Hello from a fellow Nexon game fan!

It’s 재파민!

I was playing MapleStory after getting home from work when a thought struck me: “Isn’t my life in MapleStory a lot like my life in the real world?”

Sure enough, what I was doing in MapleStory wasn’t all that different from my real-life routine. That’s not a criticism—I just found it genuinely fascinating, so I wrote down the similarities.

1. Clocking In (Daily Check-In)

Just as I scan my employee ID when I enter the office, I clock in to MapleStory. Forgetting comes with some serious consequences(?), so I make sure to check in every time.

One difference is that MapleStory gives me a reward for checking in. It would be nice if that applied to real life, too. Haha

1. Heading to Work (Hunting Grounds)

Now that I’ve clocked in, I’d better head to work, right? In MapleStory, that means heading to the hunting grounds to complete my tasks for the day (daily quests and hunting missions).

If I don’t keep up with those tasks, I fall behind other players and my progress slows down. Lately, I’ve been spending 2~3 hours or more here most days, working hard to keep pace. Those Sol Erda Fragments are a pretty sweet reward.

1. Business Trips (Bosses, Monster Park)

Once a week, I head out to fight bosses on a business trip. I start my Monster Park and boss runs right at midnight as Thursday begins, so Thursdays are especially tiring.

Still, the hard work brings in a decent income, and the hope of landing the occasional valuable drop keeps me going. No luck so far, though.. I wonder when I’ll finally get one...

1. Self-Improvement (Practice Mode, Building a Stronger Foundation)

Once I’ve finished my MapleStory to-do list, I’m free to do whatever I like. Just as I work on self-improvement in real life, I spend time in MapleStory practicing attack patterns for bosses I’m preparing to tackle or leveling Legion characters to build a stronger foundation.

These days, I feel I’ve built up that foundation about as much as I can, so I’ve been focusing on practicing higher-tier boss patterns.

1. Payday + Shopping (Auction House)

I think unwinding by spending my hard-earned money (mesos) on things I want is another spot-on reflection of real life. Improving my quality of life in MapleStory is important, whether that means buying cosmetic items I’ve had my eye on or equipment that makes hunting and boss runs go more smoothly.

I recently got Sol Janus to level 10 using the Sol Erda Fragments I’d worked hard to collect. Now I can get things done with just a few button presses instead of running around the hunting grounds, which has made life so much easier. Dishwashers and robot vacuums have nothing on this.

1. Hoping Real Life Catches Up Someday.. (My Home)

This is one feature I wish had a real-life equivalent. It’s called My Home, and I have to wonder why getting a house is so easy in games.. It’s a little bittersweet when I’d love to have one in real life but can’t. I keep working hard, hoping that instead of the game reflecting reality, reality might reflect the game for once.

Which games do you think capture real life well? Thanks for reading!