Image courtesy of Adult Swim
Even if my job didn’t involve playing video games nearly every day, there’s a good chance I’d still be playing a lot of video games. It’s a medium I’ve loved for as long as I discovered it was a thing, and games regularly bring me great comfort when the rest of life seems too much. That said, sometimes you need a break, no matter the love.I’m the kind of person who, over and over, rationalizes they’re going to find time to play a bunch of games when they’re visiting family or taking a vacation, when, instead, I inevitably get distracted by other things. I pack a laptop, figuring I can make progress in a game like Doki Doki Literature Club, when people are busy cooking. I pack in a PS4, thinking people will sleep early and can catch up on Destiny 2. Even in the age of Switch, the most useful of travel gaming tools, this has stayed true.Part of me wonders if packing the games is my way of saying “well, I tried!" Honestly, I appreciate the distraction. When I come back, I tend to appreciate games more, even if it means I’m falling further behind in a year where, no matter how much time you dedicate to playing every great game that’s come out, you’ll still have more to play.Anyone else in the same boat? How often do you take a break from games, intentionally or not, and find yourself thankful it happened?Follow Patrick on Twitter. If you have a tip or a story idea, drop him an email: patrick.klepek@vice.com.Have thoughts? Swing by Waypoints forums to share them!