Over the years there’s been a lot of negative talk about video games but, playing video games is a great coping tool for dealing with stress. They can give us a safe and fun outlet for developing our emotional awareness and coping skills.
In most games, players are rewarded for being able to manage their emotions and work toward solutions when faced with stressful situations. When players meet a difficult task they must seek out a resolution to the negative feelings or seek support from other players. We can take the same strategies used in playing video games and use them in our own lives. Developing awareness and using it to support emotional balance which is a big part of healthy coping.
Video games are a way to escape the boring mundane of everyday life for a few hours and enter the world the game takes place in. It’s a way to work through your frustrations, improve motor skills, and help better decision-making. They are enjoyable and have a very widespread social connection creating opportunities to make friends. So next time your feeling stressed check out one of these titles.
Journey
In Journey you play as a robed figure in a vast desert, traveling towards a mountain in the distance. You can discover other players on the same journey and can help each other. You cannot communicate through speech or text or see the name of the other player. The only form of communication is a musical chime that transforms dull, stiff pieces of cloth found throughout the levels into a vibrant red, affecting the game world and allowing the player to progress through the levels. The music dynamically responds to the player’s actions, building a single theme to represent the game’s emotional arc throughout the story.
Platforms: PlayStation 3 / PlayStation Network / PlayStation 4
ABZU
ABZÛ is an exploration game where you play as a lone diver in a lush ocean world. The diver descends deeper and deeper into the depths, where she will meet majestic creatures, discover ancient secrets, and search for her true purpose.
Platforms: PC (Microsoft Windows) / PlayStation Network / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One
Stardew Valley
You’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. You’ll learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home. It won’t be easy. Ever since Joja Corporation came to town, the old ways of life have all but disappeared. The community center, once the town’s most vibrant hub of activity, now lies in shambles. But the valley seems full of opportunity. With a little dedication, you might just be the one to restore Stardew Valley to greatness!
Platforms: Linux / PC (Microsoft Windows) / Mac / PlayStation Network / PlayStation Vita / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One / SteamOS / Nintendo Switch
Just Dance 2018
No matter where you come from, how old you are, if you are a panda or a carrot: turn up the volume and get ready to unleash your inner dancer, because Just Dance 2018 brings out the dancer in everyone! Whether you are a party starter, a young dancer in the making, or a pro dancer looking for new challenges, it’s never been so easy to Just Dance!
Platforms: Wii / PlayStation 3 / Xbox 360 / Wii U / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch
The Sims 4
The Sims 4 is a simulation game that lets you play with life like never before. Create new Sims with intelligence and emotion. Experience all-new intuitive and fun creative tools to sculpt your Sims and build unique homes. Control the mind, body, and heart of your Sims, and bring your stories to life.
Platforms: Mac / Xbox One / PC (Microsoft Windows) / PlayStation 4
The Legend of Zelda: Breathe of The Wild
Step into a world of discovery, exploration, and adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a boundary-breaking new game in the Legend of Zelda series. Travel across fields, through forests, and to mountain peaks as you discover what has become of the ruined kingdom of Hyrule in this stunning open-air adventure.
Platforms: Wii U / Nintendo Switch
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn, an exhilarating action role-playing game exclusively for the PlayStation 4 system. As Horizon Zero Dawn’s main protagonist Aloy, a skilled hunter, you’ll explore a vibrant and lush world inhabited by mysterious mechanized creatures.
Platforms: Playstation 4
Looking for a great indie game? Then check out Great Indie Games You Might Have Missed.
Pin me!
Really good read. Love the blog 🙂
Thank you! ?
Journey is an AMAZING game.
TLOZ on the other hand…. I need to learn some mega patience to play.
Journey is one of my favorites. I love the music and that’s it’s a laid back game. In The Legend of Zelda: Breathe of the Wild the only part that tested my patience was the Thunderblight Ganon. It took me two days, to beat that boss and it took everything in me not to throw my Nintendo Switch.
Great selection of games. I just got Zelda, but I’ve only had time to play a few minutes of it. I didn’t expect that game to be so hard.
I love that game I’ve logged over 200 hours on it. It’s hard in the beginning but once you start visiting shrines, gathering material, and stuff it gets easier.
I love this idea. I just may pull out the XBOX controller next time the stress levels get high. I mean…how could I not smile while playing Just Dance!!! 🙂
I’m so glad to see another blogger (specially female blogger!) posting about gaming <3 Games have been an awesome way for me to cope with stuff, definitely!
Same here. Whenever I have a bad day I love playing video games as a way to distress.