There are many aspects that separate humans from all of the other species on Earth, but there is one that stands out from many others and that is our appetite for escapism. This hard-wired desire to imagine ourselves in another place and time is what fires our imaginations.
It’s also led to countless books being written and movies being made, all of which have the power to transport us, however, there’s one form of entertainment that goes even further than this – the world of video games. Rather than being passive viewers or readers, we’re active participants in an alien environment. This sets neurons in the brain firing to such an extent that it’s even been found to increase creativity and stretch our imaginations.
There is also a huge range of different worlds that we experience, depending on our interests and moods.
Plan for a clan
Say, for example, we want to try our hand at playing in a world where we are responsible for the wellbeing of a whole tribe of followers. There are countless games of this kind but, for many fans all around the world, the most popular of this genre is the mobile strategy game, Clash of Clans.
For anyone unfamiliar with the game that’s soon to celebrate a decade of success, the set-up is simple. You are the leader of a clan in a world unspecified in time and space but with a distinctly mediaeval vibe. Your task is to build and fortify your own village by raiding neighbouring ones and snatching their resources. It combines strategic planning, guile, and downright aggression to achieve your aims. All the sorts of qualities we might want to use in our everyday lives but it would probably be best not to!
Across the universe
Of course, it’s not just video games that can transport you to other worlds. It’s also a technique that’s been made very popular by sites with online slots games too. In order to appeal to as wide a range of people as possible, these run the whole gamut of themes from an imaginary rural Ireland populated by lucky leprechauns to outer space.
One of the particularly popular games featuring the universe is called Starburst. The cosmic background takes you light years away from the mundane routine of the average day, as do the symbols on its reels with stars and intergalactic jewels featuring heavily. Its popularity is perhaps the key reason that there’s no shortage of Starburst free spins UK no deposit offers available, with so many competitive options on the market that online directories are now ranked in terms of the quality of their promotions.
These promotional offers give would-be players the chance to play without putting any money on the table initially and due to the fact that the title has gone on to become a firm fan-favourite, it’s clear that this enticing method works a charm.
Coincidentally, there’s also a considerable crossover between online slots, video games and fantasy worlds of other kinds. A prime example is The Lord of the Rings slot that immerses the player in Middle Earth and is another title very popular on free spins sites.
The theatre of war
Games that fire the imagination don’t necessarily need to transport players to historical eras: there are many that introduce you to different worlds and situations that are totally contemporary or from recent history.
For anyone wanting to live out the fantasy of being in charge of keeping our seas safe, there’s World of Warships, a free-to-play game that has proved to be far more successful than its developers, Lesta Studio, could ever have predicted. Especially popular is the way in which it lets players collaborate in creating fleets of ships to take on AI-controlled bots as well as other enemy forces.
With the added element of being able to move up through the game’s tiers to build an increasingly powerful fleet, it’s no surprise that the game continues to be very well-reviewed and has an ever-widening demographic of players.
Of course, there are countless games out there that are even more popular and which fire the imagination just as much. So if you’re now on the lookout for a way to be transported into your own different world, you’ll certainly be spoilt for choice.