Video Games for Positive Mental Health

Accomplishment, self-esteem, vitality, relaxation...

The Psychological Benefits of Video Games

Do you play for escape? Challenge? Connection?

Have you ever played games that immersed you so deeply that you came away thinking and feeling differently about life?

We believe that gaming can foster health and wellbeing, enhance social connectedness and help you flourish through  challenge, immersion and flow.

How does playing video games make you feel?

The Research

We asked:

Do you feel that video games have an emotional or psychological benefit for you?

  • No
  • Not Sure
  • Yes
Your Submissions

Games for Wellbeing

Which games can help you in a tough time? Your suggestions have encompassed so many different types of play, across many generations of game and console. Everywhere you look, you can find inspiration for video games which could help you to feel a bit better, to help with social skills, or even just distract from every day stress, providing space to work through the issues of life.

Below we present a selection of the most commonly mentioned games for mental health and wellness. They are not specifically designed for that purpose and not clinically proven to have any benefit, so play responsibly!

Each game comes with a rating scale of Relaxation, Story, Immersion and Escapism, Character Relatedness and Challenge.