I grew up in Southwest Florida. As a gay man, that was incredibly difficult. As I came to terms with my identity, I found solace in Games. I’d spend hours at the computer playing alone. Then my parents forced me to go outside (How rude!) and I found theatre. It was a community that accepted me for who I was and I learned to love people. Then, something truly shocking happened. I realized games can be done with people! It was magical. “You’re telling me I can not only escape reality but I can do it WITH PEOPLE! AND I LIKE THOSE PEOPLE!” I then spent many years learning, forming bonds, and most importantly playing games. Luckily I am a nerd, so I didn’t just play games, I also watched. I saw my friends with their distinct personalities make moves, interact with rules, and like all theatre kids do, make a show out of everything! Now I am here, living in Boston with my boyfriend, learning about what games are, and how to make them, so that another little queer boy in Florida can learn like I did. You can always use games to escape, but you never have to do so alone.