I was recently on a call that gathered a group of brothers across various vocations. There were ministry leaders, educators, administrators, and game developers, all of whom loved Jesus and liked games. As we chatted and shared our stories and work, I was struck by one idea: games are about relationships.

At first, I thought I was selectively hearing what people were saying because of the calling God has given me: to invite people into community through games. However, that was not the case. By the end of the call, the top takeaway for the entire group was that games are relational.

It's easy to lose the thread sometimes and get caught up in the newest tech demo, the power of AI, an exciting mechanic, or the release of a new platform. Those exciting things might captivate us for a while, but that's ultimately not what makes games uniquely powerful. They are about relationships—even if you're making a single-player game, you're connecting with another human on an intellectual, emotional, or spiritual level.

The relational power of games should come as no surprise because our God is relational. From the beginning, He walked with His children in the garden, camped with His people in the desert, led them to a promised land, and constantly went out of His way to maintain a relationship with us. What god is like our God? He alone calls us friends (John 15:14 & John 15:15).