I’m a huge fan of sandbox games, of which Minecraft is the undisputed king. I love the space, time, creativity, and freedom you get to do whatever the heck you want. With story games, the whole point is to get locked into a narrative and be on a straight and narrow path. It almost feels too much like life. Minecraft (and Sim City, Animal Crossing, and Palworld) let you be like a painter in front of a blank canvas. You take stock of your tools, see what inspiration lies about, and let your creativity take the wheel. I think it’s good for your brain.

It’s not often that we get to set ourselves free in an endless zone of creativity. We’re locked into so many quests, side quests, and mini-games in our regular lives that it feels good to simply detach. And then we get to take in all the delicious memes it gives us in the process.