I’ve been playing a lot of computer games recently and I don’t know why.

Maybe it’s to stave the feelings of loss from recent irreversible, life-changing events.

Computer games are a lot like life, they take planning, strategic focus, and tactical nouse to succeed, but unlike life they have one specific trait that makes them attractive to me right now. When someone you love dies, you can just retreat to a previously saved position and bring them back.

Hindsight is the driving force of the gaming universe. If at first you don’t succeed, you can try again, but this time with a strategically placed explosive in the location you know the level boss is going to appear.

There’s a chance my recent hobby has nothing to do with any of this. Perhaps I play them for the sheer joy of magically plumping up my owl bear to gigantic size and pouncing on unsuspecting victims from a great height. This is not a euphemism, it is important to note.

I wrote a short story a while ago where the protagonist has the power to switch between multiple lives. Initially it’s a comfort for the protagonist have back-ups of himself, living multiple lives in diverse locations. But then life has a way of frustrating even the most cautiously hedged position. Read it here, and see what you think. I promise there are no owlbears in sight.

Meanwhile, here are three of the most enjoyable computer games:

Baldur’s Gate Three
Tentacular demons, goth clerics, berserker devils, this has it all. Turn-based fighting may be a turn off for many, but for a multitude of tactical nuance it can’t be beaten. There’s also an inter dimensional hamster called ‘Boo’, if you know where to look for him.

The Last of Us
Killer parasitic fungi take root in the human cerebellum, or in other words, mutant mushrooms make mincemeat of mankind. The last survivor has a flamethrower and a stabby young friend. I played this through with my young daughter, pausing to catch up on the incredibly accurate TV series. Magical.

Far Cry Four
Where else can you avoid fighting an enemy village, by enraging an elephant in the right way and causing it to run amok killing everyone in sight?