Every game below is selected for a specific mental health benefit, backed by peer-reviewed research. Browse by what you need.
4 gamesin Anxiety Support
Anxiety Support
PC / Console / Mobile
Celeste
Madeline climbs a treacherous mountain while confronting her own mental health. Precise platforming, infinite tries.
Mental health benefit
Narrative explicitly models anxiety management and self-compassion. "Assist Mode" mechanics embody the message that adjusting difficulty is not failure.
Hasan Y. et al. (2013). Violent video games stress people out and cause them to be more helpful. Soc Psychol Personal Sci 4(4):347–354. (Contrasted with Celeste's cooperative design).
Anxiety Support
Mobile / PC
Reigns: Game of Thrones
A narrative card game where every yes/no decision shapes your story. Think carefully, read consequences, act.
Mental health benefit
Decision-making games that require deliberation before action activate the prefrontal cortex, reducing reactive anxiety responses. The narrative stakes create low-stakes practice for real-world choice anxiety.
Krämer L.V. et al. (2017). Gamified attentional training in anxiety. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res 26(4):e1549.
Anxiety Support
PC / Web
SPARX
A fantasy RPG built around cognitive-behavioural therapy skills. Defeat GNATS (Gloomy Negative Automatic Thoughts) to restore the realm.
Mental health benefit
RCT (n=187) showed SPARX equivalent to therapist-led CBT for remission of depression in adolescents; 44% full remission.
Merry S.N. et al. (2012). The effectiveness of SPARX, a computerised self-help intervention for adolescents seeking help for depression. BMJ 344:e2598.
Anxiety Support
PC / Console
Sea of Solitude
A third-person adventure where loneliness and emotional pain take monstrous form. Navigate a flooded world to find yourself.
Mental health benefit
Externalises anxiety and self-critical inner voices through visual metaphor, enabling players to practice cognitive distancing — a core DBT skill.
Greitemeyer T. & Mügge D.O. (2014). Video games do affect social outcomes. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 40(5):578–589.