I saw this Lemmy post, but a huge list of games with no discussion isn’t very interesting! Let’s talk about why the games that influenced us had such a big impact - how they affected us as people.

For me, it was the PC game Creatures. It’s a life simulation game featuring cute little beings called ‘Norns’ which you raise and teach.

You can almost think of it like a much cuter predecessor to The Sims, but which claimed to actually “simulate” their brains.

As a thirteen-year-old it was the first game that made me want to go online and seek out more info. What I discovered was a community of similar-interest nerds hanging out on IRC chat, and it felt like for the first time in my life I had “found my people” - others who weren’t just friends, but whom I really resonated with.

I learned web development (PHP at the time!) so I could make a site for the game, which became the foundation for my job in software engineering.

And through that group I also discovered the Furry community, which was a wild ride in itself.

So yeah, Creatures. Without that game, I think I’d have become quite a different person.

  • eezeebee@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    29 days ago

    The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

    My older cousins got me into it, and they were the coolest.

    My first playthrough took months to finish. I would just roam fighting every enemy, cutting every bush, charge into every tree, sprinkle magic powder on every living being to see if they would transform. I loved that it felt limitless in the secrets and exploration. It’s definitely the main reason I’m so into the Dark Souls games as an adult.

    • tiramichu@sh.itjust.worksOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      edit-2
      29 days ago

      I think as adults we’re still looking for a game that recaptures that childhood wonder.

      One game that comes very close is Tunic, which is a zeldalike with a lot of spirit. I won’t spoil it for you or anyone else who may not have played, but it’s brilliant and I highly recommend it.

      Best enjoyed on a lazy Saturday morning snuggled in a blanket pretending you’re nine years old again.

      • Yermaw@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        28 days ago

        Tunic felt to me like being 3 or 4 again. Unable to read the instructions, working it out from the pictures and button icons.

        I didnt complete it, I got stuck against some baddy quite early on and just sorta lost interest, but its on my list of games to go back to.