Why on Earth am I Playing Phasmophobia?

It makes no sense. For the last few years I steered away from horror games. Even games with high tension or stress-inducing gameplay have been avoided. I might watch other gamers play spooky, stressful games, but that’s as close as I get.

The reason: I only get the occasional night to game. Between school work, house work, child care and the occasional D&D game, time for video games is precious and usually just before bed time. Games with horror themes or those that require intense concentration leave me more wired than when I started. I realised I needed to switch things up half-way through Dark Souls. I was ending each evening game more stressed, focused and awake than I care to be just before bed time.

So why have I been playing Phasmophobia for the last few weeks? I could definitely be watching streamers play the game – and I was – but instead I decided to spend the odd evening in a scary game when I’d told myself that was a bad idea. Not only that, but I often play the game solo when my friends aren’t free to join me for spooks.

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​Gaming and Misbehaving: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

Tomb Raider has always been a relatively sensible series. The odd magic item or mythical monster aside, the franchise is one that wishes to be taken seriously. We play these games for a more level-headed kind of fun. Well, there’s one place where Lara Croft can go to be silly…

Last week I addressed the way in which I ‘misbehaved’ whilst playing Dishonored, taking the game (and myself) to a much darker place than the game creators anticipated. This week, I wish to summarise how myself and a friend made a mockery of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. The main aim of this writ-up is to remind you of all the times you’ve misbehaved in games, but I’m also hoping you’ll try this game out for yourself.

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