Pokémon GO is a full-fledged phenomenon already, but from the instant I heard about it, I knew two things:
- I really, really want to play it.
- There is no way that I am ever downloading that app.
I'm not resisting for any of the reasons you may have seen in those snarky memes about being an adult. No, it's because I know that deep down, I still have the easily-obsessed brain of a ten-year-old.
I've come to this decision before when a game sounds far too compelling. It's why I chose never to start playing The Sims, which also sounded like it had the potential to insert itself into my life and push out other things I should be doing instead.
Make no mistake, it's not as though I haven't accidentally gotten myself into time-sucking games. Last year I played far too many hours of one of those "hidden object" game apps. I finally deleted it one day when I realized it was feeling more like an obligation than something fun to do. See also: Candy Crush.
One game I do like and play every day (for literally five minutes or less) is Neko Atsume. I appreciate its built-in limits on gameplay requirements and I like seeing the cute cats. Before I go to work, I feed the cats and switch out their goodies. If I remember, I check back to see any cats that have arrived. If I'm not too tired before I go to bed, I repeat the process and input the word of the day. I only play on my iPad at home, so there's no temptation to check in using my phone.
Limits are also why I like tabletop board games (limits and the social aspect, obviously). Even an afternoon-long game of Battlestar Galactica still comes to an end eventually, unlike many app games which are designed keep you playing and playing even when you have other obligations.
And because I'm not playing Pokémon GO, I even found the time the write a blog post. How about that?
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