While I love taking advantage of the long, hot days of summer with hangouts at the beach, picnics in the park, and camping in the woods, I will readily admit that on particularly hot days, I also love lying around the house with the blinds drawn, getting supremely baked, and playing video games for hours on end.

But different gaming styles require different strains. Here are my favorite combos of doobage and distraction.

First-person shooters

Fortnight, PlayerUnknown’s BattleGrounds (PUBG) and Counterstrike are some of the world’s most popular games. These games, known as first-person shooters, require extended mental focus, lightning-fast reflexes, and nerves of steel. But they also often require you to manage stress and frustration while coordinating with other players. My favorite strains to complement these high-intensity games are stimulating citrusy and piney strains like Cinex, Double Diesel, Chernobyl, or Critical Jack. Two are hybrids and two are sativas with a heavy amount of the cannabinoids pinene and linalool—families of terpenes known to promote alertness and memory retention and to help keep you firmly centered on the task in front of you while keeping stress levels down and moods optimistic. Further, I recommend grabbing a vape pen for these games and strains to be able to take ultra-quick tokes on the fly.

Turn-based strategy games

Age of Empires, Sid Meier’s Civilization, and Heroes of Might and Magic all allow players to ponder their next move before making it. These games have a much slower pace, but can still require intense concentration. Great strains to start with for this gaming style would be Green Ribbon, a hybrid, and Clementine and Mickey Kush, both sativas. All three feature delicious, juicy, fruity flavors and produce expansive highs. They also feature the terpene limonene, known for its ability to lift moods, reduce stress while not knocking you out, and still support your ability to concentrate. For me, this gaming style also complements rolling and smoking joints, preferably lined with a few pinches of kief, to leisurely toke on while you slowly build your empires.

Sandbox/RPG

This style of gaming is extremely free-form and includes many different games. Skyrim, Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto, and hundreds of others offer players va

st universes to wander in, with suggested storylines and projects that players can engage in or ignore. There is usually a heavy emphasis on creating an in-depth character. The result is often a hypnotic experience in which you can lose many hours exploring the world, creating items, and developing your character. The sativa Supernatural, the indica Buddha Tahoe, or the hybrid Peaches and Cream will all provide luscious body highs while promoting creativity and an adventurous spirit. All three offer spicy, musky flavors and feature a terpene family called myrcene, known for its relaxing effects as well as its ability to play nicely with another well-known cannabinoid, THC, making these strains particularly potent. My suggestion for this kind of gameplay is to just go all in. Break out the dab rig or the 3-foot bong, get absolutely ripped, and wander in a digital wonderland.

And, if you really want to be in the champions’ club, turn on

Twitch TV, find a gamer streaming your favorite game, and smoke whatever is on hand while someone else does all the work—the ultimate in lazy-day haze.

stashbox@seattleweekly.com