CHENNAI: The latent gamers are a variety who emerge only during times of stress. Like the fidget spinner, they use games to focus their energies elsewhere. Before an important deadline, or a tough exam, a project presentation or an interview, they become increasingly distracted — and divert their attention to play videogames obsessively (on their phones).
Now this isn’t a bad thing, because these games don’t demand much attention, and probably help you focus and coordinate better. Based on very unscientific observations of humans fiddling smartphones, here is a list of the stress-buster games in vogue these days.
Chain Reaction: Played best in a multiplayer setting, this game can distract you from the fears of the exam that you and your friends need to write in an hour. Each player is assigned a colouredblob, which expands to become unstable and then multiplies. The winner covers the entire grid with their own atoms.
2048: Yes, this game is old. In fact, many of you would have uninstalled the game after once getting 2048 in the 4x4 grid. But the game doesn’t end there! The satisfaction lies beyond achieving the 2048 target — it’s in every time the similar numbers combine to form larger ones, and the feeling you get when you swipe enough times in the right direction to unleash a chain of aggregates.
Atomas is another variation of the above two combination and expansion videogames, and it might even be useful before a chemistry exam. It involves combining elements (arranged in a circle) to form larger elements from and off the official periodic table. The graphics are more subtle and atmospheric, and it really does feel good to listen to the muted “ping” of two elements combining.
Color Switch, although appearing very indiscreet in graphics, it has some very complex levels in its campaign mode. After several hours of play, visions of the coloured ball bouncing over the different obstacles can still hover in your dreams. It may come with the side effect of twitchy thumbs, but a level a day adds points to your coordination. While you’re at this obsessive calm-the-nerves gaming, ensure that you don’t ‘phub’ people in the process.
Anusha Ganapathi
Twitter@quaffle_waffle
(This economics graduate spends her leisure time preparing for the zombie apocalypse)