For many collegiate softball players, the end of their senior season can feel like the end of a chapter. For former Central Washington University standout Kailyn Campbell, it was only the beginning of a journey that would take her far beyond Ellensburg.
 
Campbell played at Central from 2014 to 2017, finishing her career as the GNAC's all-time RBI leader and earning All-American honors. After graduating, she continued her connection to the program as a graduate assistant coach, but her playing career was far from over. In 2018, Campbell began playing professionally overseas, starting in Austria and eventually competing in many other countries. 
 
Along the way, softball became more than a game for Campbell, it became a way to experience different cultures, challenge herself both on and off the field, and build a career that continues to evolve. Today, she not only continues to compete internationally, but also helps other athletes pursue opportunities overseas through her work as a recruitment manager for Softball Jobs Overseas.
 
In the following interview, Campbell reflects on her time at Central, the unexpected path that led her to international softball, the lessons she has learned from playing around the world, and what it means to help the next generation of athletes take the same leap she once did.
 
 Q: You played at Central from 2014 through 2017 where you had a decorated career, finishing as the GNAC's all-time RBI leader and earning All-American honors. Looking back, what made you choose to come to CWU originally and why was it the right fit for you?
 
Campbell: Originally, I didn't want to go that far from home. I lived a little bit outside of Seattle at the time so, it was only like two hours away from where I lived. I did get a couple other offers, but based on how I play now, people are like, "how did you not go D1? Like you could have been like playing in the World Series and everything." I'm like, well, yeah, now I could have, but at the time, I was not as good coming out of high school as I am now. So, I didn't really have the D1 option, but I mean, I could have gone D1 and walked on somewhere, but I wanted to go where I knew I was actually going to play and make a difference. Like I said, I grew a lot as a player from when I got there to now. I think even now, I'm a better player than I was as when I was at Central, both physically and mentally. Sometimes I get teased about how old I am and still playing, but I feel better than I did in college. So, I'm just going to take that and run with it. 
 
Q: What do you think allowed you to improve every year during your four seasons to become one of the best hitters in Division II Softball?
 
Campbell: I've always had this thing where I wanted to be better and improve on what I've already done. My mindset is "well, if I can do this, I can do better. Doing anything worse than what I accomplished is not an option." So, it was just something I wanted to do and I did. I always worked behind the scenes to kind of prove that, and I guess it's just a mindset thing that I'm never satisfied with anything that I do. I mean, I appreciate and I'm proud of what I've done like if I've had a good game or something, but no matter what I did, even if it was essentially perfect, I just look at what I could do better for the next time, you know? I'm very hard on myself too, so I think, "I've done this before, and I can do it again, but better." I just had to have to learn to kind of deal with that over the years, which I've come a long way from, but I guess it was just the mindset of always wanting to prove myself and do better than I did. It wasn't really me competing with other people. For example, in the conference, my dad's a big stats guy, and he would always tell me all these things like, "you're this and this and this away from this person," and I'd just think that's cool. Like there was a little bit of like competition with them like in my head, but it wasn't anything that I was super fixated on, it was more so just me competing with myself, just in my own little bubble. Don't get me wrong, I love to hear about that stuff because I like the numbers and everything, but at the same time, I don't think stats should be a focus, as a player anyways. If you worry about that, it could be bad, but I think it's kind of fun too, if you look at it the right way.
 
Q: Your senior season included winning GNAC Player of the Year after batting almost .500. What did those accomplishments mean to you and what did you find that worked for you to have such a successful season?
 
Campbell: I think I was one hit away from .500. I'm really proud of everything that I accomplished and what I did at Central and in the GNAC. Kind of like what I said, I just kind of set out to compete with myself, and I think because my junior year I hit like a .450 or something and I wanted to get past that, and it's like the next one's .500, I guess. In the back of my mind, did set some statistical goals and other things, but I wasn't hyper focused on that. I don't think any player should be because that can just rob you of the joy of the game. So, I just went out there every day and did what I knew I could and had some great days, had some bad days, had a lot of good ones, and in the game, I'm not thinking about all that. In the moment, what can I do now to do what I need to do in this situation. So, in the end, it just kind of happened. After the whole season, it just kind of ended up that way, and I was like, oh come on, like one hit. I think I was probably two or three away from like the school record like, oh, come on. But then I thought about it and I had a bunch of crappy hits too that probably shouldn't have been hits, so, it all evens out.
 
Q: After graduating you stayed on as a graduate assistant coach. How did coaching change your perspective on the game after concluding your collegiate career?
 
Campbell: Coaching is a very different angle than playing and it always made me want to play and get out there myself and I just always wanted to keep playing. Being a coach has so much more going on outside of the games that you don't necessarily realize as a player, especially at the college level. I was with Coach Larabee and Coach Meyers, and so I was doing all the back-end admin things, which I didn't mind doing, but it was just so different than being a player. I'm very grateful to have coached under Coach Larabee because he was also my coach in college so to go from being his player to the other side of things showed me a lot. He helped me elevate my game as a player tremendously, and I learned a lot from him as a coach. I'm very happy that I got to see both sides of it at the D2 level, I mean, the teams are different, obviously, but the same school, same level, that kind of thing.
 
Q: What were some of your favorite memories from your time at Central?
 
Campbell: Oh my gosh, so many, I can't think of all of them. Playing wise, it was, well, the very first tournament of the fall when I was a freshman. I was our starting first baseman against the University of Washington, which in my mind I was like, "okay, well, here we go, starting out with a bang." So, that was that was a crazy start, but I think Taran Alvelo was there, maybe it was the year after, but they had some really hard throwing pitchers. I was a little 18 year old going at it thinking, "so here we go." When I think about playing, it's probably my junior year that stands out, my senior year was obviously a very good one too, we didn't make it quite as far as a team, but the senior year is always super special. My junior year is when we had the Super Regional run in 2016. So, we won the GNAC regular season. We won the GNAC tournament. We won regionals, and I think for both the tournament and regionals, we lost our first game so we had to claw all the way back and it was just kind of a crazy, crazy turn of events. There was some weather during our regional tournament, and I don't remember exactly how it went, but somewhere along the line, we got a private jet to Super Regionals because of the weather, and we had to go to Humboldt, which is like kind of in the middle of nowhere. So, we got a private jet to Humboldt that I think just stayed there while we played. We unfortunately were two games away from the World Series, but it was just the most incredible season. After that, we got to fly the jet into Ellensburg instead of Seattle, which never happens, so just that whole experience was kind of a whirlwind and it was a very historic season that was super fun to be a part of. To also kind of bring Central up into the D2 scope, I think that's when people started seeing more about GNAC softball, and then with what Western has been doing the last couple of years, the GNAC is a real thing in D2 softball. I think outside of softball, kind of with softball too, but like my core memories were with my teammates, because you're just always with them so you make so many memories hanging out with them. I actually got to play with two players that I played travel ball with since I was 14. So, we played together from 14 to 22 and we kind of grew up together and got to play and watch each other grow. We were all starters our freshman year, so we started for four years together and it was just a good time. It was a lot of fun to play with them.
 
Q: At what point did you realize that playing professionally overseas was an actual possibility for you?
 
Campbell: It was January of 2017, so the beginning of our softball season starts with the training and everything. One of Coach Larabee's former players that he coached at Arkansas was already doing it. So, she reached out to him and asked him if he had any players that might not want to stop playing after college to let her know and she'll talk to them. I don't even know if he's told anybody else in my class, but he knew if anyone was going to keep going, it was going to be me. So, he told me I should do this. I didn't know anything about it really, he just said I should talk to her. So, I mean, I had no idea it was a thing and I had a gazillion questions for whoever it was. So that was kind of when I started thinking about it. Then later that next year is when I actually went.
 
Q: Was there anyone who encouraged you to pursue playing overseas or was it something you discovered on your own?
 
Campbell: Yeah, so yeah, I definitely heard about it from Coach Larabee and without that, I don't even know where I would be, really. Talking with my family and friends, they're always very supportive of, and have been since the very beginning, of me doing it. Yeah, Coach Larabee was how it all came to be, and if he wasn't my coach, I'm not sure I would have ever done it.
 
Q: Do you remember what the process looked like when you landed your first professional opportunity in Austria and could if so could you explain it to us?
 
Campbell: Yeah, so like I said, I did not even know this option existed, and a lot of players to this day don't, and that's kind of what I try and help them do later on. So, when I got the contact, I just hammered them with a million questions because I didn't know anything. I just had so many questions that I needed answered before I could even think about it. It was Chelsea Cohen, who I think her name is different now that she's married, but she was his player that reached out to Coach Larabee and I think she's actually a coach at Louisiana Tech now. So, she was a player playing in Austria at the time, or had played in Austria, I think she was playing in some other countries by then. She sent me to Lisa Maulden, who played at Seattle U and now coaches at Duke. So, I actually met with her because she's from the Seattle area which was kind of a cool connection, and that's how I found out she played in Austria too. So, Austria is kind of where it naturally led me. It's to this day a place where a lot of players start. I don't know, Austria is just kind of special in that way. So, I ended up playing for Lisa's old team, and she got me in contact with that team. In the beginning, I just kind of talked with them. I didn't really know if anyone else was going to reach out to me, I would have talked to them, but I was just focused on figuring that out first. So, with those two, that's kind of how my path led me right to Austria and then I ended up staying there for a few seasons.
 
Q: What was exciting and fun about the opportunity and leaving the US? What did you find intimidating or scary?
 
Campbell: I had no idea what to expect. No clue when I was going. I didn't know anything. I'd been out of the country before, but it was very intimidating and a bit scary. I was overseas the two summers prior to Austria in South Africa and Spain, but not for a whole season. They were just kind of travel softball trips with an organization. So, my first real season was in the summer of 2018, and that was right before I started grad school at Central. So, the day after I got back from Europe I had to drive to Ellensburg, and the next day start classes. So, I went from playing in Europe to starting grad school two days later. It was crazy. On the beginning it can be scary, but it is something that can change your life at the same time.
 
Q: Since leaving Central, you've played professionally in Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, France, and Belgium, could you give us a brief overview of your professional journey and how each stop helped shape you as a player?
 
Campbell: Oh gosh, this could be a long one. Okay, so Austria, let's see, I was there for three seasons. That was mostly me gaining my footing for what overseas was like. That's where I did a lot of my traveling too because Austria is in the middle of Europe. So, if we had off days, I would look at my calendar and usually I had two or three days and I would go wherever. You can hop on a train and in two hours, be in a different country. So, I was just kind of getting a feel for what it was like and taking the opportunity to travel there, which was really cool. Austria has improved a lot since I've been there, which is really cool to see. When I was there, I was sort of a fish out of water where my caliber was so high, and I wanted to challenge myself a bit more and try and go to these countries that have a little bit higher competition. I love Austria and I always will, but I need to level up a little bit. So I went to Italy, fresh after college at this point and that was for two seasons. Those were some pretty challenging seasons, not just because the league is better. I enjoyed the tough competition, I think it was great to go there, but it came with a lot of challenges on and off the field that I had to find a way to fight through. One of those seasons is probably my toughest mentally I've had. So I had to get through that one. After that, I went to the Netherlands and I loved that country, I still love that country, and I made some really good friends there that I still visit to this day. Softball wise, I think that was probably my toughest season. Again, I had a lot of challenges to go through there. After that, I was forced to take a summer season off from Europe because of some visa issues that came up, but during that, I didn't know when I was going to be able to play again. Being home for, gosh, I don't know, almost a year, which is a long time for me, I ended up playing in the Canada Cup, which came about very, very suddenly, but it was cool. There was also a women's league in Seattle that I still play in if I can that I joined. I think that time off from after that season changed a lot for me. I did a lot of deep mindset work after that, and I think I play a lot more free for whatever reason after that whole thing happened. That was kind of a turning point for me. After that I went to New Zealand which was another turning point because that experience just completely changed me. I fell in love with the country so fast and it just made me never want to leave. That's why I'm going back soon, but I had a good season. My team had a breakthrough year, which I was really proud to be a part of, and life on and off the field meant just as much as it did when I was playing. Something about being there, just, I don't know, the people in that place just made me feel very at home when I was there. So, I'm excited to go back there pretty soon. Next would be Belgium. That was where I just was for two months, two and a half months, and I leave again on August seventh to go there again. It has probably been my best season personally and team-wise. Right now the team is at the top of the league, which is cool. I'm sad that I don't get to play in the playoffs with them, but I will get to play a few more games with them. I've had so much experience at this point that nothing really phases me. The level in Belgium is a bit lower than some other places and where my high caliber kind of lies, but that never changes how I play. Whether it's the best league, the worst league, the best team, the worst team, I'll always just play to the highest level that I've always known how to play. My environment level doesn't affect how I play. I'm a very relaxed person on the field too, so sometimes people tell, "you're just so chill. Like nothing, nothing phases you." I just have to respond, "no, not really." I just gotta do what I need to do and I don't make the moments any bigger than they are. That's how I've always played, but after my second season in Italy and the season in the Netherlands, two really difficult seasons back-to-back, followed by that break, I just like came to a realization that if I want to keep this fun, I just need to chill out and not get so upset when I don't perform how I want to. Whatever's meant to happen will happen kind of thing. So There's just a lot of, great things and then I hit the challenges and then I to rethink a lot of things and now it's just playing free.
 
Q: You've continued your success from college into the professional ranks including winning multiple honors, what has been your biggest accomplishment that you're most proud of and why?
 
Campbell: I don't know. I'm proud of all of them. I think it's really cool to be able to go internationally and prove yourself that way. If I had to choose, a few of them come to mind and they're all from New Zealand. One of them is no really an award or anything, but I was selected to play for the representative team in Canterbury last season in New Zealand for the National Fast Pitch Championships in February last year. So, each region of New Zealand makes selections, kind of like their all-star team. So, they select the best players from every team. And out of those selections, each team can only choose one international player, and it's usually a pitcher. So, position players kind of get the bottom of the stack a little bit sometimes. I felt very honored to be chosen for that. And I also ended up earning the best hitter award for the whole tournament, which was really cool and I was not expecting that. People kept telling me I the best hitter in New Zealand and that I'm the best player in New Zealand. It's just so crazy to think, but I never really thought of that. Then last year, after I got home from New Zealand, they had the Canterbury Awards and I ended up getting a, I think it was like Women's Fast Pitch Player of the Year for the Canterbury competition or something like that, but just out of all of the players in the region, they chose me as an international too. So that was, that was a good one too. So, I'm very proud and very honored of all those things. Some people wouldn't see it as a surprise, I guess, I always do when I hear about it. It's like, oh, what? Like me? Really?
 
Q: Beyond softball, what have been some of your favorite culture experiences while living overseas?
 
Campbell: Every country is so different, and some parts of other countries are so different. Most of my seasons I've lived with a teammate in an apartment, but a lot of times people are in host families. In the last two seasons I've been over there, I've stayed with host families. Living with the families, like in just living with locals, I guess, is very different. It's just kind of a different experience and to just be open-minded about how everybody else lives, because it's not like the way we do things here is not the only way we do anything. So, it's just cool to see those different ways of life everybody else lives. Whether it's living or even with softball, it's cool to see how they do different things. So, it is cool to see something other than what you're always used to in that sense.
 
Q: What's something about playing professionally overseas that most people don't realize until they experience it for themselves?
 
Campbell: I mean, it's very different from college. I think it's very different than college, and not only because of the level, but just the fact of when you're in college, you're on the go, go, go all the time. You're always playing, you're always with your team, and overseas it's not like that. It's very sparse, because you practice like a couple times a week and you play one time on the weekend, either a double header or a single game, it depends. Sometimes you don't even play every weekend. So, I think the schedule is really just not as demanding as college, not at all. You just have a lot of free time because you're not practicing as much. You have so much free time sometimes you don't know what to do with yourself sometimes. Both your environment and the experience is completely different. It's just another phase of going overseas that you have to learn how to adapt to as you go through it. You don't ever really know how to do that unless you're doing it. I can give you all the advice you need, but once you're in it, you're in it. I think it also depends on the country. If you're going to Japan, it's going to be vastly different than my experiences in Europe or New Zealand. There are some teams, I think in Italy, that practice maybe five days a week, but the vast majority of everywhere I've been and where I've heard it's no more than three days a week. Even when you do practice, it's at night, so you still have all day. It's kind of a side thing for people, for locals. Whereas for us, it's our job and what we do, to dedicate ourselves to, so it's just different, a different way of playing the game.
 
Q: How has traveling and competing internationally changed you, both professionally and personally?
 
Campbell: Oh my gosh, in so many ways. I'm such a different person than I was when I first went. I've learned so much in so many ways. Not even just like the playing and the mindset stuff, but traveling really teaches you so much. I'll just go and travel and I like to go see new places and be adventurous when I'm not actually playing. So, I learned how to navigate these foreign countries, especially when I was in Austria I got really good at public transportation, which sounds weird, but being able to get on trains and subways and trams and buses and all that in a foreign language and get yourself around is one thing that I'm very proud of that I've been able to do. I remember a time where I think was in Slovakia and I, something with the buses where I came to this moment and I was like, I don't know what to do, but I have to figure out, if I have to figure this out, and its this foreign language, I know where I have to go, but I don't know how to get there. When you're on your own, you have no other choice but to figure it out somehow. Being put in those situations is, it really makes you grow fast. Just also understanding like softball wise, in the end, it is just a game and it should be fun, and that's the reason we do it. Like I said before, in other countries, it's kind of their hobby, so, they play because they love it on top of whatever else they do. So, it kind of makes you take a step back sometimes and be like, okay, so it's really not something to really beat yourself up about or anything like that. So, it's just a reminder of why you play and just take the experiences as they come.
 
Q: You serve as the softball recruitment manager for Softball Jobs Overseas, helping athletes find opportunities around the world. How did you come about this opportunity and what does your role involve?
 
Campbell: Softball jobs overseas used to be the international baseball community, which is what Lisa Maulden was a part of. She used to have the position that I have right now. So, I talked to her and she helped me get overseas, so, I have been a member of that platform since 2018. So, I'm kind of a lifetime member now. I was one of the first softball players to go through there, and so I've known about it. I've been a part of it for however long now, and so I kind of just naturally transitioned into it when they needed somebody to take over. So, I help with the current members that we have answering their questions and how to go about the talking to teams and everything with that. I also help new players come in and talk with them about trying to get started and see what it can do for them. So, I'm really servicing who we have now, helping them where they're at. A lot of the new players, some of the experienced ones, kind of like me, kind of have it figured out, every once in a while they have questions, but I help a lot of the new players learn where to start, how to start, what to do, who to talk to, and how to find these teams. That's all kind of like in the service, which is very different if you're not, which makes it a bit more difficult for the players, but it's still possible. So, I help the current members we have and then also try to filter in some new players to kind of take the leap as well.
 
Q: Walk us through what the overseas signing process actually looks like, from graduation to arriving in another country, what steps are involved?
 
Campbell: If they enroll with softball jobs overseas, I'm not trying to like push that, but this is just how I've always known it, and it does make the process way simpler. So, you have a profile, which I also have, and that's kind of what everybody has. Obviously, they're all different and definitely different than what mine is now, since it's been growing and growing for years. So, you have this softball resume thing, and because you can't actually try out for a team, you're not going to go to Italy and play two hours in front of a team to see if they want you. So, your profile is your tryout essentially. So, there's this player database where teams can come and look on there, and they'll be like, all right, I need a catcher. They can filter by catcher. They can look at all of them and they can contact them through whatever contact info is on there. Or they can come to somebody like me and be like, hey, we're looking for a catcher. Do you have any available? And then I would send them the available catchers or whatever they need. There's also a club database too, so the players can look at clubs. So, both sides they can kind of look at each other. So, the players can reach out to other clubs around the world and contact them that way. I kind of just discuss between the two of them. I'm always there if they need help with anything, from talking to the teams or offers or whatever they need. So, once they get everything set up and then eventually they go on their way to the other country and I like to check in with them and see how they're doing and get some feedback, see how everything is going, if they need any help or anything. I just love to see them get the contracts and then go over and start playing. It's a really rewarding thing for me to see.

Q: What kind of paperwork, visas, insurance, or legal requirements should players expect before they compete overseas?
 
Campbell: I think it's a lot easier than a lot of people might think, especially for Europe. Teams will generally help you if the player needs a legit visa through immigration and consulates and all that. A lot of teams in Europe operate on the 90-day tourist visa so you don't actually need to go to a place to get your visa or your passport. You just have to make sure that you calculate the right amount of days because if you overstay, things could get bad and they have for me, but not every country around the world is like that. New Zealand is way different for example so you do have to do a little bit of research before you really get into that, regardless of what the teams tell you, because the rules are changing too. I had a team tell me one thing, and then I looked into it and I found out that's not technically right and it's actually this thing. Even the 90-day rule, some people get really confused by that. I'll tell them "look I've been through this time and time again, up and down, sideways. This is what it is. Make sure you're okay." I'm really big on making sure that players are in the clear just because I know from experience and I know how it is in the beginning when you have absolutely no clue what to do. I'm like, just do this, make sure you have this, talk to them about this, and then if you have any other questions, let me know. So, yeah, it is a process, but it's very doable.
 
Q: How have you and how would you suggest players market themselves to international clubs? 
 
Campbell: It's definitely different if they're part of the service of softball jobs overseas. So, you basically have all your stats and everything from college and write-ups and you have to write about you, who you are, what you do, that kind of thing. So, if you are on that, it's a lot easier because you are just on a page that teams can look at, but if you're not, it just takes a lot more research, and looking into the leagues and the teams and finding information that way. Like I said, it's not impossible, but it definitely takes a lot more work. So, it's a bit of research here and there, I guess.
 
Q: What's the most rewarding part of helping athletes sign their first overseas contract?
 
Campbell: I think just after they get there and I see them having a good time wherever they ended up and then asking for feedback and them saying that they loved it, they met all these people, experienced all these things it's just a really good feeling. Unfortunately, sometimes it's not always a perfect experience with, you know, myself I've been there, there's a lot of other players that have as well, but I love to see players kind of take the leap of faith because it completely changed my life and I know it can for others too. It's a pretty daunting situation in the beginning, leaving home to go overseas, and the parents, I'm sure, are a little bit scared about it too, but I'm proud of every single one of them that has decided to go for it, whether it was a one-time thing or whether they continue to do so, like me. It's just f seeing what it can do for them is pretty special.
 
Q: Looking back at your journey from a freshman at Central to playing professionally around the world and now helping others do the same, what has softball meant to you?
 
Campbell: Oh my, that's uh, that's, I don't even know many words for that one. Well, it's been my whole life and all I've ever known, so... yeah. I have to give a shout out to my travel ball team too, it was the Washington Hustle and the coaches there, which is not a team anymore because it was my, specific group from 11 to 18 they coached. So, once we graduated, they were done. Funny enough, I'm coaching with them now on a 12-U team whenever I'm actually home, which isn't a lot, but it is a really cool experience. Anyways, that team, I would not be the player I am today had I not played for them, and I still carry traditions and parts of the game that I learned from when I was 11 years old. For example, I still clean my cleats before every single game and some people think I'm crazy for it, but I will always do it. The same goes for Central too, like Coach Larabee helped me take my game to another level and beyond that, I just always strive to carry all of that with me, everything I've learned over the years, and just to be the best that I can be. Really, it's just shaped my entire life, and I don't know where I'd be or what my life would look like without it because I'm still doing it. Since my very first memory, I think I've been playing softball, so it's definitely a huge part of who I am, that's for sure.
 
Q: Finally, what does the future look like for you?
 
Campbell: Oh, man. Oh gosh. I'm sure I'll always be involved in the game somehow, but what country that is, I don't know. I've always said, well, I have an idea where it might be, but I've always said that I would just play as long as my body lets me and as long as I still enjoy it the way I do and I've been pretty big on taking care of my body. Funny enough, I did that after college, but you know, I was still doing pretty well in college I never had to go to the training room or anything, soI think I did okay. I never have an answer for the question of like, "what are you gonna do when you are done playing?" I am like "well, I'll let you know when I get there, but right now I'm not there." If I end up living in a different country at some point, then I really don't have to stop because there is no age limit in other countries, and I wouldn't move to a country just to keep playing softball. If I get to do that, then I get to do that. Like I said, as long as my body's okay and as long as I still love it, but right now, in this moment, I know that I'm going back to New Zealand and everything after that will work itself out, whether I end up there for the long term or not. I don't know. Could be possible. It's a very short term, looking into the future. A lot of times I never knew where I was going to be six months from now. Now I kind of sometimes know. So, it was a very, the future of knowing was very short kind of thing. And I just kind of took it day by day, things can change so fast. So, right now, finishing up Belgium (to play with current CWU Assistant Softball Coach Sydney Wells), come back home for a few weeks, and go back to New Zealand.
 
Following the season, Campbell and Wells accounted for the top two hitters on the team during the season with Campbell hitting for a .667 in her 24 played games and Wells hitting for a .575 in her 14 played games.