May is Mental Health Month and I am doing a miniseries highlighting depictions of mental health and mental illness in various media. For this post, I am focusing on video games that I think you should play that have a focus on mental health.
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GRIS – Grief
GRIS is a game I adore for its beautiful artwork, gorgeous soundtrack, and its interpretation of grief throughout the game. Each section reflects a different level of grief and how a tragedy can really tear a person down and the journey they need to go through to get themselves back up.
Night in the Woods – complex characters
While no specific illness is defined, numerous characters have their struggles depicted in Night in the Woods. Mae being the main character means we see her struggles with anger and figuring out who she is after an unnamed incident. Bea is another character we see struggle with poverty and an unhappy home life. We also can interact with a character who contemplates suicide.
Eliza – technology and mental health
In Eliza, you play as Evelyn as she returns to the AI-driven counseling service she helped create. We not only follow her through her mental health struggles, but it is also a depiction of mental illness in technology. It is a fascinating game that explores how technology can help, but also harm, our mental health.
Celeste – mental health journey
Celeste is an acclaimed platformer is often discussed as a top mental health in games recommendation. You play as Madeline as she attempts to climb a huge mountain. It is all a representation of depression and the journey to recovery.
What video games would you recommend for their mental health stories and depictions? Let me know in a comment below.
great options here, i really need to pick up Gris as I bought the art book for it which is STUNNING.
Celeste is a great option. Another game I loved centering around mental was The Cat Lady