Gaming the Mind Podcast

Thelxie's Fantastic Adventures campaign from Genshin Impact, recorded in 2024, explores mental health by addressing "loneliness syndrome." The game details its causes, symptoms, and treatments while inviting players to assist a boy suffering from the condition. It also prompts discussion on fantasy as a therapeutic escape, including sensitive themes like suicide.

Vampire Therapist is a visual novel where players assume the role of Sam, a cowboy vampire offering cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to fellow vampires. The game integrates CBT concepts into its gameplay, allowing players to identify cognitive distortions. This podcast discusses how the game depicts and educates regarding CBT.

This podcast discussion delves into generative AI's potential applications, including in gaming, and raises ethical concerns about AI using others' work and replacing human workers. It questions whether we should attribute human qualities to AI and explores the concept of AI providing therapy without being recognized. Additionally, it ponders the meaning of AI "hallucinations" and suggests considering the term "confabulation."

Recorded at MCM Comic-Con. Join us as we verse-jump through the multiverse of the deeply profound masterpiece, ‘Everything, Everywhere, All At Once’! Jason, Hammy and Sarah journey into directors the Daniels’ exploration of the beautiful mess of human existence, and how the film teaches us to be kinder to ourselves and each other. Weaving together […]

We take a look at World of Horror, which has now left Steam Early Access! This stark black-and-white horror RPG is inspired by Junji Ito and H.P. Lovecraft. Otherworldly horrors promise to test the sanity of Shiokawa, Japan. In the game, your character has a “Reason” meter, which measures their ability to mentally cope with […]

We have another “anime takeover” for our podcast, as we cover Makoto Shinkai’s latest film: Suzume! Though it’s an animation, Suzume covers traumatic disaster events that are very real and recent in history. We discuss what the film has to say about the outcome of disasters in terms of mental health. We also chat about […]

Capcom’s refreshed look at Resident Evil 4 adds a wealth of depth to characters such as Leon, Ashley, Luis and Ada. So what can we now understand about the mental health of these characters who are going through such a harrowing experience? How has Leon’s traumatic experience from Resi 2 affected him, and is he […]

(Content warning: this podcast describes suicidality and suicide in media, including non-detailed descriptions of suicide methods). We know there are guidelines around the depiction of suicide in media, but now there are games in which the player must make their character enact suicide, and with virtual reality this can be an immersive experience. Hammy, Don, […]

FromSoftware’s games have had profound effects on the lives of players, especially those going through their own real challenges. And the games, such as Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring, allude to mental health struggles within their story arcs. Want to know more? Grab your Sculptor’s Idol, light your bonfire and join us in the Hunter’s […]

What makes Kirby so cute, and why does he make us so happy? In this episode of the podcast, Hammy, Sachin and Marcus discuss Kirby (and other cute characters, besides), to discover the healing power of cuteness. We consider what makes something cute, and why we find things cute in the first place. What is […]

We’re discussing the game of the moment, and probably game of the year, Elden Ring, in our latest podcast. FromSoftware superfan Hammy is joined by Sachin, Donald, and Marcus as we talk about what makes Soulsbourne games so fun, and how difficult they really are. We consider whether Elden Ring needs proper difficulty options, and […]

In the latest episode of the podcast we are having an “anime takeover”, as we cover Mamoru Hosoda’s new film Belle! It’s a contemporary take on the tale-as-old-as-time: Beauty and the Beast, partly set in a vast online universe. We’re joined by TheGamer’s Lead Features Editor (and our good friend!) Jade King, who brings her […]

In the latest episode of the podcast we discuss the game Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk. It’s a relatively short visual novel in which you help a girl face the challenge of going out to buy milk. It’s worth playing through, so go check it out if you don’t […]

In the latest episode of our podcast we chat to Barry Gene Murphy and May Abdalla, about their VR experience, Goliath: Playing with Reality, which is available for free on the Oculus store. The experience features interactive elements and takes you through the world of Goliath, a man who has spent years in psychiatric institutions […]

Spoiler warning: this episode contains an in-depth discussion of the final case in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All. If you don’t want to know the big twists and turns of that case, please come back after having played it! Content warning: this podcast episode references the suicide of a fictional character and […]

What is stigma, how does it apply to mental health, and what are its consequences? And how might video games perpetuate mental illness stigma? In this episode, Hamilton (doctor), and Donald and Sachin (mental health doctors) discuss ways of understanding stigma and its impact, and look at studies of games which may cause stigmatisation. We […]

Sachin (mental health doctor) talks to Filipe F Thomaz, creator of Into a Dream. This new game tasks the player with entering the dream of a man who has severe depression, so that you can explore their mind, find out how their life has led to this depression, and to help them out. They discuss the inspiration behind the game, how depression is presented within the game. They also get into some spoilers in the second half of the interview, to get into what messages and lessons the game conveys - don't worry, the spoiler half of the interview is clearly indicated!

Sachin (mental health doctor) talks to Kelvin Plomer, Director of Player Experience at Jagex, to learn what the company is doing to support the mental health of their staff, and how wellness culture has evolved in the workplace. Also, he discusses how Jagex along with their partner charities are raising mental health awareness among the player community. He also talks about the measures Jagex are taking to keep players safe online, and how Jagex is working to help players who find it difficult to regulate play time or spending on microtransactions and loot boxes. Also he discusses the positive impact RuneScape has had on many players.

COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic, and anxiety around the illness, as well as self-isolation and quarantine practices can have an impact on people’s mental health. In this episode, Hamilton (doctor), and Marcus and Sachin (mental health doctors) discuss the potential psychological impact of quarantine, and then talk about how the gaming community is reacting […]

Listen to our panel at EGX 2019 about mental health advocacy in video games. There's lots of interesting talk about how games can portray mental health well, the importance of games in raising mental health awareness, and also a whole lot about how the industry can improve and do more to take care of the people who create these games and put their own experiences into them. We were joined by: Vic Hood (games writer at TechRadar, runs the ReCharge group) Marina Díez (game designer & developer of PTSD and Consent) Rachel Clancy (developer of The Hero's Guide To Gardening; Sky Women in Tech Scholar) Laura Kate Dale (author of Uncomfortable Labels; games writer at LauraKBuzz.com)

The release of Sega’s Yakuza spin-off Judgement was delayed on the PS4 after one of the game’s actors was caught in a cocaine scandal. It’s notable that as a result of this, multiple projects involving the actor in Japan were shelved or edited to remove him, and his career has been derailed. In this episode, […]

[content warning - mentions of suicide] In this episode Don, Marcus and Sachin discuss "games" which have variously been reported as the cause of suicides: but is there any known truth to such claims? We look at the phenomena of Blue Whale and the Momo Challenge - what they are, why ideas about them have spread, and what is the reality behind the scare stories. We then look at Doki Doki Literature club, which has been described in the media in a similar way to Blue Whale and Momo: again there is a lot of misreporting on this game, but there's still a lot to say about the game's depiction of suicide. We also discuss the game Catherine, transphobia within the game, and whether there's any right way to feel about it.

Violence in video games: does it cause violence in real life? And how do we morally feel about it? [content warning - mentions of suicide and shootings] In this episode Don, Fai, Marcus and Sachin discuss a report of a bill in Pennsylvania that would increase tax on violent games, to raise money to keep schools safer. Is it a good idea? We discuss if there's any evidence to justify such a tax. Then we talk about ways in which virtual violence could be wrong - from a moral perspective. Skip to 24:45 if you want to get straight into these topics. Please note this episode was recorded long before the August 2019 Dayton and El Paso shootings.

Can people develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder following exposure to traumatic media? [content warning – trauma] In this episode Don, Fai, Marcus and Sachin discuss a Kotaku report of a Mortal Kombat 11 developer who said they were diagnosed with PTSD after working on the game. We discuss the traumatic effects media might have, […]

Wraith in Apex Legends hears a mysterious voice that helped her unlock her powers and tells her what will happen in the future. So is she mentally unwell? Who decides? In this episode Don, Sachin, Fai and Marcus (mental health doctors) discuss characters who hear voices: Wraith from Apex Legends, Legion from X-Men, and Lain […]

[content warning - this episode features mentions of suicide and abuse within the context of the game Yume Nikki] In this episode Don, Fai, Andrew and Sachin (mental health doctors) and Hammy (medical student) discuss the experimental horror game Yume Nikki and use that as a base to discuss the Japanese phenomenon of hikikomori, and what dreams say about our minds. Read more about Yume Nikki here https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/the-horrifying-legacy-of-yume-nikki-the-homebrew-game-that-became-a-phenomenon/

In this episode Sachin, Don, and Marcus (mental health doctors) discuss: – Gamer burnout: What is burnout and can you experience burnout from video games? (check out this article for more https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/article/mby89y/millennial-burnout-gamers ). They also discuss this article on millennial burnout: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/annehelenpetersen/millennials-burnout-generation-debt-work

In this episode Sachin, Don, Fai (mental health doctors), and Hammy (medical student) discuss: - Celeste: how does it portray anxiety in main character Madeline and how is the game's attitude to mental health reflected in its design? (Check out this article that describes how a tough game like Celeste can be soothing: www.polygon.com/2018/2/8/16961386/celeste-stress ) They also discuss difficult games in general, and how "easy modes" are sometimes viewed negatively.

[cw - suicide] In this episode Sachin, Don (mental health doctors), and Hammy (medical student) discuss: - Silent Hill 2: how does it use symbolism to portray trauma and mental health issues, and does it do a good job? (see article www.inverse.com/article/27660-sil…nami-pyramid-head for more) They then discuss games where all players work together for a common goal, and what exactly is the essence of a Metroidvania game. We're all a bit ill for this recording and so we discussed what is the chicken soup of games - the game you play when you're not feeling well. Also mentioned was the Hooked Exhibition, which remains open till January 6th (london.sciencegallery.com/news/hooked)

In this episode Sachin, Fai, and Marcus (mental health doctors) discuss: - Claims of stimulants used as performance enhancing drugs in esports (see article motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/…fficial-league) - A Twitch streamer with Tourette's and what this means for representation (see article kotaku.com/the-singular-life-o…streamer-1830499961) They then discuss games used for teaching!

In this episode Sachin, Don, Fai (mental health doctors) and Hammy (medical student) discuss: - Gaming in moderation, based on an article by student Timothy Franklin advocating this (http://collegian.tccd.edu/?p=37310) - Concerns about how Cyberpunk 2077 will handle trans identities, in light of how the tabletop game handles it, and problematic tweets from the developer (see article https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-08-24-the-big-cyberpunk-2077-interview) - Plans for the Overwatch League to adopt a touring model, and how this could add additional stress to esports athletes (https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/the-overwatch-league-was-meant-to-be-city-based-but-that-wont-be-possible-until-it-improves-its-scheduling) They then discuss how they used to game with their parents!