The spark: Why I love gaming

I’ve been gaming for years, but every so often something new clicks—something that reminds me why I love this world so much.

Recently, it wasn’t a game itself that did it. It was a guidebook. The Red Dead Redemption 2 collector’s edition guidebook, to be exact.

I found it randomly while watching a video, and before I knew it, I was deep into a rabbit hole—discovering there are whole collector’s editions of guides I never knew existed. And for whatever reason, it hit different. It wasn’t just nostalgia or “cool stuff.” It was that raw urge to build something around my gaming life—to make it more real, more tangible.

That’s when it clicked:

Gaming isn’t just about playing. It’s about the layers we stack around it:

The collections

The achievements

The spaces we create

The way we weave it into who we are

It’s a way to craft meaning.

It’s mastery + experience + obsession all blending together.

And honestly? I think that’s why a lot of us get stuck or burned out—because we forget to refresh that why. We grind games (or life) without stopping to ask:

→ What’s the part that actually lights me up?

→ How can I make this more personal? More ME?

This guidebook reminded me of that. It reignited something. And now I’m leaning back in—not just to play, but to build the kind of experience that keeps me obsessed long-term.

If you’ve been feeling a little meh with your hobbies lately, I’ll challenge you:

What’s one thing you can add, change, or reframe that makes it feel alive again?

That’s the work.

– Fish

P.S. You already know I’m on my collector hunt now. What’s YOUR ultimate gaming item or holy grail? Hit reply if you’ve got one.