Sea Hero Quest made a splash last year when it launched with the stated goal of gathering data for dementia research from players. They hopes to crowdsource data and set benchmarks for human spatial navigation using in-game navigation. Since visual–spatial impairments can be one of the first signs of dementia, those benchmarks have the potential […]
On its release last month, Ninja Theory’s Hellblade distinguished itself on the merits of being a high budget game steeped in themes of mental illness and for having consulted with people affected by the issues it sought to portray. Now that the novelty of that has hand a chance to settle, people are taking a […]
Games about loss, grief or letting go are part of a growing genre with remarkable entries like Dear Esther, What Remains of Edith Finch and That Dragon Cancer to recommend it. The First Tree joined that company last week. On the surface, it’s a game about a fox looking for her missing kits. You explore […]
Lona: Realm of Colors is an upcoming game that tells the story of an artist’s internal struggles. Developed by SpaceFox, it’s a puzzle adventure about bringing balance between chaos and order in one’s thoughts. What happens if you could escape from life difficulties that you can do nothing about? What if you could paint all […]
For its fifth year, Asylum Jam is back to encourage game creators to make horror games that fight mental health stigma or avoid contributing to it. Horror games and horror movies are notorious for casually using the most stigmatizing portrayals of mental health issues. They’re set in asylums where atrocities are committed, they make monsters […]
With the launch of Life Is Strange: Before the Storm, Square Enix is once again promoting mental health awareness with a social media campaign. This time, it’s all about the value of friendship. The “Your Friend, Me” campaign asks Life Is Strange fans to open up to their dearest friends. Participants are invited to make […]
Welcome to our roundup of the best mental health and gaming articles you may have missed. This week, we have musings on Dream Daddy, Hellblade, and Sea Hero Quest, as well as Google’s new approach to depression and thoughts on the value of being visible as marginalized creators. Three heartfelt lessons from Dream Daddy “The […]
We’ve been watching Humble Grove’s 29 as it makes its way toward release, and now we know when that will be: November 29, 2017. And as if a release date weren’t exciting enough, its creators have also announced that 29 will be free on Steam and itch.io. As Waypoint reported earlier this year, 29 takes […]
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice isn’t the first game, or even the first high-budget game, to explore mental health issues with at least a modicum of respect, but in this video, YouTube game analysis channel HeavyEyed argues that it’s a turning point, part of a shift toward creators in both TV and games who are able to […]
When we talk about games that are good for players with anxiety, we usually talk about tranquil games like Stardew Valley or Journey. But for my money, I’ll take ultra-difficult platformers like Super Meat Boy. Nothing beats an overwhelming fear of failure like a game where failure is almost certain and its consequences are almost […]
