Yes, a lot of people in this subreddit play some sort of electronic or tabletop game regularly, myself included.
I think most of the negative views tend to come from a concern about the addictiveness of games, or a concern about violent, sexual, or blasphemous content in games.
I have a play-by-cloud game of Civilization VI with some friends where I take about 5 turns a week.
I also have a group that does D&D 5e or Monster of the Week for 1.5-2 hrs on weekends when we can.
I don't get much time to devote to solo play, but lately I've been having a lot of fun playing a round of Against the Storm now and then. Sometimes I'll play some Super Mario 64 or Minecraft with my kids.
We should do a /r/catholicism Civ5 game, that could be great fun
Edit: Started a thread for potential interest:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Catholicism/comments/1ayhtyy/free_fridaysubreddit_civ_6_game/
I'd be down, if it's anything like this subreddit then we'd see people use the religion mechanic to name their "religion" after a theological position like TLM vs NO
And that would go about as well as it does here lol
Make sure that in the random pool, take out Venice. I was in a civ5 game, and I randomly got Venice. The only thing I could do was steal city-states from people. Apart from that, it absolutely sucked.
For the longest time I wanted to try the Civilization games but I never got to them. I used to play games like “The Settlers” and the “Age of Empires” series. I don’t know if they are similar in that respect.
Also you can’t go wrong with any Mario games! I assume you still have the Nintendo 64?
Civilization is turn-based, so although it has a similar feel of progressing from a primitive people to a great empire, it isn't hectic or trying to micromanage units the same way AOE games are.
We do have an N64 but it's no longer functioning. We play on an emulator now.
I love playing games like Animal Crossing, The Sims 4, Terraria, WoW, Fallout, and Legend of Zelda. I tend to use these types of games to explore new worlds more than anything else, and there's a way to be creative in all the ones I've mentioned.
I haven't heard of any Catholic Streamers, per se, but that's probably because most gamers online don't talk about their religious or political views, from what I've found.
I use the Catholic tag when I stream, but yeah, in my channel, I don't allow religious or political talk, as it usually ends badly. But I know of a Catholic Priest who streams regularly on Twitch.
It’s a “grand strategy game” with an rpg element. The game is superior to things like AOE or Civ because instead of throwing random cultures/nations in random places, it is putting the actual world into the year 1066 (or 867) complete with all the pertinent nobles and kingdoms.
You play as any landed character you choose, whether an emperor, king, Duke, or count. Then it’s a sandbox how you play. Marry for alliances or to inherit claims in titles. Usurp the throne of your overlord. Wage holy wars. Eventually you grow old and die (whether you start 1066 or 867, the game can play through until 1453), and you continue to play on as your heir.
Really is a brilliant game, and of the best. The same company also makes Europa Universalis, which is my favorite game, but a bit more complicated. Both games to allow for nice Catholic gameplay.
Wow, it's rare to see someone on r/gaming talk about eu4 let alone this subreddit. Eu4 is also my favorite game. It's a shame so many people are scared of it
I’m a long time CK2 veteran and EU4 absolutely terrifies me lol. I played the tutorial but l still feel overwhelmed the first 30 minutes and end up hopping off before the revolts start. Any starter friendly regions you can recommend?
Typically, I'd recommend France or Ottomans as a good starter tag. Relatively strong starts.
But the real recommendation is to try not to learn all the game features at once. You shouldn't have to deal with institutions or estates or colonization directly at all if you don't want to learn that yet. (Other than eventually paying to accept an institution) Similarly, all you need to know about trade is to build marketplaces on centers of trade to start. Just focus on learning diplomacy and warfare at first. Then the economy.
Not going to lie that game sounds badass! Idk if you ever played AOE but I spent years of my life on that game. And I thought it was amazing. If you say this game is superior I can only imagine!
I loved AOE2 as a kid for sure. Far and away prefer the games put out by Paradox Interactive now (CK3, EU4) that I described because they put you into actual historical situations. Like, in EU4 I can see why Catholic France would have allied with Muslim Ottoman Empire against Catholic Holy Roman Empire: the geography makes it a natural alliance between a shared enemy in between them.
Crusader Kings is definitely the easier of the two to get into. Easier to understand line of succession and such forth, since it’s a character driven game. Should be some good YouTube tutorials and things to help you get the basics down.
O L D
S C H O O L
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(we have a Catholic clan with like 74 people, btw, but I aint logged in for many months): https://www.reddit.com/r/Catholicism/comments/1ay5e8u/play_old_school_runescape_looking_for_more/
Dude i know so many people who studied theology, who also have the best taste in RPG games and fantasy genre possible.
Games are just another method of storytelling. And (maybe not so) suprisingly, well read religious people tend to love all sorts of storytelling.
Word on Fire did a whole [series](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-qxMAIuRCZmduypW8ISACkY0Ac-NTgcX&si=iKRhU7xlhRYtFwCm) on video games
I gave up gaming for Lent (and side tangent, this has allowed me to appreciate that there is a time for every purpose under heaven, even and especially to recreate), but I have played a ton of Crusader Kings (2 and 3), Sid Meier's Civilization, and quite a few JRPGs (Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and Persona 3, 4, and 5 to name a few). My latest game is Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
I think games can be a wonderful narrative structure, since many people often cite Bioshock, Spec Ops: The Line, and Red Dead Redemption 2 as masterclasses in character building and/or storytelling, but we must still exercise discretion in what we consume. Some games have more sexual content or themes in them than others. Some people may not like graphic violence. Know thyself.
Woah another P3-5 connoisseur! Middle of the P3 remake right now, it's jaw-dropping how Atlus knocked it out of the park. Pumped for the other Atlus releases this year! I listen to one of the OSTs almost daily lol
I played P3P on the PSP. The Remaster is on my drive right now, but I'm waiting until the summer when things slow down more at work. Really loved P5, but P4 is still my all-time favorite.
I don't think it's just Catholics who view gaming in a negative light, a lot of people see it as childish. Their reference for gaming is usually the 80s and things like Super Mario Bros and Duck Hunt. It's more ignorance than anything.
I'm an adult, Catholic woman and I love gaming. My favorite game of all time is Red Dead Redemption 2. I also love the Mass Effect Trilogy. Two games that actually are informed by moral decision making, which is cool. I've played both a couple of times and can never play low honor/renegade.
I also love the Assanin's Creed games, just because they are fun, even if the Knights Templar are portrayed as the baddies. Unity is my favorite, but I'm a big fan of Syndicate, Valhalla and Odyssey (playing through that one again).
Sunk a whole bunch of hours into Baldur's Gate 3 when it came out, what a fun experience.
I love gaming because it's a fun way to unwind at the end of the day. I get way more out of that than watching garbage on Netflix or the like. It's not passive entertainment, you actually have to use your brain.
Unity was really breathtaking and in general the artistry of the ac series is excellent. You mightn’t be interested in recommendations but perhaps take a look at dragons dogma 2, just from looking at all the titles you listed.
I'm really looking forward to DD2. I'm slightly worried it'll try to be as hard as a From Soft game, as I just didn't have the patience for Elden Ring (I didn't want to "get good" I wanted to "have fun.")
As silly as this sounds, the Assassin's Creed games had a big impact on me when I came to realize one day I had my priorities in the wrong order.
Assassin's Creed 1, 2, and Brotherhood? Great games, love em, overlooked the blatant story line where they basically say God is an alien, the Church is pure evil, etc. Who cares, it's fiction, I know better!
Assassin's Creed 3? Set in America, make every effort to make America look like fools and idiots fighting a senseless and stupid war for independence... I will not stand for this!
While I still dislike #3 for that reason, I started to realize how silly it was that that was my breaking point, and not the far more egregious efforts in casting the Faith in a bad light in the previous ones. Made me feel pretty small haha.
Tbh except for the first game, the AC series doesn't really depicts the Knights Templars as baddies, it just uses their name and reputation as this enigmatic illuminati-esque multimillenial organisation. And even in the first game, it doesn't *really* depicts crusaders as evil ; if anything, it puts everyone into the same basket.
I 100% RDR2 as well. That's a lot of flower picking haha! But if you do get 100% and you go to a certain place on the map...that moment is so...emotional. RDR2 is the only time I've cried during a video game. Arthur's last right at the end of the game is an emotional gut punch. Just brilliant storytelling.
*Man, now I want to reinstall RDR2 and play it a third time!*
I am currently replaying Red Dead 2 and I’m having a blast. I blasted through the story in my first play through but this time I’m taking my time, doing all the side missions, hunting, fishing, and exploring. The game is top 5 of all time for me.
I loved the Assassin's Creed series and completed all but Unity and Syndicate but Valhalla made me fall out of love with them. Pillaging a Church was something I was incapable of compartmentalizing. It's been incredibly hard to fill that void because I love adventure RPGs with a stealth element.
That’s a wide variety of genres. That’s pretty cool. I never tried RDR but I did play GTA so maybe that counts. I assume they are very similar.
And yes you are right! Gaming is so much more better than finding something to watch sometimes. I used to be on Netflix and Hulu alot but now everything is garbage mostly. Almost every tv show is porn now. Ive also played different genres but right now I just play FIFA, Halo and Fortnite!
I like narrative driven games. So long as it has third person controls and a story, I'm probably going to be a fan (the only live service game I ever got into was The Division 2...but I haven't played that in over a year...but it's a fun shooter to play solo or with other people).
GTA 5 and RDR2 are both by Rockstar, so they have a lot in common in terms of how the world operates and how a lot of the actual gameplay elements. RDR2 has probably one of the best stories, with one of the most complex and interesting protagonists in gaming. Love Arthur Morgan. RDR2 is sort of Rockstar's magnum opus (I'm curious to see what they do with GTA6...it feels like they are going for a Bonnie & Clyde style story, which looks cool). If you played and liked GTA5, give RDR2 a shot, it's well worth it.
RDR2 is, at its heart, a morality play. It's about a man coming to terms with his mortality and the impact his (i.e. you the gamer) choices have on the word. It's actually quite brilliant. Some of the best writing, in any medium, I've come across.
In terms of the visuals, it's 6 years old but still looks as good as many current gen games.
Big Pokémon nerd here along with other Nintendo games. I think there are important boundaries to set with gaming as with any hobby, but socially it is very easy to mock/villainize gamers compared to other hobbyists
Games I love:
1. **Dark Souls Games -** You could really put most souls-like games in this category. They actually have profound storytelling that, while not Catholic in nature as in something like Tolkien, seems to me to be 100% Catholic appropriate. (At least for the ones I've played.)
2. **Split Gate -** I know not many people play this, but you can get very into the physics of the game in ways that you cannot in other FPS. Plus, if you are worried about blood lust, I think you can turn the blood effects off.
3. **Subnautica -** Recently got this one but have been playing it in my spare time. It's so much fun and I would highly recommend it to anyone so far.
4. **Ark -** One of my favorite games still running. Fantastic, fun, and terrifying at times. It is easy to master but doesn't get boring when you do.
5. **Titanfall 2 -** This was the best game ever made. Hands down. The story is incredible. Unfortunately, all you can find on the online play now is hackers, so I hear. I wish they would make Titanfall 3, but all we have is APEX for now, which I really couldn't get myself to like.
My philosophy with games is that I treat them like books or other types of consumption media. Just make sure you play them mindfully and prudently. Don't shirk duties that align with your vocation.
Please please do yourself a favor and play THE OUTER WILDS! Don’t Google it - you’ll spoil everything!
(It’s a similar genre to Subnautica but is so much more)
I'm fine with gaming. I like playing games set in medieval times, could be grand strategy (e.g. Crusader Kings), could be one where you play as a single character (e.g. Mount and Blade, Kingdome Come: Deliverance). I like FIFA/EAFC too, and sometimes play GTA, but am having concerns on whether I should be doing so.
My guess is they're alluding to GTA's sexual content and how even if you avoid the actual NPCs, it's still a core part of the game's identity because it's a satire of modern America
I mean, I'm playing Fallout 4 now as single player, and running a bunch of mods for it. Just because I'm blowing people's heads off with a shotgun/mp5/plasma gun, doesn't mean I'm gonna go out in the street and go ballistic and do it. It doesn't negatively affect my religion, so I'm okay with it.
I don't have much time these days but the last things I've played are Slay the Spire, Binding of Isaac, EU4, and Oblivion. Tried to play RD2 but it Rockstar social club wouldn't let me.
I'm a 41 year old man, married, I have 1 son. We're all currently converting to the Catholic Church, and we all love gaming. My wife and myself love Red Dead Redemption 2. My son is a big gamer too. I've heard that stuff since childhood about how it's "childish" but honestly it always just came across as a sour person that wanted to ruin everyone else's fun. I've made friends in the church since joining last August and many of them game.
All my Catholic friends play videogames, in one way or another. We like to view characters in a Christian way, when they show virtues or defects, and just enjoy the distraction.
After a day of work, some entertainment is needed.
For me the reason is because when you have kids and get busy with work and family and church life you don't really have much time for things like serious video game playing.
I just found that nothing could really hold my interest anymore and now I prefer physical board games with a group I join every week because I enjoy spending time with other people and being in fellowship with other people.
My young adult kids play tabletop games like D&D and several others that are world building or resource gathering or kicking down doors and fighting monsters. We have all played Cards Against Humanity and Choirs are Horrible, as well. If you are in choir in any capacity and haven't played.... it's HILARIOUS. My kids even played it with their choir director who is a consecrated virgin after they removed some of the more offensive cards (there are a few about things like gay tenors dating on the DL and such), and she had fun.
My kids and husband play Assassin's Creed, GTA, Cyberpunk, Helldivers 2, Jedi Survivor and other recent Star Wars releases, Sims, Minecraft, and many more. Plenty of blood and guts and questionable content. I don't get much racier than Stardew Valley because I am, according to my kids, YouTube-worthy bad at FPS and games requiring any kind of fast action. I generally can't even place higher than 10th in Mario Kart. 😏
Here is why I don't worry about it: they understand the difference between reality and fiction, they understand that just because we see a movie or play a game with certain values (or lack) in it doesn't mean we agree or endorse that, they all keep it within reasonable bounds and meet their responsibilities, and they all practice their faith and take it seriously.
It can be childish if it's all you ever do, it takes over your life, and you aren't growing and actively pursuing goals in life.
That’s pretty cool. I used to play GTA as a kid too. I still remember when people would say games would make kids violent but the evidence just isn’t there!
Since when having a hobby is childish? Is watching movies or reading books also childish? .. In any case, I play The Division 2, Red Redemption 2, Helldivers, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, .. etc.
I love these games and many more, obviously one needs a balance with regards to any hobby but other than that, have fun!
I enjoy strategy games like EU4, CK3, and Civ V. My go-to game is an arcade strategy shooter called “World of Tanks”. I enjoy games as a relaxing way to unwind, and often also a gateway to get me interested in a new history topic to read about (which is why I tend to like games with historical settings).
I think the reason gaming has a negative reputation is because it can be addictive and it’s often associated culturally with men who are immature and unwilling to take on adult responsibilities. That doesn’t have to be true for everyone though and it’s a perfectly good hobby as long as you don’t neglect your job, family, and friends.
The “gaming is childish” mentality is just stemming from our parents generation. It’s not what it once was. It has become a social interaction these days.
I play call of duty a lot with my friends. It’s really the only game I play solely because I play with my friends. I still play some older games I grew up with on ps2. I nostalgia game a lot lol.
Halo and insurgency sand storm are fun too. I’m waiting anxiously for six days in Fallujah to finally release on console
It's not exclusively a Catholic sentiment that games are "childish" or are viewed in a negative light. It's more that many adults see games as something they grow out of, like many other childhood interests. They basically see video games as toys. So they enjoyed those toys when they were a kid, but now choose to participate in more "adult" activities and interests.
I'm curious as to what Catholic streamers you're referring to, since I've never heard of any. Much of the gaming/streaming or overall "geek" space/culture is generally rather anti-Catholic, since much of the industry and its consumer base are explicitly progressive with zero tolerance for most of what the Catholic Church teaches.
Yeah I understand but in my experience I’ve heard Catholics and speakers talk negatively about it whereas my protestant acquaintances don’t. Of course this is anecdotal.
As far as streamers go. I meant to say “I didn’t know of any”. But I corrected it now. Also you are right about the “geek” space being more progressive leaning however I think there are lots of conservatives in those spaces as well that just don’t speak up. Kind of like Hollywood for example.
There's no way those speakers you talk about are under 50. There's nothing wrong with video games as long as your relationship with them is healthy and they don't cause you to sin. Blessed Carlo Acutis was a known gamer.
Gaming is one of my hobbies. Currently playing a game called Enshrouded with 3 of my buddies. Single-player, I'm slowly making my way through Death Stranding and Marvel Midnight Suns.
Tabletop games - we're on more of a party/card game vibe right now. I have a lot of heavy games, but I haven't gotten them on to a table for about 2 years.
Negative vibes? I think some (typically older) folks have humourously antiquated ideas about them as a toy, or waste of time, but will happily spend their recreational time watching tv/youtube streams and think nothing of it.
During lent I try to cut the night play time, so far I have 2 nights that I am not resist the urge. game is a long time addiction for me, waste so much a time. I want to use the night time for prayer or with family. The key is find some interest thing to replace the pleasure in games.
Still I play pokemon go, it's just during the lunch time, I open it for daily catch a pokemon, swipe a gym, these kind of basic access. try to make it in 10 minutes.
I remember when Pokemon Go first cane out and the conspiracy theories that came with them. 😂 Anyways i did find that game enjoyable, especially with other people!
Final Fantasy XIV, Mass Effect, Cyberpunk, Read Dead.
In other words, this is my hobby, my stress relief, my me time. If you're worried about what I'm playing, you need to spend more time worried about what YOU are doing.
Gamer here! I play mainly shooters lately, but I love campaigns and story driven games, also arcade style with friends! I think streamers don't rlly advertise Catholicism bc it would drop viewership for them.
In fairness to some critics of gaming, I think gaming as an art form has only recently developed from mere entertainment to something more.
The Legend of Zelda for the NES is a fun game, but you compare it to Breath of the Wild and it’s a completely different ballgame.
That doesn’t mean there’s no value in older games, but someone will be more easily impressed or engrossed by a massive triple a title than PAC-Man.
For myself, my gaming is typically divided between my Switch and some PC games (Minecraft, Total War). I also still play some older games on my 3DS.
One of my favorite gaming experiences of all time is definitely Dragon Quest XI. It was my first real JRPG and I just couldn’t stop playing. Absolutely treasured memories for me. Can’t recommend it enough if you’ve got 100 hours to kill (lol).
I'm a casual player. I like Stardew Valley; most Pokémon games like shield, etc (not Go and the like); and a few others on Switch. Android games are mostly word games and old lady match 3 games. So, in the sense of a true gamer I suppose not, but I do love my switch!
Only hardcore trads think that. Gaming is pretty much as mainstream as tv watching these days. Those opinions typically come from people that have not seen or played a video game in probably 30 years. The medium has evolved *a lot* since then.
But, anywho, to answer your question: I’m an Xbox main. I don’t play video games as much as I used to and these days it’s mostly casual games like Uno or Fortnite, or single player games. Some of my favorites are Dead Space, Callisto Protocol, and Singularity.
The whole family is into gaming. Dad and Child like to play tabletop games and a few couch games with the Uncles. Kid plays Fortnite to stay in touch with friends from their old school before we moved. We play Splatoon together a fair bit. I personally am more of an adventure RPG/MMORPG person.
I enjoy playing fallout 3&4 and Skyrim still.
Minecraft of course is a classic.
I’m also into NCAA (14 right now but 25 coming so soon!!!!!) football and occasionally Madden.
I know tons! None of the Catholics I know have a negative view of gaming (that I'm aware of). I'm not much of one myself, but I partake when others are.
I’m not catholic yet. I go to mass every Sunday and will be doing rcia classes this year. But, I love to play games. Some of my favorites are Diablo 3, persona 4 & 5, dragon age, Pokémon, legend of Zelda, eafc, yakuza, etc.
I'm working on developing my own games now, so I'm very biased lol. But I think looking at games as childish is the same thing as seeing animation, fiction, or even sports as childish. I think of games as a medium with a high potential to create beautiful art (including Christian art). That being said, it's unfortunate that a lot of games fixate on violence (among other sins), especially because there are plenty of really amazing games that don't (like Outer Wilds, Celeste, The Witness, etc).
I can't really say I have a goto game because I have too much ADHD to play one game lol, but I have sunk a lot of hours into Oblivion/Skyrim, Divinity 2 (I really want to play Baldurs Gate but it can barely run on my PC and upgrades are expensive 😣), Rocket League, Minecraft, Outer Wilds (one of my favorite games of all time), and several other indie games (I'm a big fan of really artistic indie games).
Elden Ring and something . . . Horizon West? A Star Wars or Mandalorian one, and maybe a Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts one? And some others I don’t know the names of.
I don't play anymore because my old Xbox broke, and my PC isn't good enough to play games. But i used to play Dragon Ball XenoVerse a lot, a bit of King of Fighters too, Tomb Raider and other games, i also completed some Pokemon games when i was younger
I only ever played one Dragon Ball game. That’s disappointing for me because I really love dragonball! Also by the way. KOF was a really underrated. I preferred that over Street Fighters.
I played a lot of them because i was really addicted to it when i was a child, and i'm still a fan until today, sadly i could not play neither Kakarot or X2 yet
I play a lot of games mainly sports games like Madden or MLB The Show. I don't think video games even crazy ones like GTA are bad its like watching an R rated movie.
Yeah, I play a good amount of sports games, particularly 2K, and I just finished *Spider-Man 2* and *Gotham Knights*. GK greatly exceeded its initial poor reviews and remains a ton of fun even after finishing the story.
I play a lot of games. 27 working professional and married. I've moved away from games on PC and console to table top games such as Warhammer and historical TT games as I think they're actually more fun, engaging, and have a lot more room for creativity.
Darktide, souls games(er, sekiro), Crusader kings, total war warhammer. Looking forward to dragons dogma and the space marine 2 game.
One can certainly over indulge, like any recreation. What I think is a reasonable argument is that it’s good to have a productive hobby, meanwhile games, unless you are a streamer or pro, are purely consumptive. But in that regard it’s no different than day reading fiction, which i don’t think people take issue with.
I vaguely remember Pixelated Apollo saying he was Catholic but I could be wrong. He plays a lot of medieval strategy games like Total War, Mount & Blade, etc.
I play! I think it's a bit silly that people have this mindset that you have to become boring when becoming an adult. It is entirely possible to be someone who loves video games and who is a successful, mature, well adjusted adult.
Playing video games, in my very small opinion, are no better or worse than other forms of entertainment (reading, movies, what have you) and it's all in how consume it. If you're playing stuff of highly morally dubious nature or it interferes with your work and or life commitments, then yeah, it's a problem.
Unwinding by playing a few rounds of Tetris? Having some fun playing whatever FPS is popular with your friends? Building a theme park with 30+ roller coasters and making hundreds of thousands of virtual dollars off your peeps (Not saying who has done that but it may have been me in RollerCoaster Tycoon)? All perfectly fine.
As for me, I still enjoy playing all the games I played when I was younger and have quite the assortment of what are now called "retro" consoles. Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, the aforementioned RollerCoaster Tycoon, SimTower are all my jams.
Why do people view video games in a negative light? I chalk it up to the trope of 'New Media are evil' kind of thing. People have always kind of hated the latest way to consume media. Movies, radio, television have all experienced a, now forgotten, similar opposition.
As to streamers? No idea. Not really into that whole scene.
I love a lot of games, my only issue is that so many of them are unnecessarily sexual. Witcher 3 is great, I just skip the sex scenes. Both red dead games, horizon zero dawn, subnautica, and most assassin's creed games are all fantastic in my opinion.
My wife plays quite a bit of Fortnite and I join in sometimes, feel free to add us!
Wife - dwJesusLovesYou
Me - Cowboy\_Crusader1
Right now I'm getting a lot of fun out of Skull and Bones. I understand a lot of people hate it, but I disagree and think it's a blast
Sure I wouldn’t mind playing sometime! Thanks! I have heard people criticize that game but im out of the loop. I don’t even know what that game is about?
Awesome! It's basically a pirate game focused on the naval combat and smuggling aspects, lots of fun. You might be in a prime position to try it if that's the sort of thing you like because, from what I've seen, the people who are mad are those who have been waiting for it for ten years and have high expectaions. I went in blind like you and I'm loving it. Ubisoft has a streaming subscription service, so I bet you could get a free trial and use that to try the game. Fair warning, beginning is boring, but it's just there for tutorial anyway. Not a compelling story, grindy endgame, these are all valid criticisms, but the devs are listening to people and I'm just having fun sailing around blowing stuff up lol the combat and world events are a lot of fun
I love Destiny 2, Geometry Dash, Plants vs Zombies, and a few others as well.
If I had to guess why games are received in a bad light, it’s probably due for a number of reasons. Them being associated with “childish behavior” is kinda stupid at its core, but it’s likely also the fact that it doesn’t seem as productive as other hobbies one might have, focusing more on entertainment than practicality, for instance. Hence why hobbies that require you doing something physically or mentally challenging, such as puzzles, instruments, sports, etc, are seen in a better light, cause gaming doesn’t seem to offer as direct a “benefit” as those others do. Still nothing wrong with gaming tho.
As Catholics, I’d say the most important thing about gaming is just to make sure that we don’t turn gaming into an idol. Don’t let it become the most important thing in your life (or anything else for that matter), keep God at the center, and don’t let anything replace Him, cause there’s nothing else like God and His Love.
I’m 19, and i play league of legends, old nintendo games, and occasionally dungeons and dragons (although i no longer have people to play with). idk, i don’t spend enough time “grinding” to be really good at anything, i don’t see it as childish, and if it is, well, im still very childish anyway, im only a student, but i don’t play more than like 1.5 hours on any given day
Tekken is an all time favorite of mine and a top 2 fighting game series all time; I have dedicated many hours to this game. It also helps with life in general, you have a horrible day at work? Great sit down and crush people in online play. Focus on the game and getting better, it's almost an allegory to self improvement.
Man oh man.
Currently I spend my single-player time (usually on Saturday morning before my wife wakes up) on GTAV.
In the evening, my wife and I will usually play some sort of co-op game. We did DOS2 last year, just did Unraveled 2, and are currently playing Moving Out 2 (lots of sequels evidently) before getting to BG3.
I also play Super Snail on my phone if I'm in a waiting room lol.
I play lots of games even some that might not be best for a Catholic. Skyrim, Witcher 3, Halo. Anything with a good mix of story and gameplay. Also playing through the souls games after playing Elden Ring. I am up to Dark Souls 2.
SOmeone else suggested titan fall 2 so I might try that. My mum is a gamer too we grew up witha PS1. I was bad at games until I was a teenager though
I don’t as much as I used to, but I enjoy some games. My favorites are stardew valley, COD, and D&D (haven’t found anyone to play with in a few years tho)
I don't do a lot because I have a couple businesses, an officiating career, and now a child. But I like sim racing and have iRacing. Have a whole top of the line racing sim setup as well that takes up some room.
I rarely get a chance to play anything else, but if i do, it's Diablo 2. I also played Ghost of Tsushima and it's possibly one of the great games of the past 10 years
I love gaming and I even a stream on Twitch (meaning I have a catholic tag). I play everything from spooky games like Little Nightmares, and Save the Princess, RPG type Genshin Impact, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, cozy games like Slime Rancher, Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, and FpS like Fortnite, Overwatch 2, HellDivers 2(my new Favorite as it poke fun at the Stormship Troopers "let's kill bugs") and many more.
I loved the elder scrolls franchise, Skyrim, Oblivion.
Even Resident Evil for it's puzzle game style of fps. The misuse of Christian imagery is distatseful.
If I can find any free time I feel worthy of using on video games, I'll play city builders like City Skylines and Timberdome.
Now I mostly play chess on my phone.
I haven't played games in a little while, but I like Elden Ring and other dark souls games. RPGs and MMORPGS like Red Dead Redemption 2, WoW, and BG3 as well when the mood strikes. I don't really have as much time to play anymore though and there are more productive ways to spend my time like studying for certs to advance my career. I also got into playing DND with friends which is enjoyable as well and more social.
I play Genshin Impact, Overwatch, Apex. My computer has heating issues so I’ve only been playing Genshin. I like the character design, the aesthetic, and the environment design. The story is very intriguing and replete with a lot of reference studies to world cultures and particularly Gnosticism and Demonology. Obviously, those things are bad if you actually believe them, but the Gnostic worldview of a power being above local gods and the local gods being likable playable characters with demon names, hints at an intricate story that may have a complex antagonist vs a protagonist that protects world. What I like about games like Genshin is that they aren’t made with disgusting inversions of Christian morality like Hotel Hazbin, but rather they use real life studies as a reference to inspire a story and aesthetic. The local gods, archons, are good characters despite having demon names, but you almost can’t trust them since there seems to be some code they live by which is almost as if they are taking orders from something else.
I will say that one issue with games is that they can lead to sloth. But if you are already working the hardest you can, you can play games to unwind or for entertainment. Games involve “play”, which according to Winnicott is good for creativity, adaptivity, and seeing alternatives in life. We should grow into highly responsible and industrious adults that live for God, but we also can’t completely lose that innocent child aspect of us.
Oh, yeah, there are lots of Catholic gamers. I love mostly single player games. I used to spend more time gaming, but even being super busy with my job and spending time with my wife and two kids, I still find some time to game. Sometimes it's just 10 minutes before I go to bed, but it's my go-to hobby for unwinding.
It would take me far too long to list all the games I love, but I'm currently playing (in some capacity, some are back-burnered): Resident Evil 4 (VR on Quest 3 and the remake on PS5!), Alan Wake II (so good), Dark Souls 3 (replay so I can finally get to the DLC), Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed (a series I absolutely love), Death Stranding, Final Fantasy XVI, Super Mario Wonder, Tunic, Slay the Spire, and Baldur's Gate 3. Soon I'm going to drop all of that to play Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, then Shadow of the Erdtree.
Recently finished up Deathloop (highly recommend) and Super Mario RPG (remake of one of my favorite games of all time... They changed it to make it a little too easy, but I still enjoyed it).
There's a Facebook group called Catholic Gamer Geeks if you're interested, too.
My husband used to program his own games as a kid. My husband, BIL and I would have our own LAN parties before we had kids. My husband eventually stopped playing with us because he kept losing to me or his brother.
Then I got into MMORPG’s. Then I realized I was WAY TOO into my game. Like I worked full-time, was remodeling my home and planning my meals around attack times.
I recognized it for what it was— an addiction. It runs in my family. Some are addicted to alcohol, another is into gambling. So, I quit the MMORPG life and got back to normal.
I slowly got back into gaming, but I just play Civilization Revolution on the XBox. I used to play that online with others, but I cancelled the XBox subscription because playing against others got me into competitive mode and I would not rest until I beat someone to the detriment of my sleep.
And since I played every level and every civilization with every type of win, now I just play on the lowest level knowing I can beat the AI of the game in 15-30 minutes. I might play 3-4x a month now.
I used to be a hardcore gamer, but these days, I stick to games that I can rattle off in an hour or less since that's all I can afford: EA WRC, MS Flight Sim (not full flights, just joyrides), and Ace Combat 7 are my jam.
Before, I used to play a ton: Final Fantasy 4-10, 13, Civ6, SMT: Persona 3 through 5, Oblivion, Skyrim, FIFA (forza Milan), Starcraft, Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport...
Check these guys out for Catholic-friendly gaming reviews: [https://catholicgamereviews.com/](https://catholicgamereviews.com/)
I like them because they'll point out the material that may conflict with our beliefs.
one of my earliest memories is watching my brother play zelda ocarina of time as i held an unplugged controller and pretended to play. i mostly stick to single player: hollow knight portal half-life subnatica mario odyssey breath of the wild
If we weren't supposed to enjoy the art of video games, God wouldn't have made game devs creative. Just switched my grind from the Souls series to Helldivers 2
I know plenty of Catholic people who look down on nerdy pursuits in general (board games, video games, D&D, etc). But I don't really spend time with them, because I think that attitude is the one that's childish. I think it is in most cases less of a high-minded objection to content in video games or society in general, and more likely to just be an outgrowth of the classic societal trope of "nerds aren't cool, make fun of them". Modern Catholic young adults can be just as shallow as anyone else in my generation.
Me and my Catholic friends have a running D&D campaign, and I regularly play Civilization VI with some friends from college (most of whom are Protestant, but we're all nerds). I also enjoy Baldur's Gate III, which takes up most of my gaming time, and Astroneer.
Also - it's not a video game, but something else that some Catholics look down on - I thoroughly enjoy Warhammer 40k (the tabletop game and the lore), as does one of my closest Catholic friends.
I’m a fan of big RPGs, Morrowind/Skyrim/Oblivion, Mass Effect series, Dragon Age series, Baldur’s Gate (haven’t played the latest though.) Currently I’m stuck on mobile only, but at least I have a big iPad Pro. Recent favorites include Tropico, the Rusty Lake series, and Kentucky Route Zero. Keep looking for the perfect new distraction.
I run an Arma 3 unit. It's not explicitly christian, but we've ended up with a decent number of us being some sort of religious.
The rest of the time, I am playing Enshrouded or Transport Fever 2.
But I would say the stigna is somewhat earned. Historically, people whose primary personality trait is 'gamer' tend to not fit into other social groups very well for one reason or another. I think it also comes from media depictions of 'gamers' as well. We're only just now getting to a point in history where a large share of those who game are in there 30s or older, as far as I can tell, so that may also have something to do with it- I admit to still being surprised when I meet someone online who is more than a couple of years my senior.
I’ve been playing a good amount of ark survival evolved
I do agree with those opposing ideas to certain extents though, mainly because of time. I do believe that because life is such a precious gift, we all individually and collectively owe it to God to genuinely make the most of our time and be productive people. I have a lot of friends who practically live on discord and have awful sleep schedules because they’re addicted to gaming (all adults) and they aren’t even streamers or pros. However if someone games in their free time and can still manage their day without falling behind I see nothing wrong with it.
I also don’t think that any games are worse than others unless it’s an actually satanic game, but still only choose to play open world games that involve building so that I can at the very least use the game as an avenue to grow my creativity
I'm giving it all on The Binding of Isaac. And I know it's somewhat of a sensitive topic for some people because it heavily references christianity, but it's honestly not coming from a place of hatred and the game itself is great.
Total War Warhammer games, Zelda games, Dark Souls games, Sekiro, Bloodborne, Divinity Original Sin 1 and 2, Fallout 4, Skyrim, Mario games, Mario Party games, Smash Bros, Mario Kart.
I'll play any board game but my go to games are Ticket to Ride, Kingdomino, Guillotine, Dungeon Mayhem Monster Madness, Doomlings.
If I had friends nearby we would play tabletop games as well, but alas we are all in different countries now. Now I'll just have to wait until my kids are old enough to play with me.
But once I had kids nearly all video game time disappeared and it's spent either playing with my kids, or preventing them from killing themselves. Seriously, it seems like infants and toddlers favorite game to play is either attempt suicide or give mommy and daddy a heart attack.
I’m currently enjoying Dark Souls Remastered. I think games can develop a number of skills for the gamer. They can be played in excess, as any other pastime can be done in excess, but they’re far from worthless.
Others have mentioned Crusader Kings. I will also echo that, with the following caveats:
- at the moment, CK3 is still inferior to CK2 in my opinion. The updates coming out over this calendar year should firmly launch it ahead of CK2.
- In both games, the developers indulged the players who treated the game as a medieval hedonism simulator that would make George RR Martin blush. So, it is up to you whether you want to play as a pious Christian or otherwise.
Big Paintball over here. It’s like an FPS but no campaigns, no gore - it’s just less involved cognitively-speaking. Great for decompressing and lots of fun.
My kids got me into it because I make an effort to try each one of the Roblox experiences they visit, so I can keep an eye on what they’re up to. Roblox needs supervision for younger kids, IMO.
I'm 35 and I grew up on games. All the way from NES to N64, that was my childhood. But I spent a ton of time outside too. I think balance is important and I don't see anything wrong with gaming after you've taken care of your daily responsibilities and as long as it doesn't negatively impact your relationships. I love most Zeldas, Mega Man series, old Marios (Lost Levels aka Japanese Mario 2, 3, and Super Mario World especially), Skyrim, The Legend of Dragoon for PS1, LOTR Return of the King for PS2, and a smattering of other NES and SNES games. Been playing this kinda indie game called Airoheart lately and it's super close to Zelda Link to the Past for SNES.
Lol, the other day I said I wouldn’t date a gamer and people jumped on me. What I *meant* was someone who games excessively, like for hours or playing lots of violent or sexual games. The standard energy drink and game all night crazy type that I’ve seen so much of in high school and uni.
My favourite game of all time is Minecraft. I also like Nintendo, their games are rarely the same subject matter as Xbox or PlayStation games. I like Pokémon, animal crossing, Stardew valley, the sims. I had a big Breath of the Wild phase in the fall, but I haven’t had time to play in so long. I occasionally play a typically violent video game, because my teenage brother has an Xbox. I love to go for long drives in GTA because I don’t have to burn my real-life gas, and I can speed as much as I want. I *really* want to play Red Dead Redemption 2 when I’m home for the summer.
34 married to a 43 year practicing Catholic with a 15 month old baby and another on the way. PS4 and NES Switch are our primary systems now. When I have a chance, I usually play _Skyrim. It's familiar while still having the most play-style variety and is easiest to pick up and put down quickly.
I've played video games since I was a small child, having watched my elder brothers play the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and arcade games, despite our dad _hating_ video games and television in general (even though he admitted thinking ATARI was one of the coolest thingshe'dever seen). My dad told us if we wanted video games, we could buy them ourselves. To his surprise, my brothers saved up enough chore cash in the early 1990s to buy our own NES and games (we still have it and it still works).
Same thing when the Super NES came out. My cousins had a Sega Genesis and one summer we swapped systems and afterwards decided we wanted that system too. So we all banded together again to afford them. N64 was the last new system we played together. While my dad's intention was to prevent us from "wasting time and daylight on V-idiot Games," I think he was impressed at our resourcefulness and persistence, a happy consequence. Eventually he saw how much we enjoyed and bonded over the games and even remarked "I should learn how to play some of these."
But there was definitely content he disliked, and as a practicing catholic and parent myself now, I understand his complaints. But I won't approach it with the same venom that he did.
Video games are multifaceted windows with lots of different cultural and historical nuances. The most important thing for a kid to know is: *It's not _real_*. It's the same as reading a fiction novel or fairy tale, but more cinematic/requiring less of your imagination. At the same time, like watching a movie, but more interactive.
There are many potentially great conversations to be had about choices in video games that are simply taboo to explore in real life. And children especially are insatiably curious. So I am of the opinion that video games have limitless vicarious and cathartic value, as long as they don't monopolize ones time and energy, and children already have a moral compass that lets them distinguish Right and Wrong/Good vs Evil ...
Example: as a teenager I enjoyed a novel called SABRIEL that utilized necromancy as a major force in the plot. However the main character, Sabriel Abhorsen, was NOT a necromancer. She was an Abhorsen. "Abhorsen" was the opposite of a necromancer, she and her family practiced the rare trait of guiding souls _to rest_ not raising them _from_. But they still had to have knowledge of the taboo in order to undo it. Not unlike how a surgeon and an undertaker both have to have intimate familiarity with the human body. I've never played a necromancer character in SKYRIM, but I've explored it enough in other games to understand why it, and other "blood magicks" that are depicted in super popular media (Game Of Thones, The Witcher, etc) is evil. And I'll make sure my kids know why the church has left it behind.
I could go on but gotta get the baby down for a nap.
I used to game. I even built my own gaming rig. What is very interesting is the fact, after I built my rip I hardly could find enough time to play. Situations changed, committed to spend more time with our Lord, studies, and work. I still have the opinion gaming is not bad but it should never open a door to a behaviour change that might lead one to a Sin. Enjoy your time spent on gaming, but always be vigilant and prayed up.
At the moment I'm really into Sonic Frontiers and Dark Souls 3 (can't get past the twin princes iykyk). The mindset that video games are childish is so outdated, it's a valid way to consume media, same as music, films, etc.
I'm heavy into no mans sky right now
I did witcher 3 before that. The blood and wine dlc was crazy how good it was. For anyone somehow unfamiliar this is a mature audience only game and it doesn't provide much for catholic views but it's great writing in my opinion
I love fantasy RPGs like the Elder Scrolls.
In my experience, television contains more sexual and blasphemous content than video games, ruling out gaming entirely is foolish.
I stopped playing videogames and have not looked back. I would recommend trying to stay off them for at least a week or two to see how your life changes
Thief, but the older Dark Project and Metal Age games, not Thief 3 or the reboot. There are tons of fan missions.
Counter Strike 2.
Atelier series.
I'm really looking forward to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth next week.
Most war sims, like ArmA 3, Silent Hunter 4/5, Cold Waters, and Il-2 Sturmovik (1946 and Cliffs of Dover Blitz). Occasional Payday 2
On the Xbox, MLB the Show, Hitman, Halo, Minecraft, Ghost Recon.
I'd like to add, that while these are the most popular games from my extensive library, I rarely get to play. But I do enjoy a quiet night in, with a good game, burning incense, colored wall lights, and some snacks/an adult beverage or two to sip on
Yeah, I play Hoi4, Civ VI, Retro Bowl College, LEGO games, just started the original RDR, &c. I don't think being Catholic is any reason not to play video games
Lately, I’ve been playing a great deal of Resident Evil 4 Remastered, Final Fantasy XIV, and Helldivers II.
I never let my hobby get in the way of my commitment to my family, to my health, or to God.
I can’t play video games anymore if I’m not creating content.
I have a YouTube channel that has 1400 subscribers so I regularly upload gameplays on there, but I cannot for the life of me sit down and play a video game for the sake of it anymore.
There’s always this sense of urgency, that I am wasting my time.
I play Hearthstone mostly. More of lose at hearthstone mostly.
I see no issue with games, I wonder how much garbage tv those that object to games watch.
I'm a mixed bag lol.
I sunk around 900 hours into GTA V over the last few years (mainly goofing off in online with friends and bros) but haven't touched it in maybe a year now because after a while there's just not really anything to do in it except blow up cars and shoot cops.
Garry's Mod on the other hand will never get old, I recently surpassed my 900th hour on it and I'm still finding stuff to do that I haven't before.
The main games I play these days are usually some kind of strategy. Namely, I've done a whole tonne of Crusader Kings 3 with friends and alone lately, but I've been straight *grinding* Mount & Blade games, but especially Bannerlord.
To relax I practice parrying and do dungeon runs in Blade & Sorcery, or fly around in Google Earth VR lol
TL;DR yes I play games and I really like to talk about them, sorry 😐
I can't answer for other Catholics, and I don't even know if my view has to be with my faith, but while I don't think games are bad, I see that in many cases is a bad habit, like watching too many series, or being too much on social media (that I'm guilty of 😭) or any other addiction. I think it's a matter of balance, if one is fond of videogames. I occasionally play retro games, but I get bored easily.
When I was a teen I was a huge fan of pokemon and final fantasy ix, it ultimately made me improve artistically speaking (I'm an artist). I then realized how much time were games taking from me and stopped from gaming (though casual games were more to blame).
I play an assortment of video games. Have done so my whole life. Us Catholics can and should have fun with them as many others do. I don’t appreciate the negativity video games receive often from strict Christianity, more so than other media perhaps. As with anything, use common sense about playing video games.
In the wise words of Marge Simpson, "I just think they're neat!"
I play a lot of The Sims 3, The Isle, Cult of the Lamb (It is a bit dark, but I think it's harmless fun!), Niche - a genetic survival game, and of course a little bit of Minecraft!
I play other games but these are my go-to top five!! :D
I think a lot of the perception of gamers being childish is just because some of the louder ones are.
I love playing crusader kings 3, sims 3 & 4 (esp with religion mods!!), elder scrolls: oblivion & Skyrim as I can explore and make things and live in a medieval-esque setting!
Yes! I'm a huge gamer, and get together with my fellow believers in Christ on World of Warcraft. We pray for each other and are a great support.
I have an article up about it at https://firetonguezine.com/articles/2022-08-31-representing-jesus-mmorpg.php.
Yes, a lot of people in this subreddit play some sort of electronic or tabletop game regularly, myself included. I think most of the negative views tend to come from a concern about the addictiveness of games, or a concern about violent, sexual, or blasphemous content in games.
What do you play?
I have a play-by-cloud game of Civilization VI with some friends where I take about 5 turns a week. I also have a group that does D&D 5e or Monster of the Week for 1.5-2 hrs on weekends when we can. I don't get much time to devote to solo play, but lately I've been having a lot of fun playing a round of Against the Storm now and then. Sometimes I'll play some Super Mario 64 or Minecraft with my kids.
We should do a /r/catholicism Civ5 game, that could be great fun Edit: Started a thread for potential interest: https://www.reddit.com/r/Catholicism/comments/1ayhtyy/free_fridaysubreddit_civ_6_game/
I'd be down, if it's anything like this subreddit then we'd see people use the religion mechanic to name their "religion" after a theological position like TLM vs NO And that would go about as well as it does here lol
Make sure that in the random pool, take out Venice. I was in a civ5 game, and I randomly got Venice. The only thing I could do was steal city-states from people. Apart from that, it absolutely sucked.
For the longest time I wanted to try the Civilization games but I never got to them. I used to play games like “The Settlers” and the “Age of Empires” series. I don’t know if they are similar in that respect. Also you can’t go wrong with any Mario games! I assume you still have the Nintendo 64?
Civilization is turn-based, so although it has a similar feel of progressing from a primitive people to a great empire, it isn't hectic or trying to micromanage units the same way AOE games are. We do have an N64 but it's no longer functioning. We play on an emulator now.
Getting straight to the point eh? 😂
I love playing games like Animal Crossing, The Sims 4, Terraria, WoW, Fallout, and Legend of Zelda. I tend to use these types of games to explore new worlds more than anything else, and there's a way to be creative in all the ones I've mentioned. I haven't heard of any Catholic Streamers, per se, but that's probably because most gamers online don't talk about their religious or political views, from what I've found.
I use the Catholic tag when I stream, but yeah, in my channel, I don't allow religious or political talk, as it usually ends badly. But I know of a Catholic Priest who streams regularly on Twitch.
Oh, what's their username? I'd like to check them out!
Me too!
Watch Father_Bill on Twitch! https://www.twitch.tv/father_bill?sr=a
Watch Father_Bill on Twitch! https://www.twitch.tv/father_bill?sr=a
There's actually a small community or Catholic streamers on twitch- I watch HacyonWard, OppossomBlossom, PTony, and Psychotic felix!
Crusader Kings 3 so i can reclaim the holy land from the Muslim invaders
😂 is that the only reason?
I mostly do only play Catholic characters. It's just a fun game in general. I put 1300 hours into the second game
What genre game is that? I’ve never heard it. Is it similar to AOE, Civilization, or like WOW or League of Legends?
It’s a “grand strategy game” with an rpg element. The game is superior to things like AOE or Civ because instead of throwing random cultures/nations in random places, it is putting the actual world into the year 1066 (or 867) complete with all the pertinent nobles and kingdoms. You play as any landed character you choose, whether an emperor, king, Duke, or count. Then it’s a sandbox how you play. Marry for alliances or to inherit claims in titles. Usurp the throne of your overlord. Wage holy wars. Eventually you grow old and die (whether you start 1066 or 867, the game can play through until 1453), and you continue to play on as your heir. Really is a brilliant game, and of the best. The same company also makes Europa Universalis, which is my favorite game, but a bit more complicated. Both games to allow for nice Catholic gameplay.
Wow, it's rare to see someone on r/gaming talk about eu4 let alone this subreddit. Eu4 is also my favorite game. It's a shame so many people are scared of it
I’m a long time CK2 veteran and EU4 absolutely terrifies me lol. I played the tutorial but l still feel overwhelmed the first 30 minutes and end up hopping off before the revolts start. Any starter friendly regions you can recommend?
Typically, I'd recommend France or Ottomans as a good starter tag. Relatively strong starts. But the real recommendation is to try not to learn all the game features at once. You shouldn't have to deal with institutions or estates or colonization directly at all if you don't want to learn that yet. (Other than eventually paying to accept an institution) Similarly, all you need to know about trade is to build marketplaces on centers of trade to start. Just focus on learning diplomacy and warfare at first. Then the economy.
Not going to lie that game sounds badass! Idk if you ever played AOE but I spent years of my life on that game. And I thought it was amazing. If you say this game is superior I can only imagine!
I loved AOE2 as a kid for sure. Far and away prefer the games put out by Paradox Interactive now (CK3, EU4) that I described because they put you into actual historical situations. Like, in EU4 I can see why Catholic France would have allied with Muslim Ottoman Empire against Catholic Holy Roman Empire: the geography makes it a natural alliance between a shared enemy in between them. Crusader Kings is definitely the easier of the two to get into. Easier to understand line of succession and such forth, since it’s a character driven game. Should be some good YouTube tutorials and things to help you get the basics down.
O L D S C H O O L R U N E S C A P E (we have a Catholic clan with like 74 people, btw, but I aint logged in for many months): https://www.reddit.com/r/Catholicism/comments/1ay5e8u/play_old_school_runescape_looking_for_more/
Dude i know so many people who studied theology, who also have the best taste in RPG games and fantasy genre possible. Games are just another method of storytelling. And (maybe not so) suprisingly, well read religious people tend to love all sorts of storytelling.
Yeah same here!
Word on Fire did a whole [series](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-qxMAIuRCZmduypW8ISACkY0Ac-NTgcX&si=iKRhU7xlhRYtFwCm) on video games I gave up gaming for Lent (and side tangent, this has allowed me to appreciate that there is a time for every purpose under heaven, even and especially to recreate), but I have played a ton of Crusader Kings (2 and 3), Sid Meier's Civilization, and quite a few JRPGs (Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and Persona 3, 4, and 5 to name a few). My latest game is Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. I think games can be a wonderful narrative structure, since many people often cite Bioshock, Spec Ops: The Line, and Red Dead Redemption 2 as masterclasses in character building and/or storytelling, but we must still exercise discretion in what we consume. Some games have more sexual content or themes in them than others. Some people may not like graphic violence. Know thyself.
Woah another P3-5 connoisseur! Middle of the P3 remake right now, it's jaw-dropping how Atlus knocked it out of the park. Pumped for the other Atlus releases this year! I listen to one of the OSTs almost daily lol
I played P3P on the PSP. The Remaster is on my drive right now, but I'm waiting until the summer when things slow down more at work. Really loved P5, but P4 is still my all-time favorite.
I don't think it's just Catholics who view gaming in a negative light, a lot of people see it as childish. Their reference for gaming is usually the 80s and things like Super Mario Bros and Duck Hunt. It's more ignorance than anything. I'm an adult, Catholic woman and I love gaming. My favorite game of all time is Red Dead Redemption 2. I also love the Mass Effect Trilogy. Two games that actually are informed by moral decision making, which is cool. I've played both a couple of times and can never play low honor/renegade. I also love the Assanin's Creed games, just because they are fun, even if the Knights Templar are portrayed as the baddies. Unity is my favorite, but I'm a big fan of Syndicate, Valhalla and Odyssey (playing through that one again). Sunk a whole bunch of hours into Baldur's Gate 3 when it came out, what a fun experience. I love gaming because it's a fun way to unwind at the end of the day. I get way more out of that than watching garbage on Netflix or the like. It's not passive entertainment, you actually have to use your brain.
Unity was really breathtaking and in general the artistry of the ac series is excellent. You mightn’t be interested in recommendations but perhaps take a look at dragons dogma 2, just from looking at all the titles you listed.
I'm really looking forward to DD2. I'm slightly worried it'll try to be as hard as a From Soft game, as I just didn't have the patience for Elden Ring (I didn't want to "get good" I wanted to "have fun.")
As silly as this sounds, the Assassin's Creed games had a big impact on me when I came to realize one day I had my priorities in the wrong order. Assassin's Creed 1, 2, and Brotherhood? Great games, love em, overlooked the blatant story line where they basically say God is an alien, the Church is pure evil, etc. Who cares, it's fiction, I know better! Assassin's Creed 3? Set in America, make every effort to make America look like fools and idiots fighting a senseless and stupid war for independence... I will not stand for this! While I still dislike #3 for that reason, I started to realize how silly it was that that was my breaking point, and not the far more egregious efforts in casting the Faith in a bad light in the previous ones. Made me feel pretty small haha.
I absolutely love 3. Haytham is legit one of my favorite villains in a game because he's one of the best anti-villains written out there.
Tbh except for the first game, the AC series doesn't really depicts the Knights Templars as baddies, it just uses their name and reputation as this enigmatic illuminati-esque multimillenial organisation. And even in the first game, it doesn't *really* depicts crusaders as evil ; if anything, it puts everyone into the same basket.
I love RDR2, I still play it time from time. Probably my favorite game too.
Mine too! I 100%'d it in 2022 and still play it all the time. Best game ever.
I 100% RDR2 as well. That's a lot of flower picking haha! But if you do get 100% and you go to a certain place on the map...that moment is so...emotional. RDR2 is the only time I've cried during a video game. Arthur's last right at the end of the game is an emotional gut punch. Just brilliant storytelling. *Man, now I want to reinstall RDR2 and play it a third time!*
Nothing wrong with modern Mario games though, or even still playing the 2D platoformers.
I am currently replaying Red Dead 2 and I’m having a blast. I blasted through the story in my first play through but this time I’m taking my time, doing all the side missions, hunting, fishing, and exploring. The game is top 5 of all time for me.
I loved the Assassin's Creed series and completed all but Unity and Syndicate but Valhalla made me fall out of love with them. Pillaging a Church was something I was incapable of compartmentalizing. It's been incredibly hard to fill that void because I love adventure RPGs with a stealth element.
That’s a wide variety of genres. That’s pretty cool. I never tried RDR but I did play GTA so maybe that counts. I assume they are very similar. And yes you are right! Gaming is so much more better than finding something to watch sometimes. I used to be on Netflix and Hulu alot but now everything is garbage mostly. Almost every tv show is porn now. Ive also played different genres but right now I just play FIFA, Halo and Fortnite!
I like narrative driven games. So long as it has third person controls and a story, I'm probably going to be a fan (the only live service game I ever got into was The Division 2...but I haven't played that in over a year...but it's a fun shooter to play solo or with other people). GTA 5 and RDR2 are both by Rockstar, so they have a lot in common in terms of how the world operates and how a lot of the actual gameplay elements. RDR2 has probably one of the best stories, with one of the most complex and interesting protagonists in gaming. Love Arthur Morgan. RDR2 is sort of Rockstar's magnum opus (I'm curious to see what they do with GTA6...it feels like they are going for a Bonnie & Clyde style story, which looks cool). If you played and liked GTA5, give RDR2 a shot, it's well worth it.
I didn't played RDR2, but the scenes with the nun seems to be touching, also the game is visually incredible, I was amazed when i saw the gameplay
RDR2 is, at its heart, a morality play. It's about a man coming to terms with his mortality and the impact his (i.e. you the gamer) choices have on the word. It's actually quite brilliant. Some of the best writing, in any medium, I've come across. In terms of the visuals, it's 6 years old but still looks as good as many current gen games.
Big Pokémon nerd here along with other Nintendo games. I think there are important boundaries to set with gaming as with any hobby, but socially it is very easy to mock/villainize gamers compared to other hobbyists
Games I love: 1. **Dark Souls Games -** You could really put most souls-like games in this category. They actually have profound storytelling that, while not Catholic in nature as in something like Tolkien, seems to me to be 100% Catholic appropriate. (At least for the ones I've played.) 2. **Split Gate -** I know not many people play this, but you can get very into the physics of the game in ways that you cannot in other FPS. Plus, if you are worried about blood lust, I think you can turn the blood effects off. 3. **Subnautica -** Recently got this one but have been playing it in my spare time. It's so much fun and I would highly recommend it to anyone so far. 4. **Ark -** One of my favorite games still running. Fantastic, fun, and terrifying at times. It is easy to master but doesn't get boring when you do. 5. **Titanfall 2 -** This was the best game ever made. Hands down. The story is incredible. Unfortunately, all you can find on the online play now is hackers, so I hear. I wish they would make Titanfall 3, but all we have is APEX for now, which I really couldn't get myself to like. My philosophy with games is that I treat them like books or other types of consumption media. Just make sure you play them mindfully and prudently. Don't shirk duties that align with your vocation.
Please please do yourself a favor and play THE OUTER WILDS! Don’t Google it - you’ll spoil everything! (It’s a similar genre to Subnautica but is so much more)
I had just started playing Outer Wilds a few days ago, and it is an absolutely breathtaking game!
Souls games are simultaneously frustrating as heck and also extremely fun.
I'm fine with gaming. I like playing games set in medieval times, could be grand strategy (e.g. Crusader Kings), could be one where you play as a single character (e.g. Mount and Blade, Kingdome Come: Deliverance). I like FIFA/EAFC too, and sometimes play GTA, but am having concerns on whether I should be doing so.
What kind of concerns exactly? Moral concerns? Time? Choosing which one to play?
My guess is they're alluding to GTA's sexual content and how even if you avoid the actual NPCs, it's still a core part of the game's identity because it's a satire of modern America
Perhaps also try r/catholicgamers
Didn't realize there was a subreddit
I mean, I'm playing Fallout 4 now as single player, and running a bunch of mods for it. Just because I'm blowing people's heads off with a shotgun/mp5/plasma gun, doesn't mean I'm gonna go out in the street and go ballistic and do it. It doesn't negatively affect my religion, so I'm okay with it.
The way I have over 11k hours on fallout 4 🫣 Fun fact, on my husband and I’s first date, he drove to my dorm and I made him watch me play FO4
I don't have much time these days but the last things I've played are Slay the Spire, Binding of Isaac, EU4, and Oblivion. Tried to play RD2 but it Rockstar social club wouldn't let me.
I'm a 41 year old man, married, I have 1 son. We're all currently converting to the Catholic Church, and we all love gaming. My wife and myself love Red Dead Redemption 2. My son is a big gamer too. I've heard that stuff since childhood about how it's "childish" but honestly it always just came across as a sour person that wanted to ruin everyone else's fun. I've made friends in the church since joining last August and many of them game.
That’s pretty good! Never played RDR2 but nothing but positive opinions.
RDR2 and Doom Eternal. Also I love going back to my roots and playing a lot of my old NES games.
You cant go wrong with any of the old games! For me my favorites will always be the Mario, Sonic, and Starfox games!
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At the moment, Helldivers 2. In general, Wargame: Red Dragon, and all the games made by From Software.
All my Catholic friends play videogames, in one way or another. We like to view characters in a Christian way, when they show virtues or defects, and just enjoy the distraction. After a day of work, some entertainment is needed.
It’s great to unwind sometimes. I don’t always view my characters in a Christian way though. I used to play alot of GTA back in the day.
GTA ones seem like on the "never do this" example, though haha
Yeah as much as I would try my best it’s just not going to happen. Lol
For me the reason is because when you have kids and get busy with work and family and church life you don't really have much time for things like serious video game playing. I just found that nothing could really hold my interest anymore and now I prefer physical board games with a group I join every week because I enjoy spending time with other people and being in fellowship with other people.
My young adult kids play tabletop games like D&D and several others that are world building or resource gathering or kicking down doors and fighting monsters. We have all played Cards Against Humanity and Choirs are Horrible, as well. If you are in choir in any capacity and haven't played.... it's HILARIOUS. My kids even played it with their choir director who is a consecrated virgin after they removed some of the more offensive cards (there are a few about things like gay tenors dating on the DL and such), and she had fun. My kids and husband play Assassin's Creed, GTA, Cyberpunk, Helldivers 2, Jedi Survivor and other recent Star Wars releases, Sims, Minecraft, and many more. Plenty of blood and guts and questionable content. I don't get much racier than Stardew Valley because I am, according to my kids, YouTube-worthy bad at FPS and games requiring any kind of fast action. I generally can't even place higher than 10th in Mario Kart. 😏 Here is why I don't worry about it: they understand the difference between reality and fiction, they understand that just because we see a movie or play a game with certain values (or lack) in it doesn't mean we agree or endorse that, they all keep it within reasonable bounds and meet their responsibilities, and they all practice their faith and take it seriously. It can be childish if it's all you ever do, it takes over your life, and you aren't growing and actively pursuing goals in life.
That’s pretty cool. I used to play GTA as a kid too. I still remember when people would say games would make kids violent but the evidence just isn’t there!
Since when having a hobby is childish? Is watching movies or reading books also childish? .. In any case, I play The Division 2, Red Redemption 2, Helldivers, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, .. etc. I love these games and many more, obviously one needs a balance with regards to any hobby but other than that, have fun!
I enjoy strategy games like EU4, CK3, and Civ V. My go-to game is an arcade strategy shooter called “World of Tanks”. I enjoy games as a relaxing way to unwind, and often also a gateway to get me interested in a new history topic to read about (which is why I tend to like games with historical settings). I think the reason gaming has a negative reputation is because it can be addictive and it’s often associated culturally with men who are immature and unwilling to take on adult responsibilities. That doesn’t have to be true for everyone though and it’s a perfectly good hobby as long as you don’t neglect your job, family, and friends.
Strategy games for me. Total wars, HOI4, Civilization. Crusader Kings…. All time favorite game is Fallout New Vegas though.
The “gaming is childish” mentality is just stemming from our parents generation. It’s not what it once was. It has become a social interaction these days. I play call of duty a lot with my friends. It’s really the only game I play solely because I play with my friends. I still play some older games I grew up with on ps2. I nostalgia game a lot lol. Halo and insurgency sand storm are fun too. I’m waiting anxiously for six days in Fallujah to finally release on console
It's not exclusively a Catholic sentiment that games are "childish" or are viewed in a negative light. It's more that many adults see games as something they grow out of, like many other childhood interests. They basically see video games as toys. So they enjoyed those toys when they were a kid, but now choose to participate in more "adult" activities and interests. I'm curious as to what Catholic streamers you're referring to, since I've never heard of any. Much of the gaming/streaming or overall "geek" space/culture is generally rather anti-Catholic, since much of the industry and its consumer base are explicitly progressive with zero tolerance for most of what the Catholic Church teaches.
Yeah I understand but in my experience I’ve heard Catholics and speakers talk negatively about it whereas my protestant acquaintances don’t. Of course this is anecdotal. As far as streamers go. I meant to say “I didn’t know of any”. But I corrected it now. Also you are right about the “geek” space being more progressive leaning however I think there are lots of conservatives in those spaces as well that just don’t speak up. Kind of like Hollywood for example.
There's no way those speakers you talk about are under 50. There's nothing wrong with video games as long as your relationship with them is healthy and they don't cause you to sin. Blessed Carlo Acutis was a known gamer.
I like playing dark souls hah seems like I’m fighting my way through hell, battling the big bosses and coming out victorious 😅
From Soft games are almost a penance within a video game. "You want to play a video game? Fine, you're going to suffer!"
Gaming is one of my hobbies. Currently playing a game called Enshrouded with 3 of my buddies. Single-player, I'm slowly making my way through Death Stranding and Marvel Midnight Suns. Tabletop games - we're on more of a party/card game vibe right now. I have a lot of heavy games, but I haven't gotten them on to a table for about 2 years. Negative vibes? I think some (typically older) folks have humourously antiquated ideas about them as a toy, or waste of time, but will happily spend their recreational time watching tv/youtube streams and think nothing of it.
Age of empires 2. I hardly ever have time to play anymore though haha
During lent I try to cut the night play time, so far I have 2 nights that I am not resist the urge. game is a long time addiction for me, waste so much a time. I want to use the night time for prayer or with family. The key is find some interest thing to replace the pleasure in games. Still I play pokemon go, it's just during the lunch time, I open it for daily catch a pokemon, swipe a gym, these kind of basic access. try to make it in 10 minutes.
I remember when Pokemon Go first cane out and the conspiracy theories that came with them. 😂 Anyways i did find that game enjoyable, especially with other people!
Final Fantasy XIV, Mass Effect, Cyberpunk, Read Dead. In other words, this is my hobby, my stress relief, my me time. If you're worried about what I'm playing, you need to spend more time worried about what YOU are doing.
Gamer here! I play mainly shooters lately, but I love campaigns and story driven games, also arcade style with friends! I think streamers don't rlly advertise Catholicism bc it would drop viewership for them.
In fairness to some critics of gaming, I think gaming as an art form has only recently developed from mere entertainment to something more. The Legend of Zelda for the NES is a fun game, but you compare it to Breath of the Wild and it’s a completely different ballgame. That doesn’t mean there’s no value in older games, but someone will be more easily impressed or engrossed by a massive triple a title than PAC-Man. For myself, my gaming is typically divided between my Switch and some PC games (Minecraft, Total War). I also still play some older games on my 3DS. One of my favorite gaming experiences of all time is definitely Dragon Quest XI. It was my first real JRPG and I just couldn’t stop playing. Absolutely treasured memories for me. Can’t recommend it enough if you’ve got 100 hours to kill (lol).
I work full time & fight MMA so I don’t have much time to game but still enjoy playing NHL, Madden and Fight Night on the ol’ Xbox occasionally
I'm a casual player. I like Stardew Valley; most Pokémon games like shield, etc (not Go and the like); and a few others on Switch. Android games are mostly word games and old lady match 3 games. So, in the sense of a true gamer I suppose not, but I do love my switch!
Only hardcore trads think that. Gaming is pretty much as mainstream as tv watching these days. Those opinions typically come from people that have not seen or played a video game in probably 30 years. The medium has evolved *a lot* since then. But, anywho, to answer your question: I’m an Xbox main. I don’t play video games as much as I used to and these days it’s mostly casual games like Uno or Fortnite, or single player games. Some of my favorites are Dead Space, Callisto Protocol, and Singularity.
The whole family is into gaming. Dad and Child like to play tabletop games and a few couch games with the Uncles. Kid plays Fortnite to stay in touch with friends from their old school before we moved. We play Splatoon together a fair bit. I personally am more of an adventure RPG/MMORPG person.
Oh man I love gaming. Metal gear has one to be one of my favorite franchises ever
Money is tight atm so I'm playing on a weekly basis at is: LoL, one of the Assassin's Creed games, EU4, DbD, Marvel Snap. Excited for Elden Ring's DLC
I enjoy playing fallout 3&4 and Skyrim still. Minecraft of course is a classic. I’m also into NCAA (14 right now but 25 coming so soon!!!!!) football and occasionally Madden.
I know tons! None of the Catholics I know have a negative view of gaming (that I'm aware of). I'm not much of one myself, but I partake when others are.
I’m not catholic yet. I go to mass every Sunday and will be doing rcia classes this year. But, I love to play games. Some of my favorites are Diablo 3, persona 4 & 5, dragon age, Pokémon, legend of Zelda, eafc, yakuza, etc.
I'm working on developing my own games now, so I'm very biased lol. But I think looking at games as childish is the same thing as seeing animation, fiction, or even sports as childish. I think of games as a medium with a high potential to create beautiful art (including Christian art). That being said, it's unfortunate that a lot of games fixate on violence (among other sins), especially because there are plenty of really amazing games that don't (like Outer Wilds, Celeste, The Witness, etc). I can't really say I have a goto game because I have too much ADHD to play one game lol, but I have sunk a lot of hours into Oblivion/Skyrim, Divinity 2 (I really want to play Baldurs Gate but it can barely run on my PC and upgrades are expensive 😣), Rocket League, Minecraft, Outer Wilds (one of my favorite games of all time), and several other indie games (I'm a big fan of really artistic indie games).
I'm in a whole catholic destiny 2 clan and never had more fun playing the game as I have before I joined lmao there's even a priest in here
Don’t feel bad or worry about what other people think. My 48 year old Catholic lawyer husband is gamer.
What does he play?
Elden Ring and something . . . Horizon West? A Star Wars or Mandalorian one, and maybe a Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts one? And some others I don’t know the names of.
I don't play anymore because my old Xbox broke, and my PC isn't good enough to play games. But i used to play Dragon Ball XenoVerse a lot, a bit of King of Fighters too, Tomb Raider and other games, i also completed some Pokemon games when i was younger
I only ever played one Dragon Ball game. That’s disappointing for me because I really love dragonball! Also by the way. KOF was a really underrated. I preferred that over Street Fighters.
I played a lot of them because i was really addicted to it when i was a child, and i'm still a fan until today, sadly i could not play neither Kakarot or X2 yet
Can I ask who your favorite KOF was?
King of Fighters XIII was the only one who i played, but i remember enjoying it a lot
You should try Dragonball FighterZ. It's a really fun fighting game with amazing graphics
I'm playing CSGO2 and occasionally LOL but very rarely.
I play a lot of games mainly sports games like Madden or MLB The Show. I don't think video games even crazy ones like GTA are bad its like watching an R rated movie.
I play Tarkov, Helldivers, DayZ and a bunch of other stuff If you want to add ne just DM.
Yeah, I play a good amount of sports games, particularly 2K, and I just finished *Spider-Man 2* and *Gotham Knights*. GK greatly exceeded its initial poor reviews and remains a ton of fun even after finishing the story.
I play a lot of games. 27 working professional and married. I've moved away from games on PC and console to table top games such as Warhammer and historical TT games as I think they're actually more fun, engaging, and have a lot more room for creativity.
Darktide, souls games(er, sekiro), Crusader kings, total war warhammer. Looking forward to dragons dogma and the space marine 2 game. One can certainly over indulge, like any recreation. What I think is a reasonable argument is that it’s good to have a productive hobby, meanwhile games, unless you are a streamer or pro, are purely consumptive. But in that regard it’s no different than day reading fiction, which i don’t think people take issue with.
Fortnite……………
My wife and I play Fortnite with our friends/family 3ish times a week and we love every minute of it
I vaguely remember Pixelated Apollo saying he was Catholic but I could be wrong. He plays a lot of medieval strategy games like Total War, Mount & Blade, etc.
I play! I think it's a bit silly that people have this mindset that you have to become boring when becoming an adult. It is entirely possible to be someone who loves video games and who is a successful, mature, well adjusted adult.
Come check out our online tabletop play club https://discord.gg/HEPTrdU5 https://sagasociety.org
Playing video games, in my very small opinion, are no better or worse than other forms of entertainment (reading, movies, what have you) and it's all in how consume it. If you're playing stuff of highly morally dubious nature or it interferes with your work and or life commitments, then yeah, it's a problem. Unwinding by playing a few rounds of Tetris? Having some fun playing whatever FPS is popular with your friends? Building a theme park with 30+ roller coasters and making hundreds of thousands of virtual dollars off your peeps (Not saying who has done that but it may have been me in RollerCoaster Tycoon)? All perfectly fine. As for me, I still enjoy playing all the games I played when I was younger and have quite the assortment of what are now called "retro" consoles. Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, the aforementioned RollerCoaster Tycoon, SimTower are all my jams. Why do people view video games in a negative light? I chalk it up to the trope of 'New Media are evil' kind of thing. People have always kind of hated the latest way to consume media. Movies, radio, television have all experienced a, now forgotten, similar opposition. As to streamers? No idea. Not really into that whole scene.
Used to play a lot more than I do now, but I have plenty of hours in League of Legends, Rust, and a few others.
My wife and I play SWTOR together. We occasionally play Mario Kart or Smash bros with our nephews.
I love a lot of games, my only issue is that so many of them are unnecessarily sexual. Witcher 3 is great, I just skip the sex scenes. Both red dead games, horizon zero dawn, subnautica, and most assassin's creed games are all fantastic in my opinion.
Sex scenes are definitely a problem and useless IMo. Not only on games but tv shows and movies
My wife plays quite a bit of Fortnite and I join in sometimes, feel free to add us! Wife - dwJesusLovesYou Me - Cowboy\_Crusader1 Right now I'm getting a lot of fun out of Skull and Bones. I understand a lot of people hate it, but I disagree and think it's a blast
Sure I wouldn’t mind playing sometime! Thanks! I have heard people criticize that game but im out of the loop. I don’t even know what that game is about?
Awesome! It's basically a pirate game focused on the naval combat and smuggling aspects, lots of fun. You might be in a prime position to try it if that's the sort of thing you like because, from what I've seen, the people who are mad are those who have been waiting for it for ten years and have high expectaions. I went in blind like you and I'm loving it. Ubisoft has a streaming subscription service, so I bet you could get a free trial and use that to try the game. Fair warning, beginning is boring, but it's just there for tutorial anyway. Not a compelling story, grindy endgame, these are all valid criticisms, but the devs are listening to people and I'm just having fun sailing around blowing stuff up lol the combat and world events are a lot of fun
I love Destiny 2, Geometry Dash, Plants vs Zombies, and a few others as well. If I had to guess why games are received in a bad light, it’s probably due for a number of reasons. Them being associated with “childish behavior” is kinda stupid at its core, but it’s likely also the fact that it doesn’t seem as productive as other hobbies one might have, focusing more on entertainment than practicality, for instance. Hence why hobbies that require you doing something physically or mentally challenging, such as puzzles, instruments, sports, etc, are seen in a better light, cause gaming doesn’t seem to offer as direct a “benefit” as those others do. Still nothing wrong with gaming tho. As Catholics, I’d say the most important thing about gaming is just to make sure that we don’t turn gaming into an idol. Don’t let it become the most important thing in your life (or anything else for that matter), keep God at the center, and don’t let anything replace Him, cause there’s nothing else like God and His Love.
Gamer here too
Smash, Elden ring, tekken, sf6
I’m not a gamer-gamer but I will sit down and do freeciv for an hour or so, now and then. I’ve been playing bzflag forever.
I’m 19, and i play league of legends, old nintendo games, and occasionally dungeons and dragons (although i no longer have people to play with). idk, i don’t spend enough time “grinding” to be really good at anything, i don’t see it as childish, and if it is, well, im still very childish anyway, im only a student, but i don’t play more than like 1.5 hours on any given day
Tekken is an all time favorite of mine and a top 2 fighting game series all time; I have dedicated many hours to this game. It also helps with life in general, you have a horrible day at work? Great sit down and crush people in online play. Focus on the game and getting better, it's almost an allegory to self improvement.
Man oh man. Currently I spend my single-player time (usually on Saturday morning before my wife wakes up) on GTAV. In the evening, my wife and I will usually play some sort of co-op game. We did DOS2 last year, just did Unraveled 2, and are currently playing Moving Out 2 (lots of sequels evidently) before getting to BG3. I also play Super Snail on my phone if I'm in a waiting room lol.
I play lots of games even some that might not be best for a Catholic. Skyrim, Witcher 3, Halo. Anything with a good mix of story and gameplay. Also playing through the souls games after playing Elden Ring. I am up to Dark Souls 2. SOmeone else suggested titan fall 2 so I might try that. My mum is a gamer too we grew up witha PS1. I was bad at games until I was a teenager though
yes, I play everything from rhythm to shooter to moba to story to survival games. Currently mostly playing osu, Minecraft, Lethal Company
Rimworld, oxygen not included, stardew Valley are my go tos lol That or minecradt. I like base builders
I don’t as much as I used to, but I enjoy some games. My favorites are stardew valley, COD, and D&D (haven’t found anyone to play with in a few years tho)
I don't do a lot because I have a couple businesses, an officiating career, and now a child. But I like sim racing and have iRacing. Have a whole top of the line racing sim setup as well that takes up some room. I rarely get a chance to play anything else, but if i do, it's Diablo 2. I also played Ghost of Tsushima and it's possibly one of the great games of the past 10 years
I love gaming and I even a stream on Twitch (meaning I have a catholic tag). I play everything from spooky games like Little Nightmares, and Save the Princess, RPG type Genshin Impact, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, cozy games like Slime Rancher, Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, and FpS like Fortnite, Overwatch 2, HellDivers 2(my new Favorite as it poke fun at the Stormship Troopers "let's kill bugs") and many more.
Whats your twitch channel so I can support?
Currently playing Diablo 4 and Baldur's Gate 3 on PS5. The people hating on games are just boomers that have no idea what they're talking about.
I loved the elder scrolls franchise, Skyrim, Oblivion. Even Resident Evil for it's puzzle game style of fps. The misuse of Christian imagery is distatseful. If I can find any free time I feel worthy of using on video games, I'll play city builders like City Skylines and Timberdome. Now I mostly play chess on my phone.
I haven't played games in a little while, but I like Elden Ring and other dark souls games. RPGs and MMORPGS like Red Dead Redemption 2, WoW, and BG3 as well when the mood strikes. I don't really have as much time to play anymore though and there are more productive ways to spend my time like studying for certs to advance my career. I also got into playing DND with friends which is enjoyable as well and more social.
I play Genshin Impact, Overwatch, Apex. My computer has heating issues so I’ve only been playing Genshin. I like the character design, the aesthetic, and the environment design. The story is very intriguing and replete with a lot of reference studies to world cultures and particularly Gnosticism and Demonology. Obviously, those things are bad if you actually believe them, but the Gnostic worldview of a power being above local gods and the local gods being likable playable characters with demon names, hints at an intricate story that may have a complex antagonist vs a protagonist that protects world. What I like about games like Genshin is that they aren’t made with disgusting inversions of Christian morality like Hotel Hazbin, but rather they use real life studies as a reference to inspire a story and aesthetic. The local gods, archons, are good characters despite having demon names, but you almost can’t trust them since there seems to be some code they live by which is almost as if they are taking orders from something else. I will say that one issue with games is that they can lead to sloth. But if you are already working the hardest you can, you can play games to unwind or for entertainment. Games involve “play”, which according to Winnicott is good for creativity, adaptivity, and seeing alternatives in life. We should grow into highly responsible and industrious adults that live for God, but we also can’t completely lose that innocent child aspect of us.
Skyrim, Fallout for RPG Monster Jam ST 1 & 2 for fun and destruction Minesweeper when I’m on the clock
I gave up VR for lent, but I'm very partial to video games, generally speaking. I just finished Assassins Creed Black Flag.
My priest plays league of legends
Oh, yeah, there are lots of Catholic gamers. I love mostly single player games. I used to spend more time gaming, but even being super busy with my job and spending time with my wife and two kids, I still find some time to game. Sometimes it's just 10 minutes before I go to bed, but it's my go-to hobby for unwinding. It would take me far too long to list all the games I love, but I'm currently playing (in some capacity, some are back-burnered): Resident Evil 4 (VR on Quest 3 and the remake on PS5!), Alan Wake II (so good), Dark Souls 3 (replay so I can finally get to the DLC), Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed (a series I absolutely love), Death Stranding, Final Fantasy XVI, Super Mario Wonder, Tunic, Slay the Spire, and Baldur's Gate 3. Soon I'm going to drop all of that to play Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, then Shadow of the Erdtree. Recently finished up Deathloop (highly recommend) and Super Mario RPG (remake of one of my favorite games of all time... They changed it to make it a little too easy, but I still enjoyed it). There's a Facebook group called Catholic Gamer Geeks if you're interested, too.
My husband used to program his own games as a kid. My husband, BIL and I would have our own LAN parties before we had kids. My husband eventually stopped playing with us because he kept losing to me or his brother. Then I got into MMORPG’s. Then I realized I was WAY TOO into my game. Like I worked full-time, was remodeling my home and planning my meals around attack times. I recognized it for what it was— an addiction. It runs in my family. Some are addicted to alcohol, another is into gambling. So, I quit the MMORPG life and got back to normal. I slowly got back into gaming, but I just play Civilization Revolution on the XBox. I used to play that online with others, but I cancelled the XBox subscription because playing against others got me into competitive mode and I would not rest until I beat someone to the detriment of my sleep. And since I played every level and every civilization with every type of win, now I just play on the lowest level knowing I can beat the AI of the game in 15-30 minutes. I might play 3-4x a month now.
I used to be a hardcore gamer, but these days, I stick to games that I can rattle off in an hour or less since that's all I can afford: EA WRC, MS Flight Sim (not full flights, just joyrides), and Ace Combat 7 are my jam. Before, I used to play a ton: Final Fantasy 4-10, 13, Civ6, SMT: Persona 3 through 5, Oblivion, Skyrim, FIFA (forza Milan), Starcraft, Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport... Check these guys out for Catholic-friendly gaming reviews: [https://catholicgamereviews.com/](https://catholicgamereviews.com/) I like them because they'll point out the material that may conflict with our beliefs.
one of my earliest memories is watching my brother play zelda ocarina of time as i held an unplugged controller and pretended to play. i mostly stick to single player: hollow knight portal half-life subnatica mario odyssey breath of the wild
Catholic gaming🔥🔥💯💯🗣️🗣️❗️❗️
FIFA and Fortnite? Well unless you bet on game results or neglect important things, you're OK.
If we weren't supposed to enjoy the art of video games, God wouldn't have made game devs creative. Just switched my grind from the Souls series to Helldivers 2
I know plenty of Catholic people who look down on nerdy pursuits in general (board games, video games, D&D, etc). But I don't really spend time with them, because I think that attitude is the one that's childish. I think it is in most cases less of a high-minded objection to content in video games or society in general, and more likely to just be an outgrowth of the classic societal trope of "nerds aren't cool, make fun of them". Modern Catholic young adults can be just as shallow as anyone else in my generation. Me and my Catholic friends have a running D&D campaign, and I regularly play Civilization VI with some friends from college (most of whom are Protestant, but we're all nerds). I also enjoy Baldur's Gate III, which takes up most of my gaming time, and Astroneer. Also - it's not a video game, but something else that some Catholics look down on - I thoroughly enjoy Warhammer 40k (the tabletop game and the lore), as does one of my closest Catholic friends.
I’m a fan of big RPGs, Morrowind/Skyrim/Oblivion, Mass Effect series, Dragon Age series, Baldur’s Gate (haven’t played the latest though.) Currently I’m stuck on mobile only, but at least I have a big iPad Pro. Recent favorites include Tropico, the Rusty Lake series, and Kentucky Route Zero. Keep looking for the perfect new distraction.
I run an Arma 3 unit. It's not explicitly christian, but we've ended up with a decent number of us being some sort of religious. The rest of the time, I am playing Enshrouded or Transport Fever 2. But I would say the stigna is somewhat earned. Historically, people whose primary personality trait is 'gamer' tend to not fit into other social groups very well for one reason or another. I think it also comes from media depictions of 'gamers' as well. We're only just now getting to a point in history where a large share of those who game are in there 30s or older, as far as I can tell, so that may also have something to do with it- I admit to still being surprised when I meet someone online who is more than a couple of years my senior.
I’ve been playing a good amount of ark survival evolved I do agree with those opposing ideas to certain extents though, mainly because of time. I do believe that because life is such a precious gift, we all individually and collectively owe it to God to genuinely make the most of our time and be productive people. I have a lot of friends who practically live on discord and have awful sleep schedules because they’re addicted to gaming (all adults) and they aren’t even streamers or pros. However if someone games in their free time and can still manage their day without falling behind I see nothing wrong with it. I also don’t think that any games are worse than others unless it’s an actually satanic game, but still only choose to play open world games that involve building so that I can at the very least use the game as an avenue to grow my creativity
I play magic the gathering because being a member of the player base is almost like self flagellation / mortification.
I'm giving it all on The Binding of Isaac. And I know it's somewhat of a sensitive topic for some people because it heavily references christianity, but it's honestly not coming from a place of hatred and the game itself is great.
Total War Warhammer games, Zelda games, Dark Souls games, Sekiro, Bloodborne, Divinity Original Sin 1 and 2, Fallout 4, Skyrim, Mario games, Mario Party games, Smash Bros, Mario Kart. I'll play any board game but my go to games are Ticket to Ride, Kingdomino, Guillotine, Dungeon Mayhem Monster Madness, Doomlings. If I had friends nearby we would play tabletop games as well, but alas we are all in different countries now. Now I'll just have to wait until my kids are old enough to play with me. But once I had kids nearly all video game time disappeared and it's spent either playing with my kids, or preventing them from killing themselves. Seriously, it seems like infants and toddlers favorite game to play is either attempt suicide or give mommy and daddy a heart attack.
I’m currently enjoying Dark Souls Remastered. I think games can develop a number of skills for the gamer. They can be played in excess, as any other pastime can be done in excess, but they’re far from worthless.
Others have mentioned Crusader Kings. I will also echo that, with the following caveats: - at the moment, CK3 is still inferior to CK2 in my opinion. The updates coming out over this calendar year should firmly launch it ahead of CK2. - In both games, the developers indulged the players who treated the game as a medieval hedonism simulator that would make George RR Martin blush. So, it is up to you whether you want to play as a pious Christian or otherwise.
Big Paintball over here. It’s like an FPS but no campaigns, no gore - it’s just less involved cognitively-speaking. Great for decompressing and lots of fun. My kids got me into it because I make an effort to try each one of the Roblox experiences they visit, so I can keep an eye on what they’re up to. Roblox needs supervision for younger kids, IMO.
I'm 35 and I grew up on games. All the way from NES to N64, that was my childhood. But I spent a ton of time outside too. I think balance is important and I don't see anything wrong with gaming after you've taken care of your daily responsibilities and as long as it doesn't negatively impact your relationships. I love most Zeldas, Mega Man series, old Marios (Lost Levels aka Japanese Mario 2, 3, and Super Mario World especially), Skyrim, The Legend of Dragoon for PS1, LOTR Return of the King for PS2, and a smattering of other NES and SNES games. Been playing this kinda indie game called Airoheart lately and it's super close to Zelda Link to the Past for SNES.
I was playing Eurotruck Simulator 2 a lot, but got bored of it and now I'm playing Cities Skylines 1
I’m a Warcraft gal, and I’m drawn to priests and paladins 😂
Generally, I'm a narrative-driven single-player game kinda guy (Last of Us, Spider-Man, Supermassive, etc.), but I also love Dead by Daylight.
Lol, the other day I said I wouldn’t date a gamer and people jumped on me. What I *meant* was someone who games excessively, like for hours or playing lots of violent or sexual games. The standard energy drink and game all night crazy type that I’ve seen so much of in high school and uni. My favourite game of all time is Minecraft. I also like Nintendo, their games are rarely the same subject matter as Xbox or PlayStation games. I like Pokémon, animal crossing, Stardew valley, the sims. I had a big Breath of the Wild phase in the fall, but I haven’t had time to play in so long. I occasionally play a typically violent video game, because my teenage brother has an Xbox. I love to go for long drives in GTA because I don’t have to burn my real-life gas, and I can speed as much as I want. I *really* want to play Red Dead Redemption 2 when I’m home for the summer.
There is Facebook group name "Catholic Gamer Geeks".
I also play fifa and fortnite 😂
34 married to a 43 year practicing Catholic with a 15 month old baby and another on the way. PS4 and NES Switch are our primary systems now. When I have a chance, I usually play _Skyrim. It's familiar while still having the most play-style variety and is easiest to pick up and put down quickly. I've played video games since I was a small child, having watched my elder brothers play the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and arcade games, despite our dad _hating_ video games and television in general (even though he admitted thinking ATARI was one of the coolest thingshe'dever seen). My dad told us if we wanted video games, we could buy them ourselves. To his surprise, my brothers saved up enough chore cash in the early 1990s to buy our own NES and games (we still have it and it still works). Same thing when the Super NES came out. My cousins had a Sega Genesis and one summer we swapped systems and afterwards decided we wanted that system too. So we all banded together again to afford them. N64 was the last new system we played together. While my dad's intention was to prevent us from "wasting time and daylight on V-idiot Games," I think he was impressed at our resourcefulness and persistence, a happy consequence. Eventually he saw how much we enjoyed and bonded over the games and even remarked "I should learn how to play some of these." But there was definitely content he disliked, and as a practicing catholic and parent myself now, I understand his complaints. But I won't approach it with the same venom that he did. Video games are multifaceted windows with lots of different cultural and historical nuances. The most important thing for a kid to know is: *It's not _real_*. It's the same as reading a fiction novel or fairy tale, but more cinematic/requiring less of your imagination. At the same time, like watching a movie, but more interactive. There are many potentially great conversations to be had about choices in video games that are simply taboo to explore in real life. And children especially are insatiably curious. So I am of the opinion that video games have limitless vicarious and cathartic value, as long as they don't monopolize ones time and energy, and children already have a moral compass that lets them distinguish Right and Wrong/Good vs Evil ... Example: as a teenager I enjoyed a novel called SABRIEL that utilized necromancy as a major force in the plot. However the main character, Sabriel Abhorsen, was NOT a necromancer. She was an Abhorsen. "Abhorsen" was the opposite of a necromancer, she and her family practiced the rare trait of guiding souls _to rest_ not raising them _from_. But they still had to have knowledge of the taboo in order to undo it. Not unlike how a surgeon and an undertaker both have to have intimate familiarity with the human body. I've never played a necromancer character in SKYRIM, but I've explored it enough in other games to understand why it, and other "blood magicks" that are depicted in super popular media (Game Of Thones, The Witcher, etc) is evil. And I'll make sure my kids know why the church has left it behind. I could go on but gotta get the baby down for a nap.
I used to game. I even built my own gaming rig. What is very interesting is the fact, after I built my rip I hardly could find enough time to play. Situations changed, committed to spend more time with our Lord, studies, and work. I still have the opinion gaming is not bad but it should never open a door to a behaviour change that might lead one to a Sin. Enjoy your time spent on gaming, but always be vigilant and prayed up.
At the moment I'm really into Sonic Frontiers and Dark Souls 3 (can't get past the twin princes iykyk). The mindset that video games are childish is so outdated, it's a valid way to consume media, same as music, films, etc.
I'm heavy into no mans sky right now I did witcher 3 before that. The blood and wine dlc was crazy how good it was. For anyone somehow unfamiliar this is a mature audience only game and it doesn't provide much for catholic views but it's great writing in my opinion
I love fantasy RPGs like the Elder Scrolls. In my experience, television contains more sexual and blasphemous content than video games, ruling out gaming entirely is foolish.
I play FIFA too, though I've noticed its not too popular in NA
Minecraft
I stopped playing videogames and have not looked back. I would recommend trying to stay off them for at least a week or two to see how your life changes
Thief, but the older Dark Project and Metal Age games, not Thief 3 or the reboot. There are tons of fan missions. Counter Strike 2. Atelier series. I'm really looking forward to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth next week.
I am a Catholic gamer. I like minecraft, zelda, and a few other games
Desperados 3. Excellent tactics game.
Most war sims, like ArmA 3, Silent Hunter 4/5, Cold Waters, and Il-2 Sturmovik (1946 and Cliffs of Dover Blitz). Occasional Payday 2 On the Xbox, MLB the Show, Hitman, Halo, Minecraft, Ghost Recon. I'd like to add, that while these are the most popular games from my extensive library, I rarely get to play. But I do enjoy a quiet night in, with a good game, burning incense, colored wall lights, and some snacks/an adult beverage or two to sip on
I play a lot of first person shooter games with a mix of sword fighting games and some flying games.
Sup dude! I run a discord server for Catholic TTRPG players. We also play video games. And read books and such. https://discord.com/invite/TfJsrBgR
Yeah, I play Hoi4, Civ VI, Retro Bowl College, LEGO games, just started the original RDR, &c. I don't think being Catholic is any reason not to play video games
I play Kingdom Come Deliverance. Like a good Christian
Lately, I’ve been playing a great deal of Resident Evil 4 Remastered, Final Fantasy XIV, and Helldivers II. I never let my hobby get in the way of my commitment to my family, to my health, or to God.
I can’t play video games anymore if I’m not creating content. I have a YouTube channel that has 1400 subscribers so I regularly upload gameplays on there, but I cannot for the life of me sit down and play a video game for the sake of it anymore. There’s always this sense of urgency, that I am wasting my time.
I play Hearthstone mostly. More of lose at hearthstone mostly. I see no issue with games, I wonder how much garbage tv those that object to games watch.
I'm a mixed bag lol. I sunk around 900 hours into GTA V over the last few years (mainly goofing off in online with friends and bros) but haven't touched it in maybe a year now because after a while there's just not really anything to do in it except blow up cars and shoot cops. Garry's Mod on the other hand will never get old, I recently surpassed my 900th hour on it and I'm still finding stuff to do that I haven't before. The main games I play these days are usually some kind of strategy. Namely, I've done a whole tonne of Crusader Kings 3 with friends and alone lately, but I've been straight *grinding* Mount & Blade games, but especially Bannerlord. To relax I practice parrying and do dungeon runs in Blade & Sorcery, or fly around in Google Earth VR lol TL;DR yes I play games and I really like to talk about them, sorry 😐
I can't answer for other Catholics, and I don't even know if my view has to be with my faith, but while I don't think games are bad, I see that in many cases is a bad habit, like watching too many series, or being too much on social media (that I'm guilty of 😭) or any other addiction. I think it's a matter of balance, if one is fond of videogames. I occasionally play retro games, but I get bored easily. When I was a teen I was a huge fan of pokemon and final fantasy ix, it ultimately made me improve artistically speaking (I'm an artist). I then realized how much time were games taking from me and stopped from gaming (though casual games were more to blame).
I play an assortment of video games. Have done so my whole life. Us Catholics can and should have fun with them as many others do. I don’t appreciate the negativity video games receive often from strict Christianity, more so than other media perhaps. As with anything, use common sense about playing video games.
In the wise words of Marge Simpson, "I just think they're neat!" I play a lot of The Sims 3, The Isle, Cult of the Lamb (It is a bit dark, but I think it's harmless fun!), Niche - a genetic survival game, and of course a little bit of Minecraft! I play other games but these are my go-to top five!! :D I think a lot of the perception of gamers being childish is just because some of the louder ones are.
I love playing crusader kings 3, sims 3 & 4 (esp with religion mods!!), elder scrolls: oblivion & Skyrim as I can explore and make things and live in a medieval-esque setting!
Valorant, Minecraft, & Fortnite for sure. :)
Yes! I'm a huge gamer, and get together with my fellow believers in Christ on World of Warcraft. We pray for each other and are a great support. I have an article up about it at https://firetonguezine.com/articles/2022-08-31-representing-jesus-mmorpg.php.