Chapter 1: The Journey of RimWorld

Recently, I finished playing RimWorld, and it imparted a significant lesson that shifted my outlook on life. This video game, unexpectedly rich in emotional depth, revealed insights that resonated far beyond its digital realm.

I embarked on an adventure in RimWorld where I and a small group of crash-landed survivors endeavored to establish a colony on a distant planet. After enduring numerous challenges and setbacks, including fierce wildlife encounters and relentless disasters, we aimed to construct a spacecraft and escape our alien world. This was the ultimate goal of the game.

Throughout my journey, I faced dangers such as vicious raccoons, assaults from hostile Mech Hives, and battles against giant insect swarms. My colonists encountered various fates—some succumbed to diseases like plague and malaria, while others fell victim to infections or even their own traps. Occasionally, they turned on each other.

Eventually, after much perseverance, I succeeded in completing the ship. One by one, I solemnly placed each colonist into their cryosleep pods, bracing for the unknown, and hit the Launch button.

The crew bracing for a mech onslaught. Screenshot by the author.

As the screen faded and credits began to roll, I felt a rush of triumph. “Yes!” I exclaimed, exhilarated by my accomplishment. But as the credits concluded, my view shifted back to my now desolate colony. I had invested nearly 30 hours into building it, and now it lay abandoned.

A strange emptiness washed over me. Just moments prior, I was immersed in the game, filled with enjoyment, yet with a simple press of a button, everything ended. The fun dissipated as quickly as it had arrived. Although I had 'won,' the joy was gone.

This experience mirrored the journey we often take in real life. We sprint towards various goals—selecting the ideal college, landing our first job, securing promotions, buying homes, starting families, and eventually retiring. Each time we reach a new milestone, we celebrate momentarily before moving on to the next.

Yet, as we chase after more and better, the joy of each accomplishment tends to diminish. We often become mechanical, pushing forward without reflecting on the purpose of our pursuits.

Then, one day, we find ourselves at the destination we’ve long sought, only to feel a sense of abruptness. We realize that we’ve been so focused on 'winning' that we overlooked the true essence of the journey.

We ended up enjoying the game less because we were obsessed with achieving victory. In doing so, we failed to appreciate the moments of enjoyment we had along the way.

I lingered in front of my empty colony for a while longer. The sun rose and set, and a herd of yaks meandered through my deserted fields, munching on the unharvested rice. The power had failed, food spoiled in storage, and a fire raged unattended.

It seems like it’s time to start a new game…

Chapter 2: The Reflection

In this video, titled "TRUST and BETRAYAL | NO Skills, ALL Passions | Rimworld #3," I delve deeper into the emotional intricacies of gameplay and the life lessons it offers. Join me as I explore the balance between striving for goals and embracing the journey itself.