Given this is the last blog of the year, I wanted to talk about something I only get the chance to do once I have more freetime in the summer: video games. Once school is up and the sun is shining I prefer to retire to the comfort of my basement. One of its highlights is that the lights don’t work so it is always a nice cool, dark place to spend your time. I’m going to go through the top 5 video games to play on the days where the sky is the bluest. 

1. Minecraft

First up, we have Minecraft. The game is something I believe almost all of me and my friends can point back to our childhoods. The simple joys of the game are the things you have done before and what you get to add onto that. 

Minecraft’s premise is pretty simple: players are placed into the world, and they must gather resources, build structures, and fend off monsters. Players can create anything they want with the game’s blocks, which come in a variety of different materials, sizes, and shapes. There is limitless creativity, and my friends and I have built everything from massive castles to functioning computers within the game. Personally, my favorite part of the game is survival mode.

If you’re like me and have played a lot of Minecraft, I have a suggestion. One of the things you can do is install mods. There are thousands of mods that add everything from new biomes and monsters to completely new game modes. Minecraft’s modding community has helped to keep the game fresh and exciting, even after a decade of its release.

2. Assassin’ Creed Black Flag

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag is the fourth installment in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. The game takes place in the early 18th century, during the Golden Age of Piracy in the Caribbean. It is an RPG based game where you control Edward Kenway, a pirate and member of the Assassin’s Order. The game’s open-world design allows for exploration of various islands and cities, each with their own unique challenges and secrets. Black Flag also has a deeper storyline that intertwines with the larger Assassin’s Creed lore, but I personally don’t like many of the other games. On top of that, I think that this game standalone is probably better than the entire series put together. 

One of the highlights of Black Flag is its naval combat mechanics which make you feel like you are Jack Sparrow. The ship controls are very smooth in using things like cannons and rams. The naval combat is fast-paced and intense, requiring you to carefully maneuver in order to dodge enemy fire and get other ships exposed to your broadside cannons.

3. Fortnite

I still feel like Fortnite is a game that just came out despite releasing in 2017 when we were still in like 7th grade. In Fortnite, 100 players are dropped onto an island, and they must fight to be the last player standing. What’s surprised me is how much the game has changed over the years. Epic Games has constantly updated new skins, game modes, and events. Additionally, the game keeps making changes to things like bots and guns, but I think a lot of those differences don’t add much to the game anymore. 

One of the reasons why Fortnite has remained so popular is its accessibility and how you can play with so many people. The game is available on almost every platform, including mobile devices, which has helped it to reach a massive audience. Fortnite’s cross-platform support has also allowed players on different devices to play together, ensuring that there is always someone you know who can play with you. 

4. Kingdom Rush

This is more of a personal favorite than something that would make other leaderboards, but it is probably one of the first games I have ever played. Kingdom Rush is a tower defense game where players must defend their kingdom from hordes of monsters. It is played on your phone. The game has a wide range of different towers and units, and you have to use resources strategically to upgrade defenses 

One of the highlights of Kingdom Rush is its creativity. Unlike the sub-par crappy ad games that are so prevalent nowadays, you can tell that the creators took time and care to make the game. All of the graphics in Kingdom Rush are hand drawn and are absolutely beautiful. On top of that, the game embeds easter eggs in every map that makes it fun to interact with things outside the main gameplay. Finally, my favorite part of the game is how it embeds a story line into each level which is fun to go through and read. 

5. Lego Star Wars

I didn’t realize how old this game was before I started writing about it, but some of the graphics are really old

Last but not least, we have Lego Star Wars. I first started playing this game in my friend’s basement and never stopped having fun. I used to play it on the Wii, and nowadays you can buy second hand Wiis for only like $40. This game became one of my favorites because of how it combines Lego and Star Wars to make one of the best things ever. You can relive the most iconic moments from Star Wars, from the battles on Hoth and Endor to saving Princess Leia. 

One of the highlights of Lego Star Wars is the attention to detail. The game’s developers make you feel like you are actually going on all these adventures while adding their own humorous twist. It’s a great way to explore the Star Wars saga if you have never seen the movies. On top of that, the game is immensely satisfying in how you can solve lego puzzles with the Force to build structures or throw objects at enemies. 

I hope this list was insightful and maybe now with your last summer out of high school, you can spend some time doing something unimportant like video games.