Forgive me if I come across as blunt when I say that Fortnite is without a doubt the best video game of the decade. In September, the game’s player count passed 7 million. As of February, this unbelievably popular ‘Hunger Games’ style game is played by over 30 million people. It isn’t just played by normal people like myself. The game is also popular among celebrities, with figures like Lil Yachty, JuJu Smith Schuster, and Paul George being avid players. In my opinion, the game is so special for multiple reasons.

First off, there is no other video game that brings people together like Fortnite does. It is one of the most competitive games I have ever played. I often find myself screaming at my TV, even when it is one of my friends playing and not myself. Often when you play video games with friends, it’s just a long boring wait until your turn. Fortnite is the only game that I want to watch just as much as I want to play. It is something that all different kinds of kids can share, because so many different types of people play this game.

Another amazing part of the game is the emotional rollercoaster ride it is. Your heart is pounding when the countdown timer hits zero and you, along with 99 other players, drop into a massive map with nothing but a pick axe. You anxiously look for weapons, potions, med kits, and building materials, and fight until you are the last person alive and earn “Victory Royale” (a first place finish). The pain and agony of getting killed out of nowhere on the way to pick up a Med kit, watching someone beat you to a chest and get a legendary SCAR, or getting killed when you were one of only two people left is truly terrible. The only thing that can surpass that raw emotion is the joy and adrenaline rush you get when you find a legendary loot drop, revive your squad while under fire, drop into the clock tower at Tilted Towers, and most of all, when you get your first Victory Royale, something I admittedly have yet to accomplish.  

But probably my favorite part about Fortnite is its simplicity. It does not have great graphics. The physics engine is not the best. Fortnite can be beaten in just about any category of technical specs by many games. But it’s still amazing. It is a simple idea: drop 100 players into an arena. They collect materials. They build. They fight. Last alive wins. And yet it is addictive like no other game I’ve ever played. You can play again, and again, because it never gets old. It is difficult and competitive, and you feel obligated to play until you win from the moment you pick up a controller.

Oh, and did I mention that it is free? That’s right. The Battle Royale mode of Fortnite (the only mode people play) is 100 percent free. There are no hidden fees.

So if you haven’t downloaded Fortnite yet on your PC, Xbox, or Playstation, I encourage you to go home and do that the second you get there. You will thank me later.