Pause Menu
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thepausemenu.bsky.social
Pause Menu
@thepausemenu.bsky.social
Pause Menu is for gamers who don’t play as much as they used to but still love what games mean. It’s a calm space to reflect, reconnect, and see gaming as more than entertainment—a pause to remember why it still matters.
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Three reflections on comfort, resilience, and gamer identity formation.

If you need a slower pace, the fire’s already lit.🔥
November 10, 2025 at 12:49 PM
It is definitely disheartening to revive someone, only to have them KOed seconds later.
November 10, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Yeah that sounds eerie for sure. Waking up to dark and snow makes it feel like you’re in a post apocalypse survival game.
November 10, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Donkey Kong Country. The present day games are great, but going back to where it all began is pretty awesome too.
November 9, 2025 at 11:21 PM
Halo Wars is such an underrated gem. It proves you can take Halo’s universe and make it strategic without losing what makes the main game in the franchise great. Those cutscenes still hold up too.
November 8, 2025 at 11:40 PM
That’s the best part of Breath of the Wild. The game rewards curiosity and wandering off the path. 🌿
November 8, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Nice reflection. Games like Animal Crossing show how even digital spaces can help us practice empathy and stillness.
November 8, 2025 at 7:34 PM
It sticks with you. Every loop just pulls you in deeper. A captivating gaming experience.

#outerwilds
November 8, 2025 at 6:06 PM
From Footman to Hero: What Warcraft III Taught Me About Carrying More Than I Thought I Could

open.substack.com/pub/pausemen...
From Footman to Hero: What Warcraft III Taught Me About Carrying More Than I Thought I Could
Quiet Mode: Gaming reflections from the pause menu of life
open.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Try Ocarina of Time next. It’s foundational to the #legendofzelda franchise for a reason.
November 6, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Switch - Fire Emblem Three Houses.

Definitely one of my all time favourite games.
November 6, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Part Secret of Mana and part Chrono Trigger? I’m in! Hard to pass that up.
November 5, 2025 at 11:59 PM
One of my favourite SNES games. The music, the atmosphere, the mine carts, everything about it felt like a cut above all the other platformers I was playing back then.
November 5, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Hyrule from Breath of the Wild. There are so many places I could carve out a nice quiet existence and live care free.
November 3, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Lots to love about #chronotrigger

That soundtrack still lives rent free in my head. Absolute classic.
November 2, 2025 at 12:57 PM