Gaming can officially improve mental health: 5 essential relaxing titles to play | Hacker News Reader

Gaming can officially improve mental health: 5 essential relaxing titles to play

bbc.co.uk

34 pointstimoth34 comments

I wish, but when my mental health is bad (I'm feeling down) every game I try is boring and feels like work.

When my mental health is good I can enjoy more productive stuff so I do that instead.

I think there's a big difference between improving your mental health and curing it.

Games, like sports, can help you a lot, but they alone won't simply make you happy/non-depressed.

I could use a food analogy. Kale can improve your health, but if you're sick it won't cure you, it'll just have a positive impact in your overall health.

I'd like also to add Minecraft to that list. The ability to get in and just start building your world as you imagine them can be very relaxing.

Games with small communities are pretty cool as well. Once you're in, there's that belonging feeling that you don't usually get on popular games. Small games communities exist because the people there really love the game and their attitude to any newcomer is warm and friendly. Unreal World is a roguelike that comes to my mind writing this.

Firewatch was not a relaxing title for me. Anxiety at every step with its occasional scares and sinister atmosphere.

Idk. These are 5 random games. I've played 4 of them and would recommend 3 of those 4.

Dark Souls got me through a rough patch so this article is essentially a non-sequitor. If they're going to extrapolate on a very focused study, is it healthier to address the therapeutic aspects of interactive media in general?

Gaming and nudge theory[1] in general is an interesting concept that I expect to have increased discussion in the coming years. On one hand, you have instances like this article where gamification is viewed in a positive light; on the other hand, companies like Robinhood or loot boxes are currently being scrutinized for utilizing gamification elements.

This isn't a post for or against them, but rather acknowledging the ethical concerns and how we determine what is "okay" for gamification. If we use these methods for health, education, etc., it is presented under the guise of "helping" an individual receive the respective benefits. BUT, one will likely be able to argue the same aspects for things like personal finance and video games.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudge_theory

Gamification of killing:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-gamification-of-domest...

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/10/europe/germany-synagogue-atta...

To me at least, when nudging in gaming is associated with monetary payments to the company, it is not for my benefit, mental or otherwise. There's a difference between loot boxes and season passes and it's up to us to understand that.

A well laid out payment structure when it comes to gaming is the best way to distinguish this.

> To me at least, when nudging in gaming is associated with monetary payments to the company

But in the case of Robinhood for example, they gamify buying/selling a security with confetti. You aren't paying them money per say, but they do sell your payment for order flow to other institutions. This sort of fits into my original post where there are less overt gamification/nudges and which environments is it "acceptable" to do so.

Is sending reminder notifications on Duolingo a gamification/nudge? Is it, or why is it, appropriate in this context? Could Robinhood do the same thing without scrutiny? That's sort of where I see gray areas on gamification and when its okay to use.

I personally used to use Tetris for distraction -- or at least try to, until eventually realizing that I could do lines on autopilot without actually clearing my head in the first place.

I find Doom extremely relaxing for me (except when I get frustrated with platforming or stupid puzzles in Doom Eternal), and usually after I finish playing I go straight to sleep and do it like a baby.

On the other hand games like Fighting games keep me widely awake and it takes me quite some time for the adrenaline to settle down before I can sleep.

Hearthstone is kinda in the middle of the road between the two examples. It largely depends on what happens and how much RNGesus screws me over the matches.

So yeah the game doesn't need to be calm to make me relax. I guess what works best for me is something that puts me in flow state without requiring too much of my brain power.

Definitely agree with you on

> something that puts me in flow state without requiring too much of my brain power

Personally, the THPS 1+2 remaster and Tetris Effect have been scratching that itch perfectly.

I loved Firewatch. Any recommendations for something similar?

Haven't tried Spiritfarer, but the others on that list don't seem similar.

Journey is pretty amazing.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter felt similar to me.

Thanks! I'll check that out.

The genre is called a "walking simulator" (not the best name but the one that stuck).

Try: Return of the Obra Dinn, Gone Home, Dear Esther, The Stanley Parable, SOMA (with peaceful mode enabled). I've heard good things about What Remains of Edith Finch, That Dragon Cancer and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture but have not played them.

I'd steer from Dear Esther as it's all style, but it is a short playthrough, so maybe get the source version before buying.

Thanks! That Dragon Cancer and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture seem very interesting.

It’s an older title, but my favorite of that genre is called Proteus. I’d love it if they ported it to the switch.

Adding on to another comment, What Remains of Edith Finch is well worth a play

I can recommend A Short Hike, it's a fun little game with great atmosphere, exploring, some puzzles and a little depth.

Sounds fun! Thanks!

Hmm... it depends on what exactly you liked about Firewatch. I personally classify Firewatch as a game with great production quality and no pressure so I can take my time. It's the kind of game I can relax/unwind to. The titles below were exceptional in this regard - you can't go wrong with any of them IMO.

Life is Strange

The Stanley Parable

Subnautica

Portal

Astroneer

Life is Strange season 1 is one of my favorite games. And the soundtrack is excellent.

> great production quality and no pressure so I can take my time

Exactly that, plus immersiveness.

Spiritfarer is pretty wonderful. You play a psychopomp, helping spirits in the afterlife to move on. But in the process, you ferry them around in a boat that you slowly expand, with all sorts of crafting mini games. The stories of the spirits you meet are mostly melancholy, but very moving, as they try to make sense of their lives and mistakes. I loved it.

I don't think the question is whether games _can_ improve mental health, but whether the opportunity cost is activities that are dramatically better to this end (ie, exercise, going outside, or socializing).

Getting an IV is a dramatically more effective way of hydration than drinking a glass of orange juice. Yet life isn't an RPG where you minmax and pick the task that increases your stat the most.

> Yet life isn't an RPG where you minmax and pick the task that increases your stat the most.

Actually, that's basically how I try to organize my life...

But you obviously don't have to, rather there is no moral or material requirement that you do so.

Each stat carries with it the opportunity to level it up and do more good in the world.

That doesn't seem so obvious that it should be taken as true on its face. You could perhaps reason your way there, but it may not pan out in reality.

I didn't mean to imply that rationally optimizing your decisions is a bad idea. Just that things are deeper and more complex.

Exercising might improve your mental health more than playing a video game for the same duration, but both activities will also affect many other "character stats" in various different ways.

No League of Legends?

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