You are at a fork in the road. If you turn left, you start the story of your life. You love and learn. You grow wise with meaningful memories.

Or you turn right and let the game begin! Life is a series of levels where you find clues and fight monsters.

In The Status Game, writer Will Storr says the goal of life is status. We want to be popular, successful and rich.

GamificationCopying the experience of playing games to improve results. is everywhere. On social media, we care about likes and shares. Apps count steps and track language learning.

"Games are fun," says writer David Brooks, "but gaming as a way of life is immature". So is there another way?

Psychologist Dan McAdams thinks so. "We are all storytellers," he argues, "and we are the stories we tell".

David Brooks says we must aim for "higher desires": a quest for "the true, good and beautiful". It is ludicrousAbsurd or ridiculous. Ludicrous originally meant to play or jest, from the Latin ludus: play, sport. to compare life to a game.

Storr is unconvinced. Doing good, he says, is just a "virtue game" to feel morally superior. The truth is "anything that can be measured will become a game", says writer Lawrence Yeo. So as technology advances, reality and the virtual look the same.

Businessman Elon Musk says in 50 years, video games developed from PongA bad smell or a two-dimensional table tennis arcade game. Created in 1972, it is one of the earliest video games. to the photo-realistic Unreal EngineA three-dimensional computer graphics game engine that powers many of today's top games.. He thinks this means there is a 99.99% chance we exist in a virtual reality made by an alien civilisation.

A game or a story? Both sides accuse each other of a poor grasp of the truth. Philosopher Galen Strawson says some prefer to tell a "good story" rather than live a "good life". Expert Jon Askonas sees similarities between reality games and the conspiracy theories of QAnonFollowers of QAnon believe a Satanic conspiracy removed President Trump from office. .

From St AugustineThe 4th Century theologian's Confessions was one of the first western autobiographies. to Michelle Obama, autobiographies are bestsellers. Games teach us about life, from GoThe oldest board game still played in the world. It originated in China and is still most popular there. Its rules are simple but in reality it is very complicated: there are more legal board positions in the game than there are atoms in the known universe. to The Sims. It is human to tell tales and play games. But the future of society depends on which matters most.

Yes: Life is the best game you will ever play. Just by existing, you have already won and beaten the odds. Gamifying your world means giving anything a try and celebrating your progress and achievements.

No: Leaders play games with our lives as we fight over money and power. Life must be more than this. Stories bring us together, comfort and inspire us - showing that life is far richer than any game.

Or... If only it were that simple! Author Henry James called life a "great shambles," a mess of moments and memories. Any attempt to give it shape and meaning is doomed to failure.

Level 5

Level 4

Gamification - Copying the experience of playing games to improve results.

Ludicrous - Absurd or ridiculous. Ludicrous originally meant to play or jest, from the Latin ludus: play, sport.

Pong - A bad smell or a two-dimensional table tennis arcade game. Created in 1972, it is one of the earliest video games.

Unreal Engine - A three-dimensional computer graphics game engine that powers many of today's top games.

QAnon - Followers of QAnon believe a Satanic conspiracy removed President Trump from office.

St Augustine - The 4th Century theologian's Confessions was one of the first western autobiographies.

Go - The oldest board game still played in the world. It originated in China and is still most popular there. Its rules are simple but in reality it is very complicated: there are more legal board positions in the game than there are atoms in the known universe.