Whether I need to unwind after a long day, stave off an oncoming claustrophobia-related anxiety attack on the subway, or mentally process the weight of the presidential election, video games are where I've always turned to bring myself back to a place where I can calmly and productively move forward once again. Games - by virtue of how they work at their most basic level - force a person's mind and body to be in sync with one another, which can function like punching a sort of reset button on an anxious mind. Video games are also particularly good at creating a true sense of escapism that other mediums can't match. Even video games can be a tool uniquely situated to create empathy for others - they're an immersive experience in someone else's world. How could I show up to work the next day and write about video games when our country legitimized the xenophobia and racism of an egomaniacal sexual predator by electing him to our highest office? It felt ridiculous and hollow.īut art is valuable in a time like this.

Just before midnight on Tuesday, when it became clear Donald Trump would actually be the president-elect, a knot entered the pit of my stomach and didn't go away.

Apps like noisli