Tag Archives: Spring into Gaming 2025

Digital Playground

3 Relaxing Spring Games to Renew Your Mood

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Introduction

When Spring hits, it refreshes and renews me. Not just around the house and as a teacher, but in my gaming, too. As a busy dad and teacher, these 3 relaxing spring games give me a chance to slow down and smell the virtual roses. What are those games, you may ask? I’m glad you did. I’ve spent the last week immersing myself in the slow but steady fun offered by Minecraft, Terreria, and Euro Truck Simulator 2.

Minecraft: Escaping the Real World One Mine at a Time

Christine’s been complaining the last few months that the only channel the downstairs TV gets is “Minecraft.” Both Quinn and I started new worlds on the PS5 and spend most of our waking hours on various projects within the game. He plays the game with more of a completionist mentality, so he already defeated the Ender Dragon and picked up his Elytra.

What can I say? When all you need to worry about are zombies and skeletons, it soothes the soul.

I, on the other hand, took over a mountain village and commandeered one of their houses for my own use.In return, I built them another house, though, and set up defenses so that they can more easily go about their days. I also went into the Nether, built a couple of portals and now have “fast travel” to various parts of the map. No Ender dragon yet, but I most likely possess the gear to defeat it. Perhaps during April break.

Terraria: Another Journey into the Second Dimension

I often mention Minecraft at school. Once, a student replied, “Have you ever played Terraria.” “No,” I admitted, “but it sounds fun.” He told me that he preferred it to Minecraft. So, I went home and tried the game. While i don’t hate the game, I don’t quite enjoy it as much as Minecraft myself. So, I went back to the old standard.

It’s a fun game. I probably just need more time with it.

For my spring article, I chose Terraria again as one of the games to explore. I found more things to do in the game. However, I’m still far too much of a noob to enjoy it on the same level as Minecraft. Along with the Ender dragon, perhaps stay tuned to see if I finally crack the code.

Euro Truck Simulator 2: On the Road Again

Way back at the beginning of Lucas-Mullen Trucking

After returning from German a few years ago, I became addicted to this game. I drove all around Germany trying to find things that reminded me of the trip. The best thing I found was Allianz stadium and that brought me back to one of the most fun days I spent there. Granted, I spent it alone, but going on the tour and wandering around the museum for a good 2 hours made it all worthwhile.

This time, I logged back into the game and just drove around through France. The game updated and reset my progress slightly, so I chose France to try to find the ocean. I never did, so I changed my mission to chase after the sunset. I never ended up finding that, either, but I think that the bug might have bit me again. Perhaps over the summer, I will post some videos of sunrises and sunsets in the game.

The Verdict

These 3 relaxing Spring games prove that you don’t need a fancy vacation to enjoy yourself or the sights that the world has to offer. You just need a controller and a good imagination. Which game of these three is your favorite? Which one haven’t you played that you’d like to try? Let me know in the comments.

Mental Health

Gaming Spring Cleaning Checklist

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Introduction

Or: Refresh Your Setup in 30 Minutes! As part of our reintroduction on the web page again, I wanted to focus on the rebirth and regeneration of the season. The first idea that came to me was “Gaming Spring Cleaning”. I showed some messes around the house (handhelds and cables) that I plan to update over the weekend with my fixes to them. In this article, I want to summarize the small actions that can refresh your gaming setup and clean those dusty controllers, tame the tangled cables, and get rid of those snack crumbs.

Either way, Spring’s here–time for a fresh start! Follow this 30-minute checklist to revive that setup.

The 30-Minute Checklist

Declutter: 0 – 10 Minutes

  • Toss the Junk: Discard empty snack wrappers, dead batteries, and old papers like maps or notes. You can also save them for a notebook, binder, or folder.
  • Game Library Audit: Get those physical games on the shelf. Delete any unused digital downloads. Don’t worry! They’re still in your Steam library if you get the itch again later.
  • Wipe Surfaces: Microfiber cloth on those surfaces and screen cleaner for the glass.

Cable Management: 10 – 20 Minutes

  • Toss Unused Cables: Too many of one cable? Get rid of them or put them into a safe place in case the need arises later.
  • Label the remaining cables: Use tape or tags with a colored theme
  • Bundling Hacks: If cables are getting unruly, use Velcro or zip ties to wrangle them together.
  • Route the cables: Now, time for adhesive clips or cable sleeves for a cleaner look.

Hardware Refresh: 20 – 30 Minutes

  • Controller Deep Clean: Wipe down with a wet wipe. Get in there with cotton swabs and isopropyl alcohol for buttons and sticks.
  • Keyboard TLC: Pop off keys (if able) to brush out. If not, get in there with the compressed air.
  • Console/PC Vents: While you’ve got that compressed air out, blast out the dust bunnies!

Pro Tips for Maintenance: Add a trash can to the set up. Wipe everything down after playing to prevent grime build up. Every month re-audit the games and cables.

In closing

I hope I gave you some good ideas for ways to achieve your gaming spring cleaning goals this year. Check out the YouTube, Tik Tok, and Instagram for before and after videos.