From dawn to dusk, you've spent your entire Saturday pushing through a video game, determined to become the ultimate master of it. Finally, as the screen flickers in the dark room onto your tired face, you've done it: you've finally collected every single Korok Seed in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. You are 29.

A screenshot of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. A Korok has 3 missiles attached to it and is aimed at its friend across the shore. Link is about to strike it with a weapon.

— "Don't worry, I'm a professional."

What is it about games that sets off the checklist part of our brains? When I was young, it was fun to just play through a Pokémon game, taking a long time to do what takes me a few days now. However, when I play now, my perspective is completely changed; I think more about aspects of the game such as "collecting one of every Pokémon", "completing the Trainer card challenges", or "getting every ribbon possible on a single Pokémon". What caused this shift in how I interact with games?

Well, the autism probably has a huge part in it.

A screenshot of the Pokédex page of Pokémon Home. It has 1,010 registered Pokémon, the maximum amount at the time.

— "Gotta catch 'em all."

Setting that aside, I feel that checklisting in video games gives us the feeling of satisfaction it does for many reasons, whether it be something simple like monkey brain like number go up or something deeper like having the feeling of control over something in our difficult lives.

For me personally, I like to play games. It's as simple as that, yet complex at the same time. When I was a kid, I would play the free drive mode in Smuggler's Run for the PlayStation 2 and just drive around creating scenarios and playing those roles out. Imagination rules!!!

For games like Tears of the Kingdom, Pokémon, or Final Fantasy XIV, I find fun in engaging with what the developers have presented for me. I'll gladly create horrendous machinations and explore the underside of Hyrule or set sail to the Forbidden Land of Eureka with the intent of fighting Notorious Monsters, if I find these actions fun. After all, isn't having fun why we play games, to begin with?

A screenshot of player dialogue in Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker. The highlighted player dialogue reads, "I, uh...have an orchestrion roll collecting problem. Gotta buy 'em all. Spent the last of my savings on Return to Oblivion."

— "It should be obvious what option I picked, if you know me."

My relationship with games may continue to change as time goes on. Will I find a new thing to latch on to? Or, will I slowly drift away and focus on other aspects of life for my recreation? Only time can tell. For the moment, however, I'll continue to collect these funny creatures and shiny weapons and to hopefully share the joy that brings me with anyone interested.