Contextualization

Matt Makes Games, Extremely OK Games, Ltd, released January 25, 2018

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The game Celeste is a relatively new game, released in 2018. In this game, the player becomes the protagonist known as Madeline, who happens to have anxiety and depression. This attribute is not what the game revolves around and does not define the character herself, but features/mechanics related to it are seamlessly integrated into the gameplay and story. 

Throughout the game, there are moments when she has panic attacks. She is taught to imagine balancing a feather in order to slow her breathing and help her to calm down. This imagery becomes a mechanic where the player has to learn how to balance the feather using the game's mechanics.

 In this way, the real life player, who may or may not have anxiety, is taught a productive and considerate coping mechanism. For individuals who play the game and have not experienced panic attacks, they are given imagery and visuals that would help. 

This also teaches a useful strategy to help or assist someone who is having an attack in the future. 

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David OReilly, released Jul 1, 2014

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This title refers to an example of a game that makes people question the definition of what a game is and what it can be. 

Mountain is essentially an idle game/experience; one that runs and plays itself without the player’s input or influence. 

The description of the game and its form of play is as follows: “Experience life as a Mountain in this relaxing nature simulation game.”

 At its core there is nothing other than a spinning mountain surrounded by a rainbow halo, floating in silent space. It is simple, stress relieving but is an experience the player can gain so much fun when they offer a bit of their time, something to passively experience.

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Studio Omocat, released December 25, 2020

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This game is heavily focused on creating an accurate depiction of mental health and trauma through a fantastical rpg (role playing game) experience. It depicts depression, anxiety, suicide, shows the various ways people deal with grief and loss as well as interpersonal relationships from a young age and as they grow up. The game utilizes informative gameplay and therapeutic game design making it even more of a source of inspiration.

This game is of particular interest as it was the game that primarily inspired my interest in the portrayal of mental health in video games, which then led to my interest in the concept of therapeutic games. 

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( Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to  teach us about learning and literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.)

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In this book, James Paul Gee notes the 36 different principles related to features and mechanics of gameful learning. 

All of the principles are noteworthy and important, but I am particularly interested in the Active Critical Learning Principle, as well as the  Transfer Principle. 

The Transfer Principle addresses the importance of learners being able to utilize the skills and information they obtained from their gameful learning experience. 

Being introduced to concepts does no good if they do not help develop the skills they are addressing, which is why this principle is so fundamental to acknowledge and keep in mind when designing interactive experiences.

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Akili Interactive Labs, released June 15, 2020

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( Akili. (2022, February 25). Homepage - EndeavorRx®. EndeavorRx.)

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EndeavorRx is the first prescription game meant to treat ADHD, developed in order to help adolescents, ages 8-12, improve their attention span through the use of gaming software alongside their other treatments. 

ADHD is not a mental illness, rather an attention disorder, but EndeavorRX’s  use of gameplay as a type of prescription therapeutic program, shows the potential for the use of the gameplay as a means for therapy and treatment for other disorders and mental health. There are very few negative side effects of this type of treatment as well. 

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Video Game Art Therapy: THE POTENTIAL OF SERIOUS GAMES by Sheena M. Miller

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( Miller, S. (2015). The potential of serious games as mental health treatment.)

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In this study, Miller reveals how video games, that incorporate attributes that relate to mental illness, can be developed to help spread awareness and understanding for the conditions they are interpreting. 

The study describes this as Informative Game Playing, which essentially means that the player is being directly or indirectly informed about the real experiences, struggles, and perceptions of living with a particular condition through the experience of playing the game, developing an understanding of the character, content, and its application to the real world. 

Miller also creates a model for Therapeutic Game Design, which is similar to Informative Game Playing, but it predominantly becomes a form of expression for game developers to facilitate their personal healing processes. 

The last category Miller establishes is Therapeutic Game Playing. This type of game playing. In summary, this model describes games that are developed in order to provide actual therapeutic practices to patients as players based on research. 

Individually and in combination, these models create a very beneficial learning experience for a diverse range of people, those with and without the challenges being addressed in the games.

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