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Minecraft Redditor u/AlexTCF has shared a touching story of just how much the game helped him and his son maintain their bond during the tough times of the pandemic.
Minecraft is sort of a virtual life game. It's true that zombies are not in the real world. Neither is the Nether or the End. Villagers don't exist, either. A lot of the game is fictional, but it does reflect the real world in a lot of ways, too.
Players need to build a house, and they need to collect the appropriate materials to do so first. They need to cook food to eat and survive. They need to craft items to use for everyday life, and sleep is a valuable commodity too.
Games like Minecraft, Animal Crossing, and Stardew Valley rose to prominence because they gave players a chance to interact with people and live life when the world was not exactly allowing the same. These types of games are popular, but they're perhaps even more popular during world-shattering events like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Redditor shares a touching story of how MInecraft helped them stay connected with their son during the pandemic
The pandemic continues to affect the world, though it does seem like it's nearing an end to its run of dominance. For a while, no one was going out or doing anything.
Video games are already an escape from reality, but even more so when reality is so unbearable. When nothing was normal and things were bleak, these games that mirror the real world were a chance to live life like it should be done (or as close to that as possible).
Another important aspect of many of these games, Minecraft included, was the ability to virtually connect with people they might not be able to in other circumstances.
That's what happened to this Minecraft Redditor. They were a keyworker and were unfortunately separated from their son. 100 miles is a long distance, but it's even longer when it's an insurmountable gap.
Minecraft gave the two of them an opportunity to be together, if only in a virtual world made of blocks. Many who couldn't see their loved ones during that time became very appreciative of the few methods that allowed them to do so.
The game is an important one to a lot of people, especially those who have played it for a long time. It's a popular game for a reason.
However, a connection like this to a game is nearly unbreakable. Neither the Redditor nor their son will forget how important the game became to them during a tough time.
Understandably, the community loves this post. They've given it a lot of positive attention, including quite a few good comments. Several commenters related to the distance between loved ones.
One commenter said that it was an appropriate thing to do during that time, while another reply took it to and entirely different level.
One player noticed the similarities between the gamers.
There are several barriers to doing something like this, so the Redditor was fortunate.
The game keeps people together in unique ways and distance means nothing in a virtual game where anything can happen, and flying around is commonplace.
Overall, the post has received a ton of love. The community has given it over 12 thousand upvotes in just 23 hours at the time of writing.
