Gaming has always been something I associated with friends, competition, and late-night grind sessions. But recently, I had one of the most unexpected and wholesome gaming https://www.hs-terschelling.nl/ experiences of my life: gaming with my grandma.
At first, the idea sounded like a joke. My grandma, who still calls every console a “Nintendo” and thinks “streaming” means water, was never someone I imagined holding a controller. But one weekend, while visiting her, I decided to bring my portable console along and casually asked, “Wanna try a game?” To my surprise, she said yes.
We started with something simple—Mario Kart. The controls were basic, the pace forgiving, and the characters colorful. She laughed every time her kart spun out or she accidentally drove off the course. I hadn’t heard her laugh like that in years. What amazed me even more was how competitive she got. She didn’t just want to play—she wanted to win.
After a few races, we moved on to Animal Crossing. That’s where she truly came alive. Planting flowers, decorating her house, and fishing at her own pace—it was like the game was made for her. She loved meeting the villagers, asking me what each one’s personality was, and slowly crafted a tiny paradise she called “Granny’s Grove.”
It didn’t take long before she was reminding me to “check the turnip prices” or asking when the next fishing tourney was. She even started naming her villagers like they were her grandkids. “Did that little blue cat say anything about me today?” she’d ask with a grin.
But beyond the fun and games, something deeper happened—we bonded. Gaming gave us a shared language. I got to see a different side of her—curious, lighthearted, even a bit mischievous when she figured out how to trap my character behind fences in-game. And she saw me in a new way too—not just as a kid on his phone, but as someone who could teach, laugh, and connect.
Eventually, we tried a few other games—Tetris, which she remembered from her younger days, and Overcooked, which turned into chaotic fun (and some hilarious confusion about which button chopped vegetables). Each session ended with her saying, “That was fun—what do we play next time?”
Now, whenever I visit or even call, she brings up the games. Sometimes she even has a notepad of questions or tips she read online (yes, she learned how to Google gaming forums!). It’s become our thing. And honestly, it’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever experienced through gaming.…