The Games That Made Us Gamers: Rob

As lifelong gamers, the staff here at Overclockers UK will jump at any excuse to talk about the thing we love most. Gaming. Throughout the year, we’ll be bringing you our nostalgia-fuelled series: The Games That Made Us Gamers. This month, we’re with Rob and games from the late noughties to the mid twenty-tens, and if I’m being honest a little beyond that.

Some games are just games. You play them, you have fun, and you move on. But some? Some burrow deep into your soul, shaping the way you see stories, creativity, and even yourself. From the ones that defined entire eras of my life, introduced me to new worlds, and maybe even rewired my brain a little. From ruling Albion with questionable morals to getting lost in the Mojave Wasteland, here’s a look at the games that shaped me into the little degenerate gamer I am today.

5. Minecraft – A Blocky Beginning

Minecraft wasn’t just a game, it was the game. A cultural behemoth that exploded right as I was properly getting into PC gaming. From the moment I punched my first tree, I was hooked. Not to age myself, but 2012 was undeniably the golden age of Minecraft content. The Yogscast, Mumbo Jumbo, and CaptainSparklez are just a few of the YouTube legends I’d rush home to watch. And yes, I can still flawlessly belt out every word of Revenge and Fallen Kingdom.

But the real magic of Minecraft? Mods. Tekkit, Better Than Wolves, and the Technic Launcher transformed it into a whole new world of engineering chaos. Suddenly, I wasn’t just punching trees—I was wiring up nuclear reactors, building automated factories, and accidentally blowing up my entire server (my bad, Conor… it will happen again).

4. World of Warcraft – The Golden Age of Azeroth

Back in 2008, Wrath of the Lich King was the game everyone was talking about. TV adverts, magazine spreads, it was impossible to ignore. So naturally, I begged my parents for a laptop and the game for Christmas. What I got was an ancient Dell laptop from my mum’s work and the WoW Battle Chest. And you know what? Best. Christmas. Ever. I played the absolute heck out of WoW minimum requirements be dammed.

From chucking Mr. T Mohawk Grenades to finding my place in a guild with online friends I’d never meet but will always remember, the two or so years I spent playing WoW definitely started the slow transition from Console to PC gamer. Even now, there’s that ever-growing temptation to reinstall, just to hear the login screen music again. I stopped playing around 2011, but Azeroth? Azeroth never stops calling.

3. Fallout: New Vegas – Chaos, Freedom, and Altered Brain Chemistry

There’s something about Fallout: New Vegas that just hits different. Maybe it’s the freedom, the razor-sharp writing, or the sheer chaos of picking Wild Wasteland and finding Indiana Jones in a fridge. Like everyone, I tried beelining to New Vegas from Goodsprings… only to get absolutely bodied by Cazadors. Lesson learned.

I’ve returned to Fallout NV in so many playthroughs over the years I probably qualify for an NCR retirement package. What’s really stuck with me was how alive the Mojave feels. Every faction, every choice, every random encounter mattered. It wasn’t just an RPG—it was my story, and damn if it didn’t leave a permanent mark.

2. The Sims 3 – My Escape Into Chaos and Romance

Other than the fever dream that was The Sims 2 on PSP (seriously, look it up), The Sims 3 was my first proper dive into the genre and, as is a common theme on this list, I played the ever-loving heck out of it. At a time when my smooth brain was still figuring things out, this game gave me complete control over my own little world.

I spent hours agonising over my Sims’ careers, decorating dream homes, and inevitably ruining their lives with tragic house fires and pool-related “accidents.” Motherlode was my best friend, but chaos was my true calling. Beyond the madness, The Sims 3 also gave me something surprisingly meaningful, the freedom to make my Sims unapologetically, effortlessly queer. No barriers, no fuss, just romance options as they should be.

Honourable Mentions – Nostalgia and New Obsessions

From my earliest PC gaming days sitting at the family computer with my dad, blasting demons in Ultimate Doom, planning metropolises in SimCity 2000, and attempting to outwit pirates in Escape from Monkey Island, gaming has always been a constant. These days, though? I’m fully locked into Baldur’s Gate 3, living my best life simping for Astarion and Halsin. Peak gaming mode is romancing fictional men and rolling nat 20s, and I regret nothing.

1. Fable 3 – The One That Stole My Heart

While Fable 2 introduced me to Albion, Fable 3 completely captivated me. I still remember picking it up from Gamestation’s iconic 2-for-£20 section and diving headfirst into its world. The minigames for making money were weirdly addictive, but the real struggle? Those agonising moral choices. I spent way too long trying to make the “right” decisions, only to realise that ruling a kingdom is a nightmare, and the lesser of two evils may not always be the right choice in the long term. Add in some of the best characters in gaming, and it’s no wonder this one stuck with me.

Beyond the big choices, it was the little things in Fable 3 that made it so special. From running around as the most chaotic landlord in Albion to befriending my dog (who, yes, I would die for), every moment felt like an adventure. The world was dripping with charm, humour, and just the right amount of jank to make it memorable. Whether I was heroically saving the kingdom or hoarding gold like a medieval dragon, this game solidified my love for RPGs

The PCs That Make Us Gamers

While the games that made us gamers may be getting on, our current faves require the latest and greatest from technology. At Overclockers UK, we have an extensive range of gaming PCs and laptops just waiting to bring your latest gaming binge to life!

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