Powerful Connections Made Through Gaming: Gary’s Story

In support of Safe In Our World’s #PlayYourWay campaign, we’re celebrating the powerful connections we make through playing the games we love!

Throughout #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, we’ll be sharing our own – and encouraging others – to share stories of the friendships we forge through gaming and the positive impacts that these interactions have on our lives.

“Working from home for years, way before the covid lockdowns kicked in, had left me feeling pretty isolated, but joining this community quickly changed things for me.”

Though working freelance can be rewarding, it can come with downsides! A few years ago, our Brand Champion Gary found himself going entire working weeks without speaking to people outside of his day to day work.

Feelings of social isolation grew to a point at which he felt the need to take action. He just needed to figure out how. He’d always enjoyed games but was yet to find a like-minded circle of friends with which to enjoy them socially. 

A self-admitted board games fanatic, Gary is an avid listener to a popular podcast that discusses all the latest releases. On a whim, he got in touch with one of its producers and,  as a show of appreciation, offered them a zhuzhed-up new logo.

Initially, Gary thought little of it – he admits he didn’t even expect a response! The podcast’s creators, however, loved it. So much so that they asked him if he had any more expertise to help sharpen up their branding. 

Gary kindly obliged and, within a few months, he’d become a secret sixth member of the group. He even began getting involved in conversations with the podcast’s community, too. From here, friendships naturally started to blossom and his previously intense feelings of isolation finally started to wane. 

Genuine Connections 

Any scepticism about these gaming connections being genuine friendships was quickly put to bed when – as a token of appreciation for the brand advice he’d given them – a mysterious and rather large package arrived completely out of the blue.

Gary opened it to find something completely unexpected that had been on his secret wish list for a while. He’d only mentioned a desire to take up unicycling in passing – his new friends sent him one to make sure he’d have to commit to it! 

The gesture was followed by an invitation to a weekend retreat, at which 40ish gamers congregate to laugh, play and share the hobby they love. This was music to Gary’s ears.

“I usually struggle to get relationships going over the phone or through social media. This in-person meeting helped me massively, and I’m now close friends with a tonne of people I met that weekend.”

Three years on, the connections that Gary has made through this community have gone from strength to strength. Recently, this has culminated in members of that original group, along with Gary, making their very own board game.

“I know how socially daunting it can be to put yourself out there. I was really apprehensive about it, but taking the risk and reaching out turned out to be one of the most rewarding things I’ve done.”

Supporting Safe In Our World This #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth

This month, Safe In Our World is calling on the community to help raise awareness of – and funding for – the incredible work it does.

The charity helps foster positive mental health and well-being in all areas of the games industry. It does so by providing support, information and training opportunities for players, developers, publishers, retailers, and all of the wonderful people behind games.

Whether you want to offer your own support, learn more about how to provide it, or are seeking to help yourself, visit safeinourworld.org

Ripstone is a Safe In Our World #LevelUpMentalHealth partner. We continue to commit to positive change, with the mental health and well-being of our team always being our highest priority. We take immense pride in our anti-crunch culture and we make efforts to ensure a positive balance of work and life across all of our studios.