As a kid I was incredibly addicted to video games. I had a whole cat-and-mouse routine going on with my parents. They would put a BIOS boot password on the computer and I would open up the case, remove the battery, and reset the BIOS settings. They would lock the basement, where our one and only computer was located, and I would climb in through the window. They would lock the door to the computer room and I would undo the door hinges. It was difficult stopping me but remarkably I outgrew them and am now a somewhat well-adjusted member of society.

These days I don’t have much time nor interest in games and given the modern world of casual gaming I feel lucky. I acknowledge there’s a huge opportunity for game developers given how many smartphones are out there but every time I get nostalgic and download a game it ends up being “pay to enjoy” and after a bit of poking around I delete it in disgust.

A few days ago I was in the mood for a quick game and discovered “No-Bullshit Games” - a site that avoids the pay-to-play games or those riddled with ads. I’m glad that this site exists yet it’s disappointing that it needs to exist. The ship has long sailed but I wish there was a return to the purer games.