I just finished writing a feature about the Video Game History Foundation in Oakland, California, and how it is preparing to share its digital archive of games magazines. From 30 January, youll be able to visit the institutes website and explore a collection of about 1,500 publications from throughout the history of games, all scanned in high detail, all searchable for keywords. Its a magnificent resource for researchers and those who just want to find the first-ever review of Tetris or Pokmon. I cant wait to visit.While researching the article, I spoke to John OShea and Ann Wain from the National Videogame Museum in Sheffield, which is also collecting games mags and other printed ephemera. They said something that really fascinated me. The museum is looking for donations to build its archive, but its focus is not so much on the magazines themselves, but on who brings them in. Were particularly interested in fan perspectives, OShea told me. Were not intending to develop an exhaustive collection of every video game magazine ever made were interested in the full suite of an individuals video game experience in how games connect to their lives. Wain continued: Were interested in the stories of why why did they collect these particular things, what were they looking for? Its that kind of social context were after.Collections are about memories more than facts and this applies to games and the cultural matter about them. Im writing this letter to you in my little cellar office, surrounded by piles of games, game magazines and game books. There are things in here that I cherish, including a copy of Devil May Cry signed by game designer Shinji Mikami, and my fathers Sega Mega Drive; there are also some endlessly useful and fascinating things, such as Steven Kents seminal book The Ultimate History of Video Games, and an old Sony personal video monitor, for which I bought special cables allowing me to connect very old consoles. What does all this stuff mean in the end, and what does it say about me?Jet Set Willy: as important as the Smiths. Photograph: YouTubeIm not sure. All I know is, when I happen on TikTok videos of peoples games collections I watch transfixed, over and over. I look at the console formats theyve bought and the magazines they read. It helps me to picture their journey through games history, which may be very different than mine. I think thats why the National Videogame Museum wants this sort of sociocultural context in its collections: the choices other people make are fascinating.Its such a shame that museums and academic institutions have only relatively recently been given the resources to collect material about video games. Although classic games are now being carefully archived, the VGHF estimates that 87% of classic video games released in the United States are critically endangered Im sure the situation is the same elsewhere in the world. Games discs and tapes deteriorate and become unplayable; the machines they ran on break down. Games magazines were considered ephemeral and throwaway, and are only now being seen as cultural artefacts in the same way as music and movie publications. Theres a lot of history to catch up on. If we really want to remember the youth culture of the 1980s, we need to think just as much about Jet Set Willy and Crash magazine as we do about the Smiths and NME.As OShea said in our chat, cultural memory exists in the detritus of our lived lives. Last year, a good friend and I went to the Naomi Campbell exhibition at the V&A. In one area, the curators recreated the models dressing room a chaotic explosion of discarded clothes, wet wipes and makeup. It told us as much about her as anything else on display. We are what we surround ourselves with, and what were passionate about. All my books and games are, in the end, me.Perhaps this is why I felt emotional when OShea and Wain talked about how games mags are important for their social and personal context. And actually, I had a very recent experience of their intimate value. A couple of weekends ago, I help my mum clear out a few old things at her house. In a dusty corner, we found a plastic bag that had obviously been safely stored away by my dad, who died in 2003. I discovered it contained a pile of games magazines that I had worked on Edge, DC-UK and others, as well as some copies of my first stories for the Guardian.I used to post him these things because he was interested in games and cool new gadgets. I thought hed have a quick flick through and chuck them out. But there it all was: my career in a plastic bag, as collated and archived by my dad. Those magazines are in my collection now once they were about me, now theyre about him. We all have a natural ability to share and ascribe cultural meaning and emotional value. As well as bringing us joy, the things we collect are a message to others. This was important once; take care of it and youll understand why.What to playThe Reuters game and story Cosy Comfort. Photograph: ReutersWhen is a news article not a news article? Um when its a game? Reuters has just run a lovely introductory article about cosy games such as Spiritfarer and Animal Crossing, which have proven mental health benefits for stressed or anxious players.The Reutuers feature is also an interactive role-playing game, Cosy Comfort, which allows you to guide a cutesy anthropomorphic Radish around the teeny village of Rootersville as you read, customising its clothes and house en route. This is such a lovely, relevant way to present a positive story.Available on: PC, Mac and smartphone Estimated playtime: skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Pushing ButtonsFree weekly newsletterKeza MacDonald's weekly look at the world of gamingPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionWhat to readIs a Sims rerelease on the horizon? Photograph: EA/MaxisThere are rumours that Electronic Arts is preparing to rerelease The Sims and Sims 2 to celebrate the games forthcoming 25th anniversary. Kotaku reports on teases from the publisher and I hope theyve got it right: the origins of this 200m-selling life sim havent been available to download and play for many years. I wonder if my old saves will work?Alice Bell has written a beautiful article for Eurogamer about how video game spaces have become memorials to friends we have lost. This makes complete sense in the digital era when so many relationships play out online and in virtual worlds.Yet more games industry job losses this week as Ubisoft announced it is closing its Leamington studio and downsizing Ubisoft Reflections in Newcastle, Ubisoft Dsseldorf and Ubisoft Stockholm. According to GI.biz, 185 staff will lose their jobs.What to clickQuestion BlockTunic is a game to bring an old friend back to the console again. Photograph: FinjiThis weeks question comes from Martha, who asks:My friend and I live together and we are avid gamers. Not into sport or platformers but we love all the modern greats; GTA, Last of Us, Uncharted, Days Gone, Horizon ZD and FW, Spider-Man (and Stardew Valley). You get the picture! A friend of ours who hasnt gamed since the 90s wants us to help get her into gaming again. So it needs to be something we enjoy with a good learning arc. What would you recommend? We are PlayStation gamers.Of the games youve mentioned, Spider-Man, Uncharted and Horizon are all excellent introductions to modern games and they all have good easy modes. If they were playing in the 1990s, they might recognise a few of the franchises still going today, so Rise of the Tomb Raider and Resident Evil Village might be a good idea. I also love Stellar Blade and The Quarry, which have quite a 90s gaming vibe to them. Also, as you mentioned, Stardew Valley, which has a real Super Nintendo look and feel, Id recommend Tunic and Roots of Pacha, which both look as if theyve come from that wonderful era.If youve got a question for Question Block or anything else to say about the newsletter hit reply or email us on pushingbuttons@theguardian.com.