By Anaiya Patel

People of all ages enjoy playing games because they offer a refreshing break from everyday life. They give us a chance to relax, challenge ourselves, laugh, and connect with others in ways that feel effortless and fun. Whether it’s solving puzzles, exploring virtual worlds, or competing with friends, games give us something to look forward to after a long day. Popular titles like Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite, Mario Kart, and Call of Duty show just how different people are—some love creativity, some love strategy, and others just want pure, chaotic fun.

At IA, games have become a big part of student life for exactly these reasons. During free time, between classes, or after a tough assignment, students jump into matches with friends, build digital worlds together, or play something simple to unwind. For many, gaming isn’t just entertainment—it’s a way to recharge, bond with classmates, and enjoy a few peaceful moments away from school stress.

Kenzie Fourie (10^th) plays Minecraft before school, after school, or after she has finished her homework. She says, “Since I’m in engineering it helps me with my wiring, building, and ideating and makes me feel accomplished.” Kenzie also tries to play her sister despite the fact that her sister attends a different school. Kenzie is able to express her creativity through her buildings such as building a huge spruce stone castle. Kenzie also mentioned that she built a cyberpunk place since she has always liked the vibe and downloaded a horror mod to challenge herself. Minecraft allows Kenzie to embrace her passions and interests. She also goes to say, “I once made a Christmas gift for my mom as she found a spruce village with a mountain in the middle and built red stone lights that would flicker. I also decorated the end dimension where I turned the pillars into a different block and made the nether into an ice-skating rink replacing the red fiery scenario with a cold and blue color scheme.” Kenzie says that she did this because she wanted to go about her mom’s gift creatively and also to show her that games can be a positive and fun activity in one’s life. She said her mom liked it and thought it was creative leading her to have a more positive view of the game.

Betty Wu (10^th) plays a mobile game known as Genshin impact. She says, “I usually play Genshin after I finish my work and so it feels like a reward.” She describes the game as an outlet to let loose. She states that the game has a system known as the pity system, where an event exclusive character can be obtained in 90 wishes, 180 at the most. Essentially, after 70 wishes, the system enters soft pity, where you are 75% more likely to obtain the character you want. If you still lose and obtain another character, the next 5 star character you pull on that same event banner is guaranteed to be the event exclusive one. She likes to try her hand at it even if she loses which adds to the excitement she feels during the games. As Betty summarizes, Genshin impact is a story mode game where characters fight monsters and complete quests. Betty also says, “I like to play ROBLOX with my siblings especially feel the facility or murder mystery because I love screaming at them when I need help and they love screaming at me when they need help.” Betty adds, “It’s not fun play without people and that when she is with her siblings it helps them bond with each other.” Betty likes to think of games as a break, a break from school, a break from assignments, and a break from stress. She explains that games help her forget about school kind of like sleeping allowing her to reduce anxiety and relax.

Rohan Lavania (11^th) plays Minecraft with his friends, helping him feel relaxed and happy. He says, “ I think Minecraft does help with problem solving skills and creativity because Minecraft is a sandbox game and has many different ways to solve a problem and the more unique the solution often the more you get rewarded.” Rohan talks about how he enjoys playing with friends from school as he gets to spend time with them and have a more enjoyable experience than if he played alone. Rohan adds, “Playing Minecraft during school helps me unwind and take a mental break so I can tackle the rest of the day at school.”

Another game that Rohan plays is a game called Slay The Spire 2. He describes the games as rouge like that makes him feel creative and better at problem solving. According to him, in the game you build a deck of cards to beat the enemies in the game and with hundreds of cards that you can get, every time you play, the way you are playing is completely different. He says, “This rewards being creative and makes me better at problem solving skills as every time you play you have to find the right combination of cards to win and makes you better at thinking of creative solutions as no solution is the same for two runs of the game.”

In the end, it’s clear that games mean much more to IA students than just something to pass the time. They’re a space to be creative, to think differently, to laugh with friends, and to take a breath when school becomes overwhelming. Whether it’s crafting detailed worlds in Minecraft, testing their luck in Genshin Impact, or teaming up on Roblox, each student brings their own emotions, routines, and favorite moments into the games they love. These stories show that gaming isn’t just a hobby—it’s part of how students at IA connect with others, recharge their minds, and find joy in the middle of busy days. For many, games help make school life a little brighter, a little easier, and a lot more fun.