Topic: Games that helps with the psychiological etc...

I had a hard time picking a title for this so I can understand that it may sound confusing. But, and where can I start?... Does anyone else here have anxiety issues including deppression etc, and do you also find that games can help you put your mind of those issues? I myself have both anxiety, OCD and deppression and I find that games has helped me alot to put my mind on something else and concentrating on something else even though it's at the same time hard, but still helping. Now, I'm aware that some off you may want to scold me off and say that I need to get a life. But at the same time, aren't we here on this forum for a good reason for something that we have in common? Games! We simply enjoy playing games and that's where I'm getting at. How all these games can actually help us through psychiological issues too, and maybe even other issues as well! How do you guys feel about this? How and with what things do you feel that games help you with?

I have a few of the problems you listed as well. Though it's not necessarily therapeutic for me, I have noticed that playing games can put my mind at ease.

Though I'm not sure if it's just games that are nostalgic for me, or ones I've been playing for a long time, like Sonic Adventure 1 and 2, or Mario 64. I suppose these are games I can sit down and play easily, run through a few courses or levels, and be done with it. Just for a brief time it can take my mind off of something else.

The Katamari Damacy games, I've noticed can be really relaxing for me too. Something about the simple gameplay I suppose. Mario Sunshine also helps but I think this is because I find the setting to be beautiful and relaxing. And Splatoon can help when I'm a bit worked up — I find that hopping on Turf War for a few matches helps me let off some steam.

These games probably only relax me due to nostalgia and familiarity, I would say. I doubt others would find Sonic Adventure to be relaxing But I think a particularily relaxing game for a lot of people would be Animal Crossing — can be a good way to wind down and pass the time, and there's no challenge or pressure in it

For me it ranges from games such as Uncharted 4 that allow me to shoot an endless number of people and blow off some steam to playing Pokémon which seems to calm me down instantly.

That is the entire purpose of entertainment. It's also why depressed people tend to binge watch TV shows or movies, or engross themselves in their hobbies, sometimes to unhealthy degrees. If they weren't helping you forget about the stress of everyday life, then either your problems demand immediate attention, or you need to find something else to entertain yourself with.

Pretty much every game you enjoy helps with depression. I think the results are better with light hearted stuff like pokemon and Mario. By the way, gaming is part of your life so anyone that tries to scold you because of that and on a gaming site would be acting like an hypocrite and wouldn't know what they are talking about. As long as you have balance in your life since anything in excess is bad, you should have as much fun with gaming as you want and no one should critcize you for it. This is just my opinion, I also suffer from depression and I'm studying spychology but I'm still just a college student, so I can't help much for the moment other than giving you this advice that I base on my personal experience.

Do you get to wear a fancy suit and shoot tranquilizer guns?

Yeah, speaking of which, I'm a little confused about the "scolding" part. Ignoring the fact that you're apparently 25, thus making you older than me, a gaming community is the last place you're going to get criticized for enjoying your hobbies in a therapeutic manner, barring any obvious trolls begging for the banhammer.

I mean, I should hope it's not your only means of dealing with your anxieties and/or reducing your stressors, and that you're not ignoring your problems to an unhealthy degree, like I do on a daily basis, but that's your business. At the very least, you shouldn't be worried about what we say, the moderators are pretty good at keeping us in line when it's a serious issue, and personal health is definitely towards the top of that list.

@FriedSquid Not yet
Man, they always leave the fun stuff for the end of the career...

@ZeldAlice: I'm not sure what systems you have or any specific types of games you enjoy, but FEZ is an excellent chill out game. It has a great soundtrack and it's fun to just explore a massive, non-hostile world. There are many puzzles and a there is a collecting element to the game (finding the 64 golden cubes scattered across the world). Fundamentally, the game is about exploration and puzzle solving. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, give it a try.

Wow, already so many replies to this thread! A thousand thanks guys!

That's awesome, nostalgia has a great effect on me too. The games that are especially nostalgic for me and helps me is Zelda Oot and American McGee's Alice (and that one somehow feels so nostalgic for me even though I have only gotten to know about it and actually play the game in my later years). Oh, and Super Mario Sunshine is such a beautiful game, even though it can be frustrating at times.

But you are contributing with something, and thanks so much!
So tense games can somehow be pretty relaxing, it's pretty strange and cool at the same time.

That's really cool! ^^

Yeah, that's true! I love it when I can focus completely and go completely into one or more of my hobbies, making me forget all the stressful etc. Though... when it is most bad... neither games nor anything works... I'm taking both medications plus meeting a psychiologist, and there I've learned that doing something you like can really help. So nowadays and foward, even though I may not feel like it etc, I try to both play and do things anyway because it can indeed help in the long run etc.

True! And I also find that deep and psychiological games (at least for me)with a deep and good story can also help, especially if it's something I can somehow relate to. I also find games with puzzles in which you really have to concentrate on can help as well.
And thank you so much! I wrote what I did because, even in gaming sites, there can exist trolls. And, what do they say? Trolls will Always be trolls, I guess. And you're right, balance in everything is the key and do the things that we love is also the key.
And that's so interesting, psychiology, I love such topic etc! And again, thanks so much!

Thank you! And you're right. But sadly the internet can be full of trolls, this is why I wrote what I wrote.
And yes, I'm taking medication (even though I'm unsure if it actually helps or not) and I'm meeting a psychiologist.
Thank you, and yes, this is what moderators are very good for.

Thanks alot! Yes, this was something that spontanously came up in my mind yesterday evening and thus I decided to make this thread. ^^ I also play alot of different games that can help me relax even though I at the same time have favorites etc. Oh, and I also love listening to music and draw etc plus that it can help with stress etc alot.

We all are different. I personally can get pretty immersed into both games, movies etc. And I really love to go through the story mode in Hyrule Warriors. I have also played Skyrim, it's a really good game.

That sounds really interesting. For what system is it for? And the systems I own is PC and Nintendo.

Animal Crossing and Viva Piñata on the DS as two big stress relievers for me.

I also always find it comforting to play Pokemon and Harvest Moon.

To echo what has been said, I think this is a great idea for a thread. I'm sure lots of us THINK about these things, but no one brings them up.

For me, my longest running stress relief games are PES 3D 2013 and Pilotwings Resort. I think it's because those are the two that don't prevent me from progressing if I choose to play in a more chill style (soccer/football is obviously endless, and Pilotwings has the free flight mode).

Great thread though! Curious what everyone's responses will be (will people respond with more obviously relaxing games, or action-y stuff? Maybe adventures hit the spot? Horror? Sims?)

Yeah, Pokemon's my comfort food.

I gotta try a different Harvest Moon game, Story of Seasons really left a bad taste in my mouth. It tried to space everything out to make things easier for new players, but that really just made everything harder, since then I couldn't go at my own pace. Not to mention all the tutorials don't actually teach you anything, the important information is always sent to a book case, so why don't they give all the books at once and go "okay, you need to study your farming manuals if you don't know what to do!" like they did in the Rune Factory games? Heck, those games were way more complicated, but I never really had a hard time with it. I'm told it was more or less the First HM that tried to hand-hold so much, so hopefully it just turned out that the first HM that I decided to by was the worst one I could've gotten.

I mostly prefer the older harvest moons to relax, nostalgia is an important factor for comfort!

SoS was miles better compared to Marvelous' previous entry, though between it and The Lost Valley I prefer the Lost Valley. It really gives me a "do things at your own pace, don't worry about it"- vibe.

@Meowpheel You mean A New Beginning? What was wrong with that one?

A new beginning. I enjoyed Two Towns, though many people didn't.

Okay, why didn't you enjoy A New Beginning?

I just... Didn't. It bored me a lot, every day was a long routine of spending all morning slowly taking care of my animals and crops, watching forced daily cutscenes and then walking around the rather large mountain looking for all the trash I could hoard.

Not to mention the whole "build and decorate the whole town and keep everyone happy" thing actually just stressed me.

You could say it was overwhelming and slow.

(No offense for anyone who liked it, it's just my opinion. And sorry for derailing the thread!)

@Meowpheel ...That sounds like what I expected Harvest Moon to be, honestly. Farming itself is a very rigorous and routine-oriented occupation, so that's honestly what I wanted out of Story of Seasons, except in Story of Seasons, any effort beyond the bare minimum was not rewarded within the first 3 seasons, because so many features were doled out on a set time table. I'm gonna have to look into A New Beginning, now...

Very little of it actually has to do with the farm. You're mostly just taking care of tons of animals and a few crops to get the materials you need to build the town.

Same reason you must go for items in the mountain and hoard everything you find.

But hey, if you think you might enjoy it, then go for it.

If you want actual farm "hard work", farming simulator is also a thing. It's addicting, if much less interesting. (Though it's also much more cathartic than ANB).