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For many people, playing video games is all about having fun and relaxing. While that is true, video games and gaming, in general, can impact you with several skills you’ll find useful in real life, regardless of your age. Video games can teach important traits and help you learn more about yourself. Experts believe that video games can also help solve real-world problems faster. Many people can attest to solving different real-life issues from the skills they acquired from gaming. So, if you’re an avid gamer, here are some useful skills you could be learning. 

Project management skills

Believe it or not, some video games can help equip you with project management skills. Games that allow you to hone your mental skills like problem-solving, planning, and teamwork can make it easier for you to take up project management responsibilities (of course, you still need formal training in project management). Some organizations can even use games to transfer critical know-how from seasoned project professionals to learners. For example, you can find this skill in retro video games like Pac-Man and Asteroids. And most of these games are available in any retro video game store.  

Strategic planning and critical thinking

Strategic planning is an essential life skill; it shouldn’t be difficult to tell why. From your ability to plan your income or expenditure to navigating a career path, strategic planning is crucial in different aspects of human life. And some video games are designed to help you become better at planning strategically. For example, puzzle video games and strategy games come with well-thought-through gameplays that can stimulate planning and strategy. 

Regarding critical thinking, various studies have shown that video games can help people of all ages develop and improve their ability to think critically and make informed decisions as a result. 

Leadership and perseverance

Some games allow you to take a commanding role and guide a team towards achieving a goal. For example, some games test your ability to build and guide a thriving civilization or lead armies to conquer others. These games may be fun, but they can also teach you a thing or two about essential leadership skills you can apply to real-world situations. 

Gaming also teaches perseverance, especially when you must try many times to complete one goal before moving to another level or meeting a new challenge. And almost everyone knows how important it is to learn how to persevere through the myriad of challenges life serves. 

Teamwork

Video games can also play a massive role in promoting or learning about teamwork. Popular online games like Call of Duty and Fortnite should come to mind when you think of teamwork in video games. These games allow you to team up with other online players to achieve a common objective. This is a valuable skill you’ll need in the real world, even if you consider yourself a lone wolf. Your ability to work with colleagues at work or school can determine how quickly you can achieve set goals and progress in life.