Escape, Engagement, and Eucatastrophe

 

Artwork from GRIDSHOCK 20XX by Grey Wizard

A sentiment that I've been seeing often lately is wanting to avoid games that take place in post-apocalyptic or cyberpunk settings because they're "too close to home" right now. I can certainly understand finding it hard to enjoy something, or wanting to avoid something that puts you in a bad headspace, even if I can't really relate in this case.

One thing I've realized recently is that I just don't think about gaming as deeply as some do. Maybe I should! I get that different people have different means of "escape" in this regard, but I resist the idea of allowing something - or someone - else to take my fun away like that. 

I'll admit to occasionally wondering if some players are overthinking their hobby, but I think that's unfair, and likewise oversimplifying it. At the end of the day, people need to take care of themselves, particularly right now. If someone needs to have a more purely escapist experience in a different kind of imaginary world in order to fully enjoy themselves, that's valid. Speaking only for myself, plumbing the depths of misery or brutality isn't something I seek out in a game, but I can enjoy engaging with a game that includes some dystopian elements, particularly if I'm playing characters who want to change that fictional world for the better.

(The fact that the post-apocalyptic world I created is pretty over-the-top probably makes things easier for me. I might have a harder time escaping into something grimmer and grittier.)