, when I lose it's a stupid luck based game.
I'm not sure if I should give it up or use it as tool for practising mindfulness. So far I opted for the later, which, to be honest, is not going particularly well.
How does Hearthstone (or any other game) affect your mental state?
