So let's face it. You need more street cred. How do you do this? Become amazing at playing video games. I started playing video games because I have anxiety. I wanted to desensitize myself from surprises. Anywho, video games also engage your brain which is good. There are several different platforms/consoles to play video games on. The easiest if you don't want to spend a pretty penny is to play on a PC/Mac/Linux system. PC has the most available games, but there are other options if you don't have a PC. For all of the systems, you can use Steam to get games and play them. If you prefer the classics, you can play on a Xbox or PlayStation system. Nintendo has their own systems as well, but their games tend to have less impressive plot lines. I am not talking about handheld gaming systems like the Nintendo DS, because that is a different ballgame. Here are some of my favorite games and why you should play them. The links in the titles are for the game's trailer. The company who writes the games are also good at explaining the games apparently.

1. Bioshock (PC/Mac/Xbox 360)

Bioshock was the first video game I played. It takes place in a fictional underwater city called Rapture in 1960. The city was built for rich people who want to escape from the world. You run into "splicers," who are people who have had so much plastic surgery that they have look messed up. It is an action adventure game that has compelling plot based on the ideas of Ayn Rand and George Orwell.

Bioshock is played best with a keyboard (so PC or Mac). If you have never played a first person shooter (FPS), it is a lot easier to control where you aim with a mouse rather than a controller.

2. Fez (PC/Mac/Linux/Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/PlayStation 4)

Fez is an indie arcade game. The game looks like a 2D sidescroller like Super Mario Bros., but you can spin the screen so you can access all four sides. You collect little gold pieces to open doors and to solve puzzles. This game has amazing music and is super calming. It is a great game to play if you need to destress. I recommend playing this game with a controller, because the controls are very simple.

3. BattleBlock Theater (Windows/Mac/Linux/Xbox 360)

BattleBlock Theater. Where to start? This is probably my favorite game of all time. Like Fez, the game is a sidescroller which is full of obstacles. You are stranded on an island run by cats (IDK why) and you have lost all of your friends that came on the boat (the S.S. Friendship) with you. Your main friend, Hatty, has been given a special hat by the cats and is now evil. The goal of the game is to get to Hatty and get that hat off of him. In order to do that, you have to play stages that are like plays for the cats. The gameplay is seemingly simple but gets challenging. This game can be played with keyboard or a controller (I don't think one is really easier than the other for this one). The story is hilarious (make sure you keep the sound on). I am pretty sure you can't play this game and be sad.

4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Windows/Xbox 360/Xbox One/PlayStation 3/PlayStation 4)

Skyrim. This game is an open world game with quests. If you are like "hey, what is Elder Scrolls: Online and is it the same/do I care?", the answer is no. The Elder Scrolls: Online is a multiplayer platform that you have to pay for monthly like World of Warcraft. It is not the same as Skyrim. Even though it is the Elder Scrolls V, you really don't need to play the first four to get the game. At the beginning of the game you create a character Sims style. You are a prisoner who is about to be executed when a dragon comes a crushes the castle you are held at. The big catch is that dragons aren't supposed to exist. Cue everyone losing it. A little later you discover that you can talk Dragon. The king is like "hey, that's snazzy. Want to do some stuff for me?" and you are like "yeah, I don't really want to be executed still." You can easily play this game for over a hundred hours (that is not an exaggeration). This game is easier played with a keyboard, but I have played it with a controller.

5. Portal/Portal 2 (Windows/Mac/Linux/Xbox 360/PlayStation 3)

I include both Portal and Portal 2, because Portal 2 is more fun, but you have to play Portal first. You wake up. You are in a room that looks strangely sterile. You can't find a single human, but you find a gun that lets you transport through portals. This is good, because you want to get out of this lab. You get through rooms by solving puzzles. I have played this game before for six hours straight. If you love puzzles, you will probably try to play this game in a single sitting.

Video games are a great resource. I hope now you have a better idea of where to start. Good luck, gamers.