Video games have been teaching people real life skills for 30 years

Video Games and Real-Life Skills

Like many of you, I’ve been thinking about how Video Games have taught me real-life skills. I’ve learned so much from playing games, from map reading to business tactics and even English. I’m not the only one, either. Many PC Game Spotlight readers cite games like Mercenaries and Phantasy Star 4 as helping them learn English, while games like Super Mario RPG and Red Dead 2 taught them to spell and count cards, respectively.

While I can’t speak for everyone, I can see that many of these skills come from the way games reflect real-life society. You could argue that games reflect society, but I mean that just as games are a reflection of our society, they also reflect us as people. Not just the way people look in games like Red Dead Redemption 2, but the way they act, the way they think, and the way they interact.

Real-Life Skills Learned from Video Games

We’re taught skills as we grow up, whether it’s learning to read or navigating a map. Here are some of the real-life skills I’ve learned from video games:

• English language proficiency through games like Mercenaries and Phantasy Star 4
• Immersive learning of Greek and Egyptian history through games like Assassin’s Creed Origins and Odyssey
• Map reading skills from games like GTA and Just Cause
• Situational awareness from games like Rainbow Six and Rainbow Six Siege
• Business tactics like buying low and selling high
• Mining, survival, and fire-making skills from games like Runescape
• Staying awake for long periods of time (for some reason)
• Drifting cars through games like Assassin’s Creed Origins and Assetto Corsa
• Efficient packing and loading skills through games like Tetris and Dr. Mario
• Rhythm and music skills through games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band
• Problem-solving skills, both independently and with the help of YouTube videos and guides
• Learning about medicinal properties of different types of weed through the Resident Evil series
• Helping learning-disabled individuals learn to read, as exemplified by Final Fantasy 7

So there you have it. Video games have taught me real-life skills, and they teach others too. Not everyone learns the same way, so there are many different ways that this can happen.

While I’m sure there are many other things games have taught us, I think this says a lot about how games can push us in ways we didn’t know we could be pushed. They don’t just reflect society, they also reflect us as people, and we can learn new things about ourselves through them.

Take a look at our other Resident Evil 2 guides while you’re here:

And, if you’re a fan of the classics, here’s a little something to warm your heart: the original Resident Evil 1 intro, recreated in RE2.