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One of the things that fills me with joy is the way that games have settled down and become places and preoccupations. They have sent roots into the ground and become a regular, beloved part of their players' lives. I often view these sorts of games from the outside, which is a personal failing, but I still see the evidence of their pleasures regardless. I work with people who know Dota 2 and League of Legends intimately. It is like they have learned an instrument or a new language, and I feel that envy that I sometimes feel for people who have put in real effort and gained real rewards. Lately, I've been starting to take Clash Royale rather seriously, and in my own way I now know what it is like to stop and stay a while with a single game - to commit, to grow to understand, to read patch notes, to have my own thoughts on a balance change or a new addition.And it's wonderful stuff. Even in my half-hearted way, there is something great about really getting to know a game, to play it early in the morning and to sneak in a go or two before bed. To return to this magical place which is always changing but always the same, a place where everything on-screen seems etched a little deeper, rendered a little more clearly, because of the rich understanding that illuminates it all.
At the same time, though, I am starting to understand another of gaming's great pleasures - or rather I am increasingly aware of something I love that has always, reliably, made me very happy. And it's the complete opposite of the feeling you get when you understand almost everything about a game except what your opponent is going to do. It is the glory of being lost, bewildered, majestically confused. It is the glory of fumbling through the first few moments - or the first level - of a brand new game.
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