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Gamers can be some of the best partners out there.
By Alexandra Churchill — Last updated on Nov 08, 2023
If you're in love with a serious gamer like me, you know that it's time to say Sayonara to your gamer boyfriend or girlfriend whenever there's an expo (E3) or a new video game console comes out.
They'll come away with plenty of new games to "test out" back home. Expect that the day they return through the next several weekends, your partner be planted on the couch in front of the TV, frenetically mashing buttons and tuning out the world around them.
You wake up in a panic at 2 a.m. thinking someone is shooting outside your house ... nope. It's just your guy in the living room playing Call Of Duty: Ghosts. And every time you ask them to do something, it's met with this classic gamer one-liner: "Just let me get to a save point" or this dreaded non-phrase: "Innaminnit" (Translation: "In a minute").
So if you're lucky (your partner beats Assassin's Creed IV early), maybe you'll see them resurface from the den sometime at the end of the day. And if you're one of the really lucky ones, they'll be smart enough to wait until they work out the kinks in the prototype of the latest consoles they've just got to get their hands on "right now" and you'll be able to delay this grieving process by a few months.
And while it doesn't always seem like buckets of fun to be the one sitting next to them on the couch (take it from me), I think gamers get a bad rep in love. Industry entrepreneur Jenova Chen once said, "Games have so much freedom. You can go anywhere you want." And we're thinking the next expo or linge outside of Best Buy might not be the worst place to find your next love affair.
There are a ton of fact-based reasons why a gamer makes the perfect partner.
Here are 7 reasons you need to fall in love with a gamer:
1. Gamers are super smart.
A study found that playing video games actually boosts certain regions in your brain. Researchers from Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Charite University Medicine St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus put a sample of gamers to the test by having them play Super Mario 64 and concluded that "video gaming causes increases in the brain regions responsible for spatial orientation, memory formation, and strategic planning, as well as fine motor skills."
And here you thought your gamer was just rotting their brain away.
2. They're good with their hands.
Your mom wanted you to marry a doctor ... but we're telling you to nab yourself a gamer. An obvious benefit is that gamers have incredible manual dexterity.
Surgeons have been known to play video games for this reason and it helps them with their hands. And well, we'll just let you use your imagination (wink-wink, nudge-nudge).
3. They are low maintenance daters.
Mountain Dew and Domino's Pizza jokes aside, as much as gaming enthusiasts enjoy going out on a date, they will have no qualms with staying in. A cozy at-home date ordering takeout and curling up on the couch is right in their comfort zone.
4. Video gamers are expert problem-solvers.
No matter what kind of challenge (or relationship) he faces, a gamer is always up to the task. If you need further convincing, both the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Army Intelligence Center have used video games to train personnel in critical thinking skills. So their hours spent playing Minecraft, Portal, or World of Warcraft are really honing their problem-solving skills. (Okay, so sometimes they use cheat codes, but that's beside the point.)
The point is, a gamer will never just throw their hands up in the air. They'll find ways to make you smile or put a fight between you to rest. You can also blame it on spending a stupid amount of time stuck in the Water Temple. (Shudder.)
5. They are totally tech-savvy.
Wouldn't you love to have a Geek Squad guy right at home? Even casual gamers have a working knowledge of their console; it goes hand-in-hand with gaming. The beauty of the Xbox One, for instance, is that it's not just a gaming console — it plays movies, music, and TV shows and connects you to your favorite apps, and they'll know their way around it all. Kiss your technical difficulties adios.
6. They're resourceful and prepared for just about anything.
Whether it's avoiding the undead during a zombie apocalypse, sniper-shooting on the virtually recreated battlefields of Normandy, or running from the cops in GTA5, a gamer always has a strategy (unless they are aimlessly trolling other live gamers — then, they're just being a jerk). But their experience in co-op makes them a valuable partner.
7. Gamers are thoughtful and can take charge in the relationship.
They're used to playing the role of hero whether it's saving Zelda or kicking space alien butt. And because they're romantics at heart, that means no forgetting your anniversary (as we already mentioned, his memory is top-notch), he will come up with creative date night ideas and thoughtful gifts.
And the biggest thing is, he will genuinely strive to make you happy. Isn't that what matters most?
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Alexandra Churchill is a digital editor who currently works for Martha Stewart Living. Her work has been featured on numerous sites including The Huffington Post, Her Campus, USA TODAY College, and Northshore and Ocean Home magazines.