Things From Video Games We Wish We Could Do In Real Life

Sometimes life is hard. Work needs doing, refrigerators need filling, and communication with other people can be challenging, at best. But what if life was more like a video game? What if we could fast forward through our work day or see a quest marker on a map when deciding where to move or the best place for dinner? Well, we had a few of our Love Thy Nerd writers weigh in on their top picks for things from video games they wish they could do in real life. Tap “A” to continue.

I wish items stacked like they did in video games.
“Do you have any cheese?”
“Yup, I have a full stack of 99 in my backpack! How many do you need?” — April-Lyn Caouette

I wish I could eat food off of the ground and feel better instead of worse. — Kevin Ireland

As a homeowner, I wish I could fix things by standing in front of them and waiting for the hovering bar in the air to fill up. — Kevin Schut

“What was that?” I missed what I was supposed to do again? That’s okay, I can just walk up to my neighbor and ask him to repeat everything again verbatim. — Andrea Racoti

I wish I could shoot beakers and scientific glassware whenever I want like in Goldeneye 64. — Drew Hood

The ability to approach people around town and half of them give you a temporary paying job. — Kevin Ireland

Restore to a previous save state so I could get do overs on all those awkward conversations. Although let’s face it, I’d spend half my life loading save files and never get anything done. So maybe this is a bad idea. — April-Lyn Caouette

I want to smash vases in other people’s houses and see if there are any jewels inside. — Drew Dixon

I want to hide eight hundred wheels of cheese in the secret cheese room in my otherwise dignified medieval home where no one can judge me for it, LYDIA! — C.T. Casberg

I want to dig through all the documents laying around in all the buildings I enter to figure out who people “really” are. — Madeline Turnipseed

Clothing with rune slots — including underwear. — Drew Dixon

Instant inventory access and the ability to hold hundreds of items freely. — David Jamison

Never, ever have to use the bathroom or shower. Just generally disregard all personal hygiene. — Erin Warmbier

Brain notifications when we say something to someone that they will remember.
“Bobby you are kinda annoying me right now, would you give me some space?”
BOBBY WILL REMEMBER THAT. — Drew Dixon

Cooking: just throw in an egg, some salt, a mushroom and butter into a pot and “boom” an omelet pops out. Basically, I want to be able to throw random ingredients into pots and receive delicious meals in return. — Drew Dixon

To see my wardrobe in a graphical menu where I can click the hairstyle, outfit and makeup I want as many times as I want. Or to tweak my features with a set of sliders with the ability to hit “reset” if I want to go back to my natural look. — Stephanie Skiles

Health and mana bars over people’s heads so you know what kind of pick-me-up your friend needs and why that one person at work is being such a jerk. — Madeline Turnipseed

I want to never need to eat, drink, or sleep until the health bar starts to get a little low.
Speaking of health bars, if I had one I’d know exactly how long I could wait before needing to see a doctor! Maybe a bad idea . . . — David Jamison

Third-person view. It would be great for parallel parking! — David Jamison

To be able to easily catch literally any wild animal, have it automatically become my best friend and travel the world together catching more wild animals to be my friends until we become the best there ever was. — Jonathan Reedy

A quest marker every time you have to look for something. — David Jamison

Picture mode. To pause life and adjust my view to get that perfect shot. — Stephanie Skiles

The ability to jump a second time in the air (double jump). — Kevin Ireland

We need save points. — Drew Dixon
… And fast travel! — Tieranie Albright

I want to make easy money escorting people from one side of my cul-de-sac to the other! — Andrea Racoti

Actually know how to fight with a sword without cutting my own leg off. — Casey Flynt

Dialogue prompts with infinite time to choose one.
(Lie) “You look great!”
(Persuade) “I wouldn’t know fashion if it ran me over…”
“That’s definitely not your color” — David Jamison