What Video Games Can Teach Us About Life (No Controller Required)

Gamers spend countless hours grinding, exploring, failing, and winning in video games. I pleayed video game all the time as a kid! I still play them now, I just wish I had more time to enjoy them!

I recently can across an oulite posted online titled “What Video Games Taught Me” and I thought it was fun and interesting and I wanted to expand on it.

What if I told you that the lessons we pick up while chasing achievements and fighting final bosses are more than just in-game strategies? Whether you're deep in an open-world RPG or speed-running your favorite platformer, video games are loaded with wisdom that can teach life lessons that are better than parents or school.

Here’s a breakdown of what games quietly teach us about real life, and why paying attention to those lessons might just level you up in the real world.

If you are facing new challenges/obstacles, then you’re going the right way.

This one’s basically the golden rule of game design and life. When things get tougher, you're moving in the right direction. That next area you're struggling to reach? It's where the story gets good.

No one blames you if you have to check the map.

We all need direction sometimes. Whether it's a literal map or just asking for help, it's okay to pause and reorient.

Always come prepared.

Healing potions, extra ammo, backup plans. Life is just like a survival game in this way. Preparation gives you options.

Everyone is worth talking to.

Ever notice how even the most random NPCs have quests or tips? Same goes for people in real life. Talk to folks. You never know what you'll discover.

Even if you don’t get money for something, you always get experience.

Not every job, task, or effort pays in gold. But everything teaches you something. That’s still progress.

Explore.

Seriously. Some of the best content is hidden off the main path. Walk down that alley. Take that side route. walk into that dark mine or cave. Venture into that new big city or small town. Say yes to random invites.

The places that are hardest to get to always have the best rewards.

It’s not just a game mechanic. The effort you put in is often directly tied to the value of the outcome.

The best way to become someone’s friend is to actually talk to them.

Social stats don’t level themselves. Initiate conversations. Engage.

If you want to be someone’s friend faster, also give them food.

It works in literally every farming sim and in real life. Bring snacks. Share meals. Bond over bites.

Don’t hold on to too much crap, you’ll fill up your inventory.

Whether it's emotional baggage or physical clutter, it weighs you down. Clear it out.

Don’t be deterred if a challenge was too much for you; go back, level up, increase your skill, and try again.

Sometimes you’re just not ready. And that’s fine. Train up and come back stronger.

You don’t learn anything if you get someone else to do it for you.

There’s no XP in shortcuts. Take the quest and do the work.

Don’t feel like you have to plow through the main story. The best content is sometimes in the side quests.

The main objective is important, sure. But those optional moments? That’s where the real heart is.

If you’ve tried and failed 30 times, you probably missed something. Go back and look around.

Failure is usually a clue. Re-examine the space. Look at it differently. You might find what you overlooked.

Never judge someone’s skill solely on their achievements; you don’t know how they got them.

That flashy gear or big win? You don’t know the grind behind it. Respect the journey, not just the outcome.

When you succeed after multiple failures, you feel so much more accomplished.

Victory tastes better when it’s earned. There’s no cheat code for that.

Take full advantage of character customization.

You are the main character. Build yourself however you want. Be weird. Be bold. Be you.

Decisions rarely only affect you. Please choose wisely.

This hits both in moral choice systems and real life. Your choices ripple out. Think beyond the moment.

Video games are more than entertainment. They're interactive life lessons. If you pay attention, they can teach you how to handle failure, how to connect with people, how to be resourceful, and how to keep going when things get tough.

So maybe next time you pick up that controller, remember that the skills you're building in-game might just make you a little better outside of it too.

Via: Snappy Bubbles