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Video games that are tackling mental health issues

nytimes.com

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Re: Video games that are tackling mental health issues

#31

Post by slothtrop »

alleyshack wrote: post #11
slothtrop wrote: post #3

Doesn't this sidestep the problem? We aren't lacking in games to cut stress. Arguably time away from videogames would help, and more time out in the world.

The article title is somewhat misleading; the point of the games described isn't simply to "cut stress". Rather, the games variously work to raise awareness of mental illness; help people with mental illness cope by giving them protagonists and storylines they can relate to; provide role models and story structures for overcoming challenges related to mental illnesses; and improve overall mental health in a variety o…

I figured. There are more effective ways to reach people.

Re: Video games that are tackling mental health issues

#32

Post by slothtrop »

TravisDick wrote: post #9
slothtrop wrote: post #3

Doesn't this sidestep the problem? We aren't lacking in games to cut stress. Arguably time away from videogames would help, and more time out in the world.

I haven't read the article, but there have been a number of games that I found personally helpful. It's not that they're helpful because they provide an escape from real life and its problems. Instead, they can be a source of meaningful dialogue about common problems, and they can help us to see that we are not isolated and that our troubles are not as impossibly unique as they might feel. After a quick skim, I haven…

I've played Celeste. It barely says anything. At most mental health is identifiable as a problem, and the character metaphorically overcomes the issue.

Re: Video games that are tackling mental health issues

#33

Post by baud147258 »

shmerl wrote: post #30
baud147258 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But for the sequel, recently announced by Paradox, it doesn't seem we'll have the same opportunity, according to some comments of the devs.

Not much is known about the sequel yet, so it's too early to tell. I doubt they'll skip such opportunity.

I was going by the comments devs made on mental illness and the fact that, as far as we know, the player don't select a clan at character creation, only later in the game; I don't think that, at this point, the game would change dialogue, it would be too confusing for the player.

Of course, things can still change, so can hope

Re: Video games that are tackling mental health issues

#34

Post by shmerl »

baud147258 wrote: post #33
shmerl wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not much is known about the sequel yet, so it's too early to tell. I doubt they'll skip such opportunity.

I was going by the comments devs made on mental illness and the fact that, as far as we know, the player don't select a clan at character creation, only later in the game; I don't think that, at this point, the game would change dialogue, it would be too confusing for the player. Of course, things can still change, so can hope

So far it's not clear how clan selection would work to begin with. Since the character is a "thinblood", they technically can't belong to a clan and the only option to "advance" is considered abominable in VtM settings (and resulting in the loss of humanity). So it would be interesting to see, how writers will present it.

In this sense, question how to become a Malkavian isn't very different from how to become any other clan.

Re: Video games that are tackling mental health issues

#35

Post by dkersten »

b_tterc_p wrote: post #24
selune wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't played it too but from what I've read about it, I suspect it might cause a so called Tetris Effect when the game mechanics basically invades people's though patterns.[0] It can be used as a somewhat effective "distraction" for your brain during episodes of anxiety[1] helping to overcome it. So if someone is planning their crops, they're probably just distracting themselves from anxious thoughts. Just my und…

You sound like someone who has never had Tetris vision. It’s mildly frustrating. You close your eyes and your brain starts simulating whatever game you’ve played too much (in my case, dungeon crawl stone soup). But it’s not a fun simulation, it’s more so just a random imagined game state and then predicted next state, vaguely dream like. Honestly it’s probably the same mechanism as dreaming. Just your brain training…

I've never had it from Tetris or other games, except the "falling sand game". It took a few weeks before it went away. It wasn't fun.

Re: Video games that are tackling mental health issues

#36

Post by dkersten »

shmerl wrote: post #21

Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines has an option to play as a vampire lunatic from the Malkavian clan¹, where craziness is also a form of communication with the world around you. It's arguably the best option in the game, since it gives many hidden hints about the plot that aren't available otherwise. But you really need to pay attention to get that. 1. https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Malkavian_(VTM)

I loved the Malkavian dialogue so much! I still remember one line -- when talking to a a guy with a stutter, your character says to him: "You're words are wobbly"

Also, having an argument with a stop sign was a cool little touch. VtM Bloodlines had such great writing. I still play it again every few years.

I'm not sure what to feel about Bloodlines 2 though, but information is sparse, so we'll see when we learn more, I suppose. I just feel it will be very hard to live up to expectations.

Re: Video games that are tackling mental health issues

#37

Post by dkersten »

I loved Night in the Woods and actually wish they didn't include the end-game plotline and just kept it mundane, about Mae's life and her struggles with her mental health. Those parts were very touching and I loved every moment. The plotline later on was a bit meh (and rushed) in my opinion.

Re: Video games that are tackling mental health issues

#38

Post by shmerl »

dkersten wrote: post #36
shmerl wrote: post #21

Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines has an option to play as a vampire lunatic from the Malkavian clan¹, where craziness is also a form of communication with the world around you. It's arguably the best option in the game, since it gives many hidden hints about the plot that aren't available otherwise. But you really need to pay attention to get that. 1. https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Malkavian_(VTM)

I loved the Malkavian dialogue so much! I still remember one line -- when talking to a a guy with a stutter, your character says to him: "You're words are wobbly" Also, having an argument with a stop sign was a cool little touch. VtM Bloodlines had such great writing. I still play it again every few years. I'm not sure what to feel about Bloodlines 2 though, but information is sparse, so we'll see when we learn more,…

Yeah, though playing as Malkavian in Bloodlines really pays off once you finished the game a few times using other clans. Too many things are only hinted and hard to understand without knowing the broader context.

I hope they won't mess it up in the sequel.

Re: Video games that are tackling mental health issues

#39

Post by dkersten »

shmerl wrote: post #38
dkersten wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I loved the Malkavian dialogue so much! I still remember one line -- when talking to a a guy with a stutter, your character says to him: "You're words are wobbly" Also, having an argument with a stop sign was a cool little touch. VtM Bloodlines had such great writing. I still play it again every few years. I'm not sure what to feel about Bloodlines 2 though, but information is sparse, so we'll see when we learn more,…

Yeah, though playing as Malkavian in Bloodlines really pays off once you finished the game a few times using other clans. Too many things are only hinted and hard to understand without knowing the broader context. I hope they won't mess it up in the sequel.

That's true. The very first time I played, I played as Malkavian and it was cool, but I didn't know how different it was until I played other clans and then went back to playing a Malkavian. The contrast between the playthroughs definitely helps make it great, as you say!

Me too. I'm worried, but hopeful.

Re: Video games that are tackling mental health issues

#40

Post by baud147258 »

shmerl wrote: post #34
baud147258 wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was going by the comments devs made on mental illness and the fact that, as far as we know, the player don't select a clan at character creation, only later in the game; I don't think that, at this point, the game would change dialogue, it would be too confusing for the player. Of course, things can still change, so can hope

So far it's not clear how clan selection would work to begin with. Since the character is a "thinblood", they technically can't belong to a clan and the only option to "advance" is considered abominable in VtM settings (and resulting in the loss of humanity). So it would be interesting to see, how writers will present it. In this sense, question how to become a Malkavian isn't very different from how to become any ot…

> question how to become a Malkavian isn't very different from how to become any other clan

Yes, but I don't think it will cause a significant shift in dialogue like in the first game.

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