Do games make you happy?

I play videogames to evade my sad reality which, at the end, is another part of my big problem. Damn you videogames!

Simple fun or a deeper purpose? That would also depend on the game I'm playing.

Yes, playing a game I enjoy makes me happy.
I'm unfortunatelly one of the people who aren't able to cope with the reality very well, so in a way I feel better when I can "hide" in a game's world.

Fun fact: this might or might not be the reason why I don't like super-realistic graphic in games.

Your idea about canvas is similar for me. As opera in music, videogame is a very complex piece of art, and I enjoy it.
It's also a way to learn some good stories (like fairy tales for children, good gossips for adults and good books for everyone). And good stories are a good way of transfering the living experience from one person to another.
It's also a way to peep into the game creators' souls to see what moves them, what they value and what experience did they have.
And, of course, games are zen. Just grind, Grind, GRIND!!! It's a way to free your mind, let it rest and let your hands (and subconsciousness) do the work.
Plus after achieving something in-game you stop thinking about yourself as of a useless person who hasn't achieved anything in life. Beating the games you couldn't beat before indicates you've made a progress and became more masterfull then you were before, and it warmths the heart greatly.

• Some games are just "fun", like playing with a yo-yo, sometimes there is nothing deep.
• Some games are "deeper", you feel bonded with the character and it's more like reading a book\watching a film.

A game must be "deep" or "funny" to get my attention.

I suppose all the reasons would just be detailed descriptions of the main 'escapism' idea. Why else would anyone play games?

View attached image.

Hm, there are probably different reasons:

• Sometimes to avoid boredom or just to have fun
• A way to spend time with friends
• An interesting narration medium combining the strengths of books and television and most time outclassing those two
• A place to discover new worlds and appreciate the creativism of people
• An easy way to get some feeling of achievement which is often missing in real life

I play videogames for the same reason i read some books or watch some movies, for quality entertainment, i don't like wasting my time mindlessly changing channels on the TV so see whats on... or read/watching something just for the sake of beeing popular, i like what i like and i dont like what i dont xD.

Oh yeah, i do like to experiment, ladies?, and watch/read/play something different just because its different.

Do games make me happy... well, I can't answer that question really, it's kinda complicated.

But why do I play games? because they're awesome!

Games can make me happy, I don't know if they necessarily do though.
I play games for 4 reasons mainly.

1. They're really fun. Some games are really entertaining.
2. To experience them. These are gamed with really interesting style, story or concept.
3. Role-playing. Really just escapism where I pretend to be who I wish I was.
4. Distraction. I sometimes try to play games in an attempt to either not deal with my problems or to have fun and feel happy. This usually doesn't work.

I never played games to escape from my real life. I play games to ease my real life. You know, in order to relax. But still, the main reason is that I'm getting bored too easily, so games help me against my boredom. ;P

I'm playing games because they are wasting my time because most of the time i have nothing to do. And of course i like games because if i didn't, i wouldn't even play, and only watch series and movies.
I'm getting huge happiness when i get achievements :Ь (Not only steam achievements) For example, when i managed to complete 5.2* difficulty map in osu, that i couldn't did for 2 months

Because all work and no play makes one a dull person.

Well, depends... I think that most actually make me angry, like when you get hit by some random only-once-in-13-lifetimes hit and losing an S rank XD

Uh, i dont think that anyone is happy playing videogames, maybe finish a hard one or make a hard achievement could make you happy... i play it because for me its a funny thing to do (well, at least for me its better than stay on drugs/alcohol 24/7 xD)

No but it does pass my unhappy time so i can be happy

I do it for the same reasons a read a book, watch a movie, run, play drums, etc...
It's a form of entertainment, it's a form of art, it's a form of expression.
Each game can fullfill one or more of these for me, so: depends on the single game and on what I want to achieve/feel at that time.

I use games as a way to escape from boredom and stress in the real world...
Many people like alcohol or smoking at/after work, but I prefer games in my freetime - just seems like the healthier drug.
I also "play" games for trading cards if they have them, but I won't count that as playing, just because i'm not enjoying doing it most of the time.
The stupid side effect of my game consume is that I can not realy talk about something else with friends - which is realy stupid in my opinion and annoys me. :/
But at the same time I do not want to stop playing games since it's a way of distraction.

For fun, because someone kept spamming for me to play [insert game], to make the time move a little bit faster, because I had nothing else to do (according to myself*) or possibly because I want to get my mind of something, for example an upcoming exam or someone who's really annoying. So it depends on what situation im in at the moment.

A good question. One I'm not entirely sure if I can properly answer.
I picked up video games as a child, and I found them to be extremely entertaining.
The feeling of leveling up or completing a level was exciting, and I would continue playing to see how far I would get.
Yes, I could have done something more productive, but the results from said productivity are not as fun nor frequent in gratification.

I do feel like I'm not enjoying games as much as I did as a child though. Or perhaps nowadays I play games for different reasons.

As of now, games feel like an interactive movie. Personally, I can't sit still for two hours straight. I have trouble watching movies because I'm not actively doing anything else other than using my brain. Games make movies a lot more immersive.
I wouldn't necessarily call it an escape, "Different", I suppose. There are so many different genres of games, each with their own stories. And there are so many stories to tell.

Edit:
I don't think I answered your question. At all. :)

After "canvas" I read the rest in Bob Ross' voice.

So, what does playing games feel like for you? Simple fun or a deeper purpose?
A reminder that there's things in life outside of my circumstances.
Less a break from my life, and more a way to feel like I'm refocusing it back into clarity.

Some games I play just for fun.
e.g Sudoku, Freecell, Minesweeper, Game Dev Tycoon, etc

Some games I play for the story.
e.g FF VII, Legend of Legaia, Tomb Raider, Naruto, etc

Some games I play for socialize with my friends because they play those game
e.g Dota 2, Dragon Nest, Pro Evolution Soccer, etc

I wanted to say that I play games for the same reason I watch movies or read books but apparently it's more than that... I play games because I want to see something someone else came up with (for example fallout 4/ story driven games/ rpg) or have some sort of contact with what Im interested in (for example dirt rally). Then there's competing with others (rocket league/ online fps) or just plain old blow shit up (gta/ action games). Or I want to get a bit creative (minecraft / and of its clones 2d and 3d). Actively listen to music (audiosurf/ other music games). Or I want to do some puzzles (portal/ other puzzle games). Or I just have 3 minutes and nothing better to do (any mobile game probably).
Well, games cover a very wide area... now I remember the theory of a gaming motivation. It's somewhat related. It's really related actually.
Here, read it!