News Certain type of gaming provides “substantial benefits” to mental well-being

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6pack

Mastermind
Source: https://newatlas.com/mental-health/open-world-gaming-psychological-well-being/

Researchers from Imperial College London in the UK and the University of Graz in Austria have examined the mental health benefits of playing open-world games, which are characterized by sprawling, detailed environments in which gameplay is not always linear and structured.

“In particular, in this study, we posit that open-world games with their expansive environments and opportunities for leisurely exploration may create a sense of escapism and relaxation,” said the researchers. “Previous work found that casual video game play may significantly reduce stress and improve mood, suggesting potential benefits for players of open-world games, which often offer similarly engaging yet nonpressuring experiences.”
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“The self-directed playstyle of open-world games promotes a deeper connection with the game world, with a primary focus on exploration,” the researchers explain. “In contrast, competitive games, such as Fortnite, are structured around set objectives and a defined path … The competitive nature drives a high level of excitement and urgency. Open-world games, in contrast, often emphasize player-driven experiences over predefined goals. This allows players to set their own objectives at their own pace and preference, whether it is building a new settlement, taming wild creatures, or mapping out uncharted territories.”
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Do you stress out during playing a game or have fun or get a relaxed feeling?
 
Mr. Studd said:
As a kid I used to enjoy games but now they feel somewhat stressful and a waste of time and energy.
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I can relate to it. I often reminisce how I used to enjoy the movies and games earlier. Now that feeling is just missing. Its hard to explain. By the time a movie ends, you start worrying about the next day or the next meal. Kids dont have that baggage to deal with.

There are so many things on our minds now that we have grown up with responsibilities. The never ending todo lists that are always churning at the back of our minds. That guilt that time is always running out. Even these hyper casual games with mindless swipes are built to distract you from the reality of life.

But I agree to the article, the open world games and even building strategy games are what take me closest to feeling relaxed if you can shut yourself out. Its like taking a long drive alone.
 
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MOBA would just the opposite for mental health. As a 8k hrs Dota2 ex addict I am so glad I left that game.

But a stressful game like Escape from Tarkov can be a fun as well. But its a very different kind of fun where reward for winning a gun fight can be a very memorable time.
 
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My personal take:

As a kid, gaming for me started as excitement. It was a life beyond school, parents' scolding, exams, etc. I started with a shitty MMX-based Celeron, 64 MB of SD RAM, and 4 MB of integrated SiS graphics. It couldn't even run NFS (4) High Stakes at 640x480 and over 20 fps. I didn't care. Games like NFS II, Clive Barker's Undying, AoE II AoK, Tzar, etc. stuck with me and stuck with me hard.

Fast forward to the present, as a 32-year-old working professional, my love for gaming has only evolved, not faded. Sure, hours are way more limited (because, adulting), but I make sure to get in 2 hours of gaming, every day.

I avoid multiplayer games, such as Valorant. Shit like that is just stressful, and rage-inducing. I remember being into that game at my friend's insistence, and I started grinding at it. It just made me a very stressed out, abusive, and toxic individual. Strained a lot of friendships during matches ( nowadays, the odd match with friends is fine, though). I also avoid souls-like games. I'm a single-player thoroughbred, I'm picky about what I play, and I treat my PC with absolute care and love since it's both my livelihood and my escape rocket.

Gaming for me, even today, isn't an escape. It's a reality, just like life-adult responsibilities. But, it's a reality I'm proud to be still a part of.
 
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I think mostly games relieves stress for me.

Maybe horror games can create stress, dunno i dont play those. I play a mix of games i like and stay away from MP/competitive gaming.
I love fast paced games. Dunno if some thing like Doom eternal or serious sam will cause stress, they can be exhilarating.
Irritating puzzles maybe can cause some rage, and sometimes getting stuck but we can just do youtube/wikis these days.

Haven't played proper strategy game in some time now. Not sure why. Games like caesar can be perfect in 'flow' games where hours disappear.

PunkX 75 said:
Tzar
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Tzar demo was lovely. Awesome music. Played a lot when i was a kid. You could capture/convert enemy peasant and get entire tech tree ...

PunkX 75 said:
I avoid multiplayer games, such as Valorant. Shit like that is just stressful, and rage-inducing. I remember being into that game at my friend's insistence, and I started grinding at it. It just made me a very stressed out, abusive, and toxic individual. Strained a lot of friendships during matches ( nowadays, the odd match with friends is fine, though). I also avoid souls-like games. I'm a single-player thoroughbred, I'm picky about what I play, and I treat my PC with absolute care and love since it's both my livelihood and my escape rocket.
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I don't play multiplayer games these days, but they can be fun and very addictive if we don't take things too seriously.
That said i never had kids yelling at me as it wasn't a thing then i think. And i wasn't in a clan and played solo.
I played a lot of urban terror. It had unofficial cs maps + was faster and had nice movement including bunny hopping and slides and wall jumping. I loved playing cs maps on it more than cs itself.
After hours and hours of playing i stopped. It can be too much and then you miss out on SP games.
 
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6pack said:
Do you stress out during playing a game or have fun or get a relaxed feeling?
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I was just playing the game Google has on its page about the various phases of the moon and found it quite relaxing Google lunar phases game.jpg
 
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