Time for the survey results for 10 Years of Gaming Fun! It can’t have escaped you that in the past ten days, we have celebrated our 10-year anniversary with loads of articles, from the experiences of our team and our former writers to our partnership with publishers. All stories about a site that has a clear niche, a dedicated team of volunteers and two older women at the helm who are passionate about taking care of ‘our baby’ as we jokingly call the site.
As usual, we wanted to include you, our readers, in everything we do at the site. After all, it wouldn’t be half the fun without you! Let’s see what you had to say in the Survey 10 Years of Gaming Fun!
Favourite Gaming Console
What was your favourite gaming console in the past ten years? It is a very clear picture, as you can see. The Switch has taken over from where the (3)DS family of devices left off. Shutting down the online capabilities of the little dual-screen device will probably be the end for it, though I will say it again: I miss my Streetpass! Anyway, the Nintendo Switch is my favourite, and in the next ten years, we will see what the new Switch 2 will bring us.
Top 3 Favourite Games
We’ve asked you what three of your favourite titles were in the past year. Hard to choose with so many good games out there. What we got back showed a couple of titles that kept coming back. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) and Stardew Valley (2016) are clearly at the top.
The games mentioned showed a strong diversity in game type. From open-world adventures like The Witcher 3 and Tears of the Kingdom to life simulation games such as The Sims and Animal Crossing. Our audience enjoys a wide variety of games!
Several games that are known for their deep narratives and complex worlds, like Persona 5, Final Fantasy XV and Dragon Age Inquisition, are mentioned. As we had expected, community and more casual games are mentioned most, like Stardew Valley, The Sims 3 and Animal Crossing. They are known for their casual and relaxing gameplay so that it might point to our audience seeking social interaction, relaxation, and a reprieve from more intense gaming experiences. Which isn’t so surprising, as it’s exactly where our own focal point lies.
Indie Titles Are Included
Though some of the titles mentioned several times are from large companies like Nintendo or Square Enix, games from smaller indie developers have certainly found their way into your hearts. It’s a good mix; there is room in the gaming industry for both, and the indie developers manage to bring us good innovative games with unique game mechanics.
Stardew Valley is the prime example: a typical example of an indie title developed by a single developer, ConcernedApe. Its charm, depth, and extensive gameplay have had a huge impact.
Another example mentioned is Yonder: The Cloudcatcher Chronicles. This game was developed by Prideful Sloth, a small indie game development studio based in Brisbane, Australia. The studio describes itself on its website as a “micro-AAA” developer, aiming to create games that have the look and feel of high-budget titles but are created by a smaller, more focused team. From what we’ve seen with Yonder and later with Grow: Song of the Evertree, they are doing just that. Which bodes well for the upcoming Go-Go Town.
Other indie titles that were mentioned were, among others, Slay the Spire by MegaCrit, Binding of Isaac Repentance, developed by Edmund McMillen, Spirit Farer by Thunder Lotus Games, Monster Boy by Game Atelier and Bear and Breakfast by Gummy Cat.
Fondest Gaming Memories
Family and Friend Connections
We asked you if you wanted to share your fondest gaming memories. Many memories involve playing with family and friends, which shows how video games can be enjoyed together, creating quality time with your loved ones. Several respondents recall playing games from their childhood or watching family members play games such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Harvest Moon, and other classic titles on the N64. They also highlight the fun of revisiting games through the eyes of their children or grandchildren.
Games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons are specifically mentioned for their role in connecting people during the lockdown, allowing families and friends to engage over wifi. Gaming together can give you such a positive feeling, and it can pull you together even if life has steered you in different directions.
Moments of personal achievement
Moments when you beat difficult bosses or discover game mechanics that lead to success are fondly remembered. These experiences not only provide a sense of accomplishment but also a deep engagement with the game’s content.
Gaming Can Serve Many Purposes
Some memories reflect on the immersive nature of gaming. Playing the right game that really captures your attention and ticks all the boxes can make you lose yourself in a virtual world, such as playing Final Fantasy XV all day.
Of course, it’s no surprise to us gamers that diving into a favourite game can serve to make you not think of all the things you want to forget, if even for a couple of hours. It provides a break from reality.
One respondent mentioned a gaming notebook, a notebook to write down codes and such, needed for quest-solving in games. And that brought back memories for me! I used them, too, and wrote about it back in 2014!
Living in a Gaming World
We asked you which virtual gaming world you would like to live in. Some of you answered that you wouldn’t, that real life is good as it is. Yes, brief visits like going to a holodeck would be grand, but nothing permanent.
However, based on the answers given, we can see some patterns:
Peace and tranquillity
The reasons given often mention that it would be peaceful, without any conflict. A little adventure thrown in now and then is fine, and of course, gotta keep the monster population down (poor monsters!). Being surrounded by the good friends you’d have in the gaming world is a big plus, and as one of you remarked:
It’s a very happy world where there is sunshine even on a bad day
Fitting to the fondest memories of 10 years of gaming and the fact that playing with friends and family is such a big part, people mentioned social interaction in the virtual game world.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is mentioned several times. Grow: Song of the Evertree, Harvest Moon Magical Melody, Stardew Valley and Palia are examples named.
Exploration and adventure
For those of you who found too much tranquillity not such a good plan, the draw to living in a gaming world is the sense of exploration. Finding a world that is beautiful and full of adventure. One of you wrote down (to which I can concur!):
The only thing I could say, no job and your whole life is an adventure
Both Legend of Zelda BOTW and TOTK on Switch are named, as well as Genshin Impact World and Final Fantasy.
Magic!
The magic in a gaming world was mentioned. Not being tied to the normal rules of life, but instead using magic to get tasks done. To build your house in Disney Dreamlight Valley as if it’s no trouble.
The little dancing Ooblets that follow you around. Dance parties all the time and dance parties all the time!
But also being able to do things in a game that you can’t do in real life. Colourful enemies that are rather easy to fight, like in Dragon Quest Builders, and driving to your heart’s content in Mario Kart.
Want to be a Gaming Character?
Not surprisingly, we got many, many different answers back. I guess we all have our favourites! Here’s an example of the characters named and the reasons behind the choice.
Citan (Xenogears): “He’s a dad, a medic, a high-level official, and tries his ever best to help others and society, and never for fame.”
Kass (Breath of the Wild): “He has a nice character and plays an instrument.”
Kena (Kena Bridge of Spirits): “I like her innocence and empathy and wonder at the world. I loved playing as her.”
Yuna (Final Fantasy X): “She has so much grace, even in the face of her terrible doomed circumstances. Then she gets to go be a silly young woman and absolutely grabs that chance with both hands.”
The characters I make in The Sims: “I am disabled so my characters can do all the stuff I wish I could.”
Chen (Touhou Project): “She’s cute and helps kitties.”
Link (The Legend of Zelda): “Strong, silent type who just gets on with saving Hyrule, but listens to others and helps out”. “Although it is a pity no voice is attached to him, he is THE hero.”
Joker (Persona 5 Royal): “Without their friends Joker is insignificant. The friendships and advice he gives to his friends is what makes Joker special.”
And with that, the survey results for 10 Years of Gaming Fun are complete. Thanks everyone for participating!
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