Hi! So you've decided to read this, huh? Well, I can't promise it'll be worth your while, but I'll do my best!

I am a thirty-something gaming enthusiast with too many games and not enough time to play them all. Especially when I keep (re)buying more. Sales, bundles, FOMO, and "I want this now and I have the money to buy it so I'm getting it and you can't stop me" all combine to bloat my library to the point that if I subscribed to the concept of a backlog, I would have a nervous breakdown at the thought of ever getting through it. It's not going to happen in my lifetime. It's a silly concept anyway, you don't call your collection of books, movies, and TV shows you haven't experienced yet a backlog, so why would your unplayed games be any different? I really wish people would stop peddling the narrative, it makes the whole process sound like work, and gaming is supposed to be something we do for fun!

I say this even as I remember the hours I've spent crown farming in Monster Hunter, shiny hunting in Pokemon, and playing minigames in general. Well, I make no claim to be entirely consistent, rational, or free of hypocrisy. Yet. I'm working on it.

I've actually had Steam for over a decade, but I've never paid much attention to PC gaming because of the lack of funds for a decent laptop, first-party exclusives from Sony and Nintendo eating up my time, and general lack of willingness to learn how to set things up. I hate tinkering with technology. Things I tinker with tend to break. Plus I've always been a handheld gamer: I grew up with a Gameboy and Pokemon, and the TV was usually being watched by my parents, so getting to play my Megadrive was a rare treat. It was habit-forming, so even when I got a TV of my own I tended to gravitate back towards the comfort of smaller screens. But then the Steam Deck came along. That opened the floodgates.

Now here I sit, trying to write a decent biography about my least favourite subject - myself - to make my profile more appealing so I can maybe meet some like-minded individuals (dare I say friends?) and we can all discuss how screwed we are trying to keep up with new releases!

If nothing else, the customisation is nice. Who doesn't like bunnies? I like bunnies. In the war of cats vs. dogs I will always side with cats, but from my perspective it's a war being conducted between two inferior races whilst the true supreme beings, the bunnies, sit and laugh from on high.

So, a little about me, then...truth be told, I'm not a very exciting or interesting person. If I was an ice cream, I'd be that block of vanilla that has been in the back of the freezer for an undisclosed amount of time. The one you serve up to the relatives that you only put up with out of a sense of familial obligation, that needs to be left on the side to defrost for a few hours before the risk to your teeth returns to acceptable levels, and that no amount of toppings can disguise the flavour of.

But I'd like to think of myself as a fairly relaxed and approachable person. I dislike conflict, and my general stance is to be as awkwardly polite as possible. To counterbalance this, I have many strong opinions that go against the general consensus, and a warped sense of humour that tends towards the excessively morbid. It comes from not taking life seriously...or perhaps taking it TOO seriously. One of the two. Most see me as a negative person because I have an aversion to positive thinking, but I find that if you expect the worst in life you generally have a better time because you're either pleasantly surprised when it doesn't happen, or at least forewarned when it does. Regular social interaction wears me out, and I need a lot of time to recharge from it sometimes. But I can and will talk your ear off if I get going.

In short, like most people, I am caught up in my own narrative and headspace, and whenever I venture out of it I tend to feel like I'm walking through a minefield. So I tread very cautiously, fully expecting to be blown to smithereens without warning, and frequently lose my nerve and run back to the safety of my small castle, where I wait for unseen foes to follow me back and kick the door in...or bring the whole thing crashing down around me.

I have two degrees in Accounting, work part-time from home three mornings a week as a finance assistant (a job I absolutely despise and don't get paid enough to do) and, like many, I have more than my fair share of health problems that conspire to keep me from fulfilling my true potential and have crushed my dreams relentlessly over the years. Or something like that. My twenties were a very traumatic period of my life, but I've found that I'm a lot more relaxed about these things in my thirties. I'm too old for drama, and I don't have the energy for histrionics...at least, not very often. Plus I have a very good therapist, and a wonderful partner who I love with all my heart, who keeps me grounded more than she probably realises.

OK, that's more than anyone needed to know. Time for some quickfire stats!

My top three video games of 2024 were Unicorn Overlord, Thank Goodness You're Here!, and Persona 3 Reload. I didn't get around to Metaphor ReFantazio. It's on the to-do list for 2025.

My three favourite video games of all time are Xenoblade Chronicles, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, and Tales of Berseria.

The three video games I would say have shaped me most as a person are Pokemon Red, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, and Final Fantasy VIII. Although Animal Crossing: Wild World is responsible for me living beyond my teenage years, when I was critically ill and had given up on life. I'd say it's a funny story, but...well, it's not that funny.

Favourite series? Atelier, Final Fantasy, Castlevania, Monster Hunter, Dragon Quest, Disgaea, The Legend of Zelda, and...Pokemon. Yes, I still like Pokemon. For all my complaints and frustration, it's still a series I adore. It's just like me is all - it hasn't aged very well at all!

Favourite genres? JRPGs, Action/Adventure, and visual novels. I love a good otome.

If my life had a theme song it'd be Galactic Mermaid. It's already my ringtone. You would not believe the laughs, glares, and stares of incredulity I've had when it goes off in public and I don't answer it in time. Or maybe you would. Give it a listen if you're not familiar with it and all will become clear.

Favourite TV series? Beast Wars is the greatest cartoon of all time. Yes. Other favourites include Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Babylon 5. I am also a huge Power Rangers fan, and I grew up in the 90s, so pick a cartoon from that time period and I probably loved it. I was also quite impressed with The Dragon Prince and The Owl House recently, and the Masters of the Universe two-part reboot also made me cry tears of literal joy.

Favourite anime? Suite Precure, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Digimon Adventure, Dragonball, and Fate/Apocrypha. I don't watch anime much these days. It seems to be either all promotional material for light novels/manga or isekai. I'm open to recommendations of modern shows that aren't either of these things if you've got them! I prefer dub to sub. Please leave your flaming torch and pitchfork at the door.

I think I'm nearly out of space. So, thanks for reading all that if you did, and if you want to chat, I'm always open to it. Cheers~