
Video games that are tackling mental health issues - ingve
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/24/technology/personaltech/depression-anxiety-video-games.html
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stevensawtelle
As someone lucky enough not to deal with these issues, I think the idea of
these games bringing these issues to a broader group of people is really
important. For example, I bought Celeste because it was a great platforming
game, and found myself really unexpectedly moved by the plot of her
depression/anxiety and it's relation to the mountain. That said, I would not
have bought the game because of the plot alone. I think this is a really
awesome and clever way of making these issues better known!

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selune
For someone who might be interested in reading some research on the topic:

Videogames _may_ help with anxiety. They may be used as a healthy alternative
to otherwise compulsive behaviors (self-harm etc) and just as a general coping
technique battling anxiety episodes[0] and also offer a healthy distraction
for people suffering from PTSD[1] but it's not a 100% safe route, sometimes
videogames may trigger even more anxiety, sometimes people will fall into
compulsive/obsessive territory and develop an addiction (which will basically
start a vicious loop of anxiety-compulsive gaming-more anxiety-more compulsive
etc). I really like this article - [2], it looks broadly into the issue which
is multi variable.

[0]:
[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292142434_A_Randomi...](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292142434_A_Randomized_Controlled_Trial_to_Test_the_Effectiveness_of_an_Immersive_3D_Video_Game_for_Anxiety_Prevention_among_Adolescents)

[1]:
[https://www.nature.com/articles/mp201723](https://www.nature.com/articles/mp201723)

[2]: [https://slate.com/technology/2015/11/how-video-games-can-
tea...](https://slate.com/technology/2015/11/how-video-games-can-teach-your-
brain-to-fight-depression.html)

P.s. Regardless of their effectiveness as a psychotherapeutic tool, videogames
which are dealing with mental health as their main theme and exposing these
issues to wide audiences, are obviously very needed and important.

P.p.s. Hellblade is amazing, breathtaking and everyone should play it. Yes.

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whalesalad
I've been playing a lot of Stardew Valley lately, glad to see it mentioned in
this article. The game in combination with with a sativa vape has made me much
better equipped to deal with my own stress and anxiety caused by working so
much.

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cflewis
Isn't Stardew Valley an anxiety creator? I haven't played it, but I'm
deliberately not because I hear people talk having to plan their days to
maximize the output of their crops and such. I really don't want to have a new
virtual job to go with my real daytime job.

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selune
I haven't played it too but from what I've read about it, I suspect it might
cause a so called Tetris Effect when the game mechanics basically invades
people's though patterns.[0] It can be used as a somewhat effective
"distraction" for your brain during episodes of anxiety[1] helping to overcome
it. So if someone is planning their crops, they're probably just distracting
themselves from anxious thoughts. Just my understanding from reading the
article and different opinions of players.

Anecdotal: a friend of mine used to play some casual mobile game for quite
some time (Candy Crush or something), she told me once that when she was
giving birth she involuntarily started to "play" the game in her mind when the
stress and pain became too strong, she said it helped her both to distant
herself and to focus. :)

[0]:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris_effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris_effect)

[1]:
[https://www.nature.com/articles/mp201723](https://www.nature.com/articles/mp201723)

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b_tterc_p
You sound like someone who has never had Tetris vision. It’s mildly
frustrating. You close your eyes and your brain starts simulating whatever
game you’ve played too much (in my case, dungeon crawl stone soup). But it’s
not a fun simulation, it’s more so just a random imagined game state and then
predicted next state, vaguely dream like.

Honestly it’s probably the same mechanism as dreaming. Just your brain
training itself too hard while you’re still awake.

~~~
dkersten
I've never had it from Tetris or other games, except the "falling sand game".
It took a few weeks before it went away. It wasn't fun.

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DanBC
This article reminded me of this research published in _Nature_ about mental
health claims made by apps.

Using science to sell apps: Evaluation of mental health app store quality
claims
[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-019-0093-1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-019-0093-1)

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nategri
Can't recommend Night in the Woods enough. I played it on the Switch while
visiting home for Christmas, which made for a surreal overlap of fiction and
reality. Shows just how pitch-perfect the writing is.

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shmerl
Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines has an option to play as a vampire
lunatic from the Malkavian clan¹, where craziness is also a form of
communication with the world around you. It's arguably the best option in the
game, since it gives many hidden hints about the plot that aren't available
otherwise. But you really need to pay attention to get that.

1\.
[https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Malkavian_(VTM)](https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Malkavian_\(VTM\))

~~~
dkersten
I loved the Malkavian dialogue so much! I still remember one line -- when
talking to a a guy with a stutter, your character says to him: _" You're words
are wobbly"_

Also, having an argument with a stop sign was a cool little touch. VtM
Bloodlines had such great writing. I still play it again every few years.

I'm not sure what to feel about Bloodlines 2 though, but information is
sparse, so we'll see when we learn more, I suppose. I just feel it will be
very hard to live up to expectations.

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shmerl
Yeah, though playing as Malkavian in Bloodlines really pays off once you
finished the game a few times using other clans. Too many things are only
hinted and hard to understand without knowing the broader context.

I hope they won't mess it up in the sequel.

~~~
dkersten
That's true. The very first time I played, I played as Malkavian and it was
cool, but I didn't know how different it was until I played other clans and
then went back to playing a Malkavian. The contrast between the playthroughs
definitely helps make it great, as you say!

Me too. I'm worried, but hopeful.

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ThePadawan
One of the few videos I have bookmarked because they are inspiring and
relatable is [0], which is a "Top 10 games you should play"-style list, but is
actually called "Top 10 Games to help you through the holiday season".

It is incredibly heart-warming to hear that others like me struggle in the
same manner, and much of the narrator's intro focuses on the genuinely helpful
intentions behind the recommendations.

[0]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQbc8uG5asA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQbc8uG5asA)

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seba_dos1
While we're here, I'd like to mention these little indie gems on the topic:

[https://holypangolin.itch.io/karambola](https://holypangolin.itch.io/karambola)
(it's free, but you can donate)

[https://pigmentumgamestudio.itch.io/indygo](https://pigmentumgamestudio.itch.io/indygo)
($4.79)

 _(full disclosure: I helped a bit with some technical aspects of Karambola)_

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_i____ii_______
American Truck Simulator:

[https://youtu.be/AzOiYfL7l7Q](https://youtu.be/AzOiYfL7l7Q)

Just me, my rig, and the open road.

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dkersten
I loved Night in the Woods and actually wish they didn't include the end-game
plotline and just kept it mundane, about Mae's life and her struggles with her
mental health. Those parts were very touching and I loved every moment. The
plotline later on was a bit meh (and rushed) in my opinion.

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slothtrop
Doesn't this sidestep the problem? We aren't lacking in games to cut stress.
Arguably time away from videogames would help, and more time out in the world.

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TravisDick
I haven't read the article, but there have been a number of games that I found
personally helpful. It's not that they're helpful because they provide an
escape from real life and its problems. Instead, they can be a source of
meaningful dialogue about common problems, and they can help us to see that we
are not isolated and that our troubles are not as impossibly unique as they
might feel. After a quick skim, I haven't played any of the games in the
article, but two games that made a fairly large impact for me were Celeste and
OwlBoy.

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slothtrop
I've played Celeste. It barely says anything. At most mental health is
identifiable as a problem, and the character metaphorically overcomes the
issue.

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dvt
Video games are a temporary panacea, if even that. Notice how no doctors,
studies, or anything worthwhile was cited -- just self-reported anecdata.

Nothing can replace well-trained mental health specialists (psychologists and
psychiatrists), a solid support system (family, friends), healthy social
environments (book club, church), and physical activity (a friendly soccer
league, going on trips, exploring). "More videogames" for people that are
already anxious and depressed seems honestly like some of the most harmful and
bizarre advice I've ever seen.

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ineedasername
As someone who deals with these sorts of health issues, I can speak from
experience when I say that yes, doctors and proper medical treatment,
therapists, etc are essential. However, video games also form a core aspect of
my coping strategies, serving as an outlet and attention sink when my mind
might otherwise be focused unproductively inward. As such, while they are no
panacea, neither does their benefit have to be temporary. Like any other
hobby, they can be a beneficial part of continuing treatment.

