Mental Health Research

Video games are
mental health tools.
Here's the science.

ManaWell curates games that genuinely support mental well-being, publishes peer-reviewed research in plain language, and builds the tools clinicians and players need to make informed choices.

77% of gamers say gaming reduces stress — ESA Power of Play 2025
77%
of gamers say gaming
reduces their stress
ESA Power of Play 2025
70%
report lower anxiety
from playing games
24,000+ respondents, 21 countries
64%
credit games with
easing loneliness
Global survey data
0.60
standard deviation improvement
in mental well-being (Switch)
Osaka University 2025

Three ways in.
One mission.

Games that the
research supports

From narratives that build empathy to puzzles that sharpen focus, the evidence keeps growing.

Celeste Anxiety + Resilience
Spiritfarer Grief Processing
Stardew Valley Stress Relief
Dark Souls Resilience + Hope
Hellblade Psychosis Awareness
Minecraft Creativity + Calm
SPARX CBT for Depression
Animal Crossing Social Connection

The narrative is changing.

For decades, gaming was blamed for everything from violence to isolation. The science tells a different story. Video games reduce stress, build resilience, ease loneliness, and give people tools to process the hardest parts of being human.

ManaWell exists to make sure the world hears it.