Lam followed a strict 14-day self-isolation in March. A neighbor of his caught the virus, and reality took on a whole new meaning. "It's a long, trying time," he recalled. "I played frenetically."

Chen said, "When they're afraid people try to 'escape' — you know? Flight or fight? Escape has many exits: entertainment, fantasy, or hobbies. People can channel their fears into games."

Kevin Yiu is Lam's friend in real life, and now a pal in the cyberworld. Yiu said he is a shy, introverted guy, but in the world of FIFA 2020, he is someone else.

"On the virtual soccer field, I'm really self-assured. I am a team leader," Yiu said. As a seasoned player, he has acquired a tactical mind and can use "strafe dribbling, setup touch, flair roulette…", he rattled off a list of obscure strategies. The confidence and leadership he gets from gaming actually changed his real-life persona to a degree, Yiu asserted. "I find myself talking more and not avoiding social activities."

Social remedy

Imagine if you could meet up with a computer-generated avatar, fall in love, get married, and have kids. That's what some people are looking for under the grim specter of social distancing.

The social-simulation game Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the latest sensation. You are dropped onto an island to be greeted by animals villagers, and then live with the animals, prey on insects from the crack of dawn, go fishing, plant trees, pick their fruit and sell them at the market, while thinking maybe there's truth to "four legs good, two legs bad", from George Orwell's Animal Farm.

"Social bonding is a basic need for us humans, as important as food," Chen said. "When social activities are lacking, we starve, and if the need is left unmet, we'll seek an alternative, such as a video game."