What’s your favorite game (card, board, video, etc.)? Why?

The memories that stayed with me, from childhood to now

When I was a kid, we occasionally played board games at home, but since our family got a computer fairly early on, I ended up playing a lot of computer games too. One of my strongest memories is of the time my dad somehow got his hands on a dismantled arcade machine. It wasn’t the full upright cabinet—just the screen and main components, modified and brought home in pieces. Compared to our old TV, it wasn’t that big, but to my younger self, it felt like the entire arcade had been moved into our living room.

Even cooler, my dad later modified the setup so it could connect to home console game cartridges. It became this Frankenstein super-console, cobbled together but fully functional. I didn’t really understand how it all worked back then, but every time we turned it on felt like starting a little ritual. The screen would light up, and I’d be instantly transported.

As I got older, during my student years, I got hooked on real-time strategy games. Those were the days of LAN parties with classmates—after school in the computer lab, sneaking mice into friends’ houses, or crowding into net cafés. We’d fight for resources, rush units, and pull off last-minute base raids. Win or lose, it didn’t matter. The laughter afterward—about who forgot to build an army, or who got sneak-attacked—was the real fun. Those matches weren’t just games; they were full of energy, teamwork, and the kind of camaraderie you only experience in youth.

Of course, I also had my solo adventures. I was obsessed with RPGs based on Jin Yong’s wuxia novels—those classic martial arts epics. These were personal journeys: starting out as a nameless villager, slowly mastering secret techniques, making allies, uncovering conspiracies, and eventually becoming a legendary hero. The feeling of growth, the loneliness of wandering the jianghu, and those surprisingly emotional endings still linger in my memory. Sometimes I’d sit there long after the game ended, just thinking in silence.

Nowadays, my reason for playing games is simple: to connect with family and friends. Winning doesn’t matter anymore—it’s the shared laughter and conversation that count. Lately, I’ve been playing Rummikub, a light but strategic tile game. It’s perfect for relaxed afternoons with loved ones, chatting and enjoying each other’s company.

A while back, I even played Genshin Impact for a stretch—just to connect with the younger ones in the family. I learned the characters, fumbled through the combat, and got way too excited during gacha pulls. It wasn’t really about the game itself, but about being part of their world.

Games have changed in form, but the feeling of togetherness—whether with others or just within myself—has always remained. For me, games were never just about passing time. They’ve always been vessels of memory, emotion, and connection.