Godly Gaming

I am one of very many, yet somehow disregarded, Christian Gamers. It is unfortunate that we are so unknown. God has recently put it into my attention that I should be more upfront about my religion, and so I now am making steps toward gaming with God in mind. This doesn’t mean I must avoid any game with more than an “E” rating. It simply means that when those kids with annoying voices and foul language start ripping on me, I should guide them instead of making them worse. Or when I hand someone’s ass to them, I shouldn’t boast, but I should encourage them, give them advice, and most importantly, say “Good game!”

It baffles me how more Christian gamers haven’t caught on to this simple step into a greater relationship with their Savior. But then I remember that most believers aren’t looking for that stronger connection, and have forgotten about the amazing things in store for them if only they dedicated themselves a little more. This imposes even more reason to put God into our time on the couch, or at the computer desk. If we can simply remind people that God is there they may take a second look.

But now I digress from the purpose of this blog. On a more appropriate note, why aren’t there any games that display biblical history. I recently read the book of Joshua, then Judges and 1 Samuel. All four of these books in the Bible have quite a bit of action in them. Thee book of Joshua would make an excellent RTS game. The entire story of Samson could be a God of War–esque adventure, but with Philistines instead of demons. David goes through a huge period of his life where he is hiding from Saul, which could also make an excellent adventure.

The only thing that I ask of any developer attempting a biblical game is that they have excellent character development, cinematic quality, and to hold true to the story in the Bible. Character development is needed for us to understand what they are going through and how their relationship with God changes and develops. Cinematic quality is needed to really connect with the player. There are some games that are so immersive or have such compelling story telling techniques that I can just feel the results in my gut. It would be great to see this same thing applied to God’s story.

But the most important thing for any biblical game is for the truth to be told. There are enough large media sources that distort the story told in the Bible, the most immediate that come to mind is Assassin’s Creed. We don’t need anymore of those, especially when that game claims to be based on the Bible. It is a sin to change the Bible, according to Revelations 22:18-19. I see no reason why we should change it in a medium other than words.

If you are a Christian and are interested in starting a new adventure with Christ, then crack open your Bible, or get one if needed, and start reading. You will find it rather bland at first, but as you read you learn to see the words in a different way. I can’t really describe it. For a war epic, read Joshua. For a more personal adventure story, 1 and 2 Samuel will accommodate you. The book of Ruth is a romance, and explains an important part of Jesus’ ancestry. Of course the story of Jesus is very important, and that can be read in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, or all four. Revelations is about the end of the world that is sure interesting.

I ave recently found a great site dedicated to Christian gamers, Hardcore Christian Gamers. It has a great community who is active, ready to help you grow in Christ, and who can also be called hardcore gamers. Add me as a friend, my username is SavageReindeer.