Gaming the Mind Podcast: Recent Episodes
Gaming the Mind
Doctors by day; gamers by night! Exploring interactions between mental health and gaming, and promoting wellbeing in the gaming community. In this podcast we discuss a wide range of stories regarding video games and mental health.
Just in time for the spooky season, we take a look at the game Vampire Therapist, a visual novel in which you play as cowboy vampire Sam, and help your fellow bloodsuckers navigate their psychological struggles by providing them cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
CBT is a type of therapy that helps people understand and change patterns of thinking and behaviour that may be causing them problems. By working with a therapist, people can learn practical tools to challenge negative thought patterns and gradually build healthier coping strategies.
Vampire Therapist sceneVampire Therapist turns CBT concepts into gameplay, such as challenging you to identify your clients’ cognitive distortions (irrational thought patterns that can lead people to see things in a negative or inaccurate way).
In this podcast, Don, Hammy, Kunika and Jason discuss Vampire Therapist and how it captures elements of CBT within its plot and gameplay. Could this game help introduce CBT to players in an entertaining way?
We discuss what parts are accurate to CBT, and what parts take a creative license to ensure a fun experience. Plus: what other CBT elements could be turned into game mechanics?
We received review copies of the game from the publisher.
Photo by Tara Winstead on Pexels.comWe take a look at generative AI, and consider its potential uses, including in gaming. But what about the ethical implications of AI using the work of others, and AI being used by companies to replace human workers? Can aspects of generative AI map to human neurological functions, or are we wrong to apply human qualities to AI? We also wonder how you’d feel if you were recieving therapy from an AI without realising it isn’t a human. And what does it mean for an AI to “hallucinate” – is it similar to hallucinations in humans? Maybe a better term would be “confabulation” – find out what that is, as Hammy and Sarah dive into this deep topic!
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 themes of identity, family, womanhood, existentialism, intergenerational trauma, mental wellbeing, this panel was an interesting one for sure!
With thanks to Popverse for allowing us to share this audio with our listeners!
The game over screen when your reason is depletedWe 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 the incomprehensible things they encounter. Once the meter is depleted, your character suffers a mental breakdown and the game ends with them admitted to a psychiatric institution.
We talk about the game and how we measure mental health with scales even in real life. We also discuss the nature of Lovecraftian/cosmic horror, and what fear of the unknown and existential fears might mean for our mental health. Also: is it a big deal that both the creator of World of Horror and Junji Ito both worked in the field of dental health?!
Suzume stands before the supernatural doorWe 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 the film’s mental health theme of grief, and the responsibilities we have in taking care of each other as well as ourselves.
In Suzume, the titular high-schooler sets out across Japan on a mission to save the country from disaster, by closing mysterious doors that are unleashing chaotic forces upon the land. But what lies beyond the doors, and how does it link to Suzume’s past?
This episode has spoilers for Suzume throughout.
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 ready to talk about it? What is post traumatic stress disorder, and could Leon be going through something similar? And what about the mind-altering effects of the Las Plagas parasite? Hosts and Resident Evil superfans Hammy and Sarah dive in to explore these deep topics! Recorded in April 2023.
(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, Sarah, Marcus and Sachin discuss the possible implications of this. What kind of suicide acts does your character enact in Bonelab and Superhot VR? Should such games have warnings? And what do we know about whether suicide in VR increases suicidality?
In the podcast we reference this study on the impact of virtual reality suicide.
If you are affected by the contents of this podcast and want further help, you can find resources here.
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 Dream as we discuss mental health themes in the lore and gameplay experiences of the Soulsborne franchise. Jason Ng from Gaming the Mind leads a talented cast of streamers (MariaThePawdawan), lore experts (SmoughTown) and psychiatrists (Hammy from Gaming the Mind), for a fascinating and thought-provoking session! Recorded at EGX 2022.
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.
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)
[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 - 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!