A self-confessed Xbox obsessed woman has said she takes days off work to game, roping her husband in for days glued to the screen.
Caroline Alexander, 50, uses her annual leave to game with husband Phil when big new games are released. She's been gaming since she was six having fallen in love with the arcade game Jetset Willy in 1982, reports the Daily Record.
The pair are currently spending their time playing Diabo 4, though enjoy Fable and Mass Effect. She started booking time off after the game Dragon Age Inquisition was released, and has been doing so for the past seven years.
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Caroline, social researcher, from Dundee said: "I've always been a nerd and I love it.
"I tell my co-workers about my staycation of gaming. I don't use my annual leave for anything else important. It's definitely worth the days off."
Since childhood, Caroline says she was only interested in "nerdy" activities and fell-in-love with gaming upon the release of arcade games in 1982. Despite her mum being keen for her to develop more "feminine" hobbies, she gave up after buying Caroline her first console, the Sega Master System in 1989.
Caroline said: "My mum never thought any man would want me. A girl gamer who loved spending their evenings killing monsters. Fortunately she was wrong."
After attempting to date men who didn't share her passion for gaming, the researcher eventually included her gaming interest in her Okay Cupid bio. Caroline and Phil matched in October 2016, and began chatting online.
Although Phil, who lived in High Wycombe, wasn't initially interested in gaming, he soon shared his eagerness to learn and the pair became official just two days afterwards. Caroline said: "I invited him over and sat him down.
"I passed him an X-box controller. I let him know him know for the relationship to work he'd need to be a gamer."
After teaching her new partner the ropes, the lovebirds continued to game together after their marriage in December 2020 at the Aylesbury Registry Office, Buckinghamshire.
Phil was quickly introduced to Caroline's annual leave scheme and quickly followed suit. Phil, who also does stand up comedy, said: "I very quickly came around to gaming.
"I loved that she was honest about her love for gaming. It's just like taking time off for a holiday, but this one is digital!"
Caroline, a mum-to-nine cats all named after Scottish foods, started to book weeks off her job of two years upon the release of Dragon Age inquisition on May 2016. She continued this trend with the release of Elden Ring, Diablo 4 and The Witcher 3.
In total, Caroline says she has taken seven weeks holiday over seven years to sit on her sofa and game. Caroline, who spends 14 hours a week playing, said: "I'm proud to be a gamer. Everyone is shocked by my age, and my time spent gaming every week.
"I have thousands of hours clocked on Diablo 3 alone. I'm so glad I was able to find someone that accepts my hobby. I can't wait for the next big game, so I can book off another week."
