My name is Nathanael, and this is a story about why I play games, what they mean to me, and how they help me to cope with chronic pain. It will be a look back on my life so far, my experience as a gamer, and the games that have helped me.
In writing this piece I hope that other people in pain can find some commonalities in what I have to say, and together we can keep looking for new worlds to live in, escape to or in which we can simply spend a few hours away from our worries.
(Oh, and just be clear at the outset – in what follows I by no means want to imply that I’ve had the worst or the hardest life. I’ve had amazing opportunities, worked with incredible people, and had a support network that got me where I am today.)