Why Gaming Fills a Spiritual Void

Critical Hits for the Soul

Michelle Kong didn’t plan for her Thursday night chess club to become a phenomenon.

But what started with one chessboard in a jazz bar soon moved to a warehouse, hosting 500 players and a waitlist of young adults eager to join. As reported in The New York Times, her LA Chess Club represents more than a love of strategy—it’s part of a larger movement.

Board games, chess, and tabletop adventures are drawing Millennials and Gen Z in droves, not just for fun but to ease a deeper ache: loneliness.

This is no coincidence.

Games are doing more than filling idle hours—they’re filling spiritual voids. As a pastor to a church full of nerds, geeks, and gamers seeking out this void-filling community, I can assure you these spaces provide a sense of purpose, connection, and transcendence that echoes some of the core human needs met by faith. Gaming spaces—both analog and digital—have become a sacred refuge.

Why are games so effective in scratching this itch, and what can nerd ministers learn from their success?

The Epidemic of Loneliness: A Spiritual Crisis

Loneliness is the quiet epidemic of our age.

Despite constant digital connectivity, Millennials and Gen Z report feeling isolated at alarming rates. The very platforms that promise connection—social media, streaming, and instant messaging—often leave users feeling more alienated.

This crisis isn’t just social; it’s deeply spiritual. Humans yearn for belonging, for shared purpose, and for something greater than themselves.

I’ve long been a proponent of that fact that it is not the fault of digital connection here—the root of this loneliness is ancient. The fix is not a digital exodus. It’s a refocusing of our purpose online.

We’re not online to be consumers. We’re online to find connection.

Gaming meets these needs in profound ways.

Whether it’s a tabletop game like Dungeons & Dragons or a multiplayer battle in Fortnite, games create spaces where people can connect, cooperate, and feel part of a story bigger than their own.

Pixel & Pulpit Insight: If loneliness is a spiritual crisis, nerd ministries are uniquely positioned to meet people in this space. By embracing games as tools for connection, we can build communities that address the deeper longings of the soul.

Quests and Purpose: The Power of a Hero’s Journey

In games, you’re never just “playing”—this is just one piece of the puzzle.

Whether saving the galaxy in Mass Effect or surviving the zombie apocalypse in The Last of Us, games provide players with clear goals, challenges, and a sense of progression. These elements tap into a profound human longing for purpose.

The thrill of completing a quest or overcoming a challenge mirrors our spiritual hunger to contribute to something meaningful. Games offer us a narrative in which our actions matter—a powerful antidote to the monotony and ambiguity of modern life.

Co-Op Play and Belonging: Creating Sacred Fellowship

Games are rarely a solo venture.

Whether playing Overwatch with teammates or gathering friends for a night of Catan, games bring people together. They create structured environments where players can strategize, compete, and share victories. These bonds often extend beyond the game itself, forming real-life friendships.

For many, these gaming spaces become their primary source of community, offering a sense of belonging that’s increasingly hard to find in traditional settings.

Just as the early church gathered to share meals and resources, gaming fosters collaboration and mutual support. These moments of teamwork and trust reflect the “one another” commands of scripture.

Pixel & Pulpit Insight: Ministries can learn from the communal nature of gaming by creating spaces—both online and offline—that foster trust, teamwork, and shared goals.

Gaming as a Sacred Space

For many, gaming spaces are sacred. They offer refuge from the chaos of the world, providing order, challenge, and community. Whether it’s chess clubs like Michelle Kong’s or virtual spaces like Discord servers, these environments meet deep spiritual needs.

Practical Applications for Nerd Ministry:

• Analog and Digital Game Nights: Host events where games and discussions about life, purpose, and faith intersect.

• Story-Based Discipleship: Use gaming narratives as modern parables to teach spiritual truths.

• Digital Churches: Leverage platforms like Discord and Twitch to create ongoing spaces for gamers to connect spiritually.

World 3-1 Complete

The NYT story on chess clubs and the resurgence of traditional games is a window into a larger truth: people are hungry for connection, meaning, and transcendence. Games, with their structured quests, shared adventures, and moments of awe, are stepping into the gap. But they don’t have to do it alone.

Nerd ministries can learn from the success of these gaming spaces, using them as tools to meet spiritual needs. It’s time to roll the dice, grab a controller, or pick up a chess piece. The quest is calling—and it’s one we can’t afford to ignore.

Q: How do you know a chess player is lying?
A: Their story doesn’t check out.