The Oxford dictionary named “brain rot” the term of the year for 2024, and I’m not surprised. In fact, it was around this time last year that I truly became concerned with my reliance on my phone. I felt like a zombie, addicted to quick hits of dopamine without the ability to do anything productive. So, I decided to make a change.

Whether it’s succumbing to grief and seeking revenge for a loved one, reclaiming your humanity in a journey to spread your wife’s ashes with your son, or discovering what it means to be human as artificial intelligence, video games can produce authentic and powerful emotions through stories we would otherwise be unable to live.