Cozy video games

Egami's study found that owning a game console and increased gameplay reduced psychological distress and improved life satisfaction among participants. The study found that spending just one extra hour each day playing video games was associated with an increase in mental health and life satisfaction.

While this of course supports my priors, and therefore should be suspect, I have used this method in my own life to destress after a long day. I’m not talking about losing myself into gaming for hours on end, but sometimes taking an intentional break from the chaos of life and playing a game, like Stardew Valley, for 30-60 minutes before bed. It doesn’t hurt that Stardew Valley is the spiritual successor to one of my childhood favorites, Harvest Moon. And thankfully you don’t have to quite the game after year 3.

It has a calming presence and helps bring a little joy into the day.

The study published in 2021 measured the effectiveness of playing a casual game like Flower, developed by Thatgamecompany, against a 20-minute mindfulness meditation session in reducing stress.

I’ve never quite been able to find a way to meditate, but seeing a potential connection there makes a lot of sense.

My therapist has actually recommended the benefits of playing a calming game for a little bit each day.

This article from Reuters, turned into a video game, is an absolute delight. Made the whole topic quite fun to read and engage with.

Via Reuters.