Hi I'm Sam, ever since I was little I've loved games, being creative, and learning; turns out the solution for all three is aiming to become a Gameplay Programmer! If you would like to learn a little more about me please click around and I hope you find my life interesting.
Choosing a favourite anything is always a struggle, but I will do my best to pick some.
Subnautica is a masterclass in atmosphere, amazing world building, and making me scream very, very loudly. My first play through was the most immersive gaming experience I have ever had and it will always hold a place in my heart.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth played a large role in keeping me busy throughout lockdown. It was the first game I ever decided to hunker down with and aim to get all achievements, which I did and then promptly took an extended break that still continues to this day, even if I occasionally relapse.
There are many other games that I could list for number three but I will bite the bullet and choose Valorant, even though I only play it occasionally now. In the past I played a ridiculous amount of this competitive shooter and so many amazing things in my life came from people I met through our mutual love for the game.
When it comes to reading I love fantasy and sci-fi, my favourite book is even harder to pin down but I would have to say Red Country by Joe Abercrombie: tense, thrilling, and beautifully written. Some authors that come to mind are Brandon Sanderson and Pierce Brown. Brandon Sanderson has been a staple of my reading for many years, always showing the hope in hard situations and humanities capacity to grow through his amazing worlds and well written characters. If you have much knowledge of the other two authors I've mentioned, then you may notice that I am also a very big fan of grimdark as well as the positive stuff - it's good to have a balanced diet.
Recently, I found the one sport that I have enjoyed enough to able to stick at for a long period of time, bouldering. Not only is it a full body exercise that is great for your health, but it works the mind and forces you to problem solve and try many different options to find the optimal route, it is kind of like programming in that regard. I have been going for over a year now and slowly improving, I currently climb at F6C if the boulder is my style, which I am very happy with. Pushing myself to improve has been a great goal, but the social aspect of climbing is also a great motivator; I try to bring new people whenever possible so I can share my love of the sport with them.