Los Angeles Times

'Pikmin Bloom,' an AR step counter to improve your daily walk, is so simple it's magic

Confession from someone who writes about video games: At the start of the pandemic, games were a savior. They allowed me to participate in something rather than passively watch and kept my stressed-out brain occupied.

Today? That no longer works.

It's not entirely the fault of video games.

Like most people I know in this late pandemic stage, my nonprofessional life feels overly stressful. I'm exhausted and burned out. I haven't slept more than three straight hours in months. In turn, I've come to dread the very idea of going to bed, and thus too often I'm somewhat tired, somewhat irritable.

A confluence of 2021 events has left me in a state of constantly feeling overwhelmed. I'm disconnected from family, my cat nearly died, an attempt to start a relationship devastated me when it went south, and while I want to play — to feel free and silly — the last thing I want to do is learn a piece of entertainment.

No systems, no hours collecting virtual gear

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