Viridi: A Joke, or the Future of Self Care-Based Video Games?

  Do you live in a dense city without much vegetation or living space? Are you the type whose green thumb is so dead you couldn’t get a rash of kudzu to grow if you tried? Maybe, like so many of us, you just need a minute or two more of quiet in your day?  Then breathe a sigh of relief, my friends. Now you, too, can grow your very own no-hassle pot of succulents with Viridi, a brand new video game designed by Ice Water Games.  Before anyone automatically dismisses this genius creation with an eye roll at the Internet Age, I want you to just watch the beautiful introductory video, what with its vivid colors, soothing soundtrack (honestly, I could listen to this original playlist all day), and wide variety of choices. Did I mention this masterpiece will be free for Android and iPhone users (although if you just can’t wait there’s a desktop version already available as well) and upgrades cost just a few cents?  Even better — unlike meditation apps or reading, which require stillness and no distractions — Viridi sounds like the optimal tool for peace on the go. You even have a fun little snail pal to chill with if gardening from your screen starts to feel too lonely. Just see if it’s doesn’t grow on you.

On a more serious note, Viridi becomes an even more necessary alternative in a world where actual Black nerd problems can sometimes make other games full of violence, misogyny, or just plain erasure feel like they add to the trauma.  Sometimes you don’t even have the ment…