Safe In Our World: A Week in Games Special

#41: The Mental Health Issue

There’s no doubt about it, these are troubling times for everybody. Without going into too much detail about events everyone's all-too aware of, there's a lot going on in the world right now and - following unprecedented lockdown and social distancing measures - over the last few years too. No matter which country you live in, times are tough for a lot of people.

In days like these it's important to keep the mind occupied and engaged, and to remain connected with friends and family as much as possible. Video games are ideally positioned to provide this, and although anybody can get lost in a good book, film or TV show, games are unique in that they offer a level of interaction and social options not present in other forms of entertainment.

Similar to other forms of entertainment, they're varied enough to appeal to any age or preference. There's a genre to suit any taste, and with competitive or cooperative multiplayer options aplenty the old stereotype of gaming being a solitary endeavour is a thing of the past.

The continued rise of online gaming provides a great way to interact with both friends and strangers alike, and the phenomenal success of games such as Fortnite and Minecraft throughout the pandemic prove that players of all ages can keep in contact and socialise from afar regardless of world events.

Gaming has never had an easy ride in the mainstream press, or indeed with some of the general public, but there's more evidence out there to suggest its benefits than otherwise. A National Literary Trust survey found that video games not only play a role in supporting young people's mental wellbeing, but also encourage positive communication, empathy, creativity and increase confidence and a willingness to read. Even children's charity Barnardo's has been known to put their weight behind gaming and promote its benefits.

Of course, nobody's suggesting that video games are the solution to the world's problems, or that playing them all day (as with watching TV all day) doesn't present problems of its own. But playing, sharing and discussing games is a great way of keeping in touch and feeling connected with a like-minded community.

One organisation that takes this seriously is Safe In Our World, a mental health charity set up to raise awareness for mental health within the video game industry. The charity was officially born in 2019 and has invested over £140,000 so far, which includes a whopping £50,000 investment into a series of free mental health training courses which you can sign up for now. I'd encourage everyone to check them out to see what they do.

Free Mental Health Training for the Games Industry in 2022/23

Safe In Our World has announced a further £50,000 of free mental health training courses for people in the games industry and community.

https://safeinourworld.org/news/free-mental-health-training-for-the-games-industry/

The Week in Games is a proud supporter of Safe in Our World, and you’ll be able to see the logo and link to their website at the bottom of every issue. It's a small gesture, but ultimately it's all about raising awareness and reaching out to those who may be struggling.

Video games and the community surrounding them can unite and help people in so many different ways. If you're struggling, hopefully something in this issue can be of use to you. If just one sentence or one link featured here can help just one person, it's more than worth it.

POLL: Have video games ever helped you through a particularly tough time?

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Throughout this issue you'll find links to industry-related mental health organisations, charities, games and apps that may help you through tough times, and some deeply personal stories in the Recommended Reads section. Of course, you'll still find all the latest news, deals, releases and the rest in their usual places.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the newsletter.

Take care everyone, and see you next week.

Jeff 

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MORE RESOURCES

Other organisations doing gaming-related good in the world!

Gamers Outreach is a charity that empowers hospitalized children through video games. We’re building a world where play is easily prioritized alongside research and treatment.

We want everyone to be included. That’s why we’re transforming the lives of physically disabled people right across the world through the innovative use of technology.

The Good in Gaming initiative's goal is to share and highlight articles, creators, channels and content that speak to the benefits of gaming. As a community, we will drive forward the focus on positivity rather than debate.

Creating opportunities that enable play in order to combat social isolation, foster inclusive communities, and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.

A team of content creators devoted to raising funds & awareness for vital causes close to our hearts while championing safe, diverse & inclusive spaces online.

A game industry charity dedicated to improving the lives of children with toys and games in our network of over 185 hospitals worldwide.

THE WEEK IN GAMES

The best news, deals and gaming content of the week!

NEWS

DEALS

  • PlayStation's End of Year Deals sale is now on, with up to 80% off a comprehensive selection of games both big, small, old and new.

  • There's also a PlayStation Indies sale running, with up to 75% off indie games and associated add-on packs.

  • You can also save 40% on the PS4 and PS5 editions of FIFA 23.

  • Over on Xbox there's a Tis the Season Add-on Sale, with up to 60% off DLC and expansion packs, and a LEGO Franchise Sale, with up to 80% of LEGO games, add-ons and DLC packs.

  • There's no specific promotion on Nintendo's eShop at the moment, but there is a general sale running with offers on almost 1000 games. NSO Expansion Pak members can currently get 2x Gold Points on all eShop purchases.

  • Fort Triumph and RPG in a Box are currently free on the Epic Games Store. And there's a general sale running with discounts on a host of games.

  • Over on Steam, a number of decent games are currently on Special Offer, including This War is Mine Final Cut for £2.99, Sable for £9.99, Sackboy A Big Adventure for £33.49 and more.

MORE!

  • The Safe In Our World Mental Health Games & Apps List

Safe In Our World isn't just about mental health training. The team there has curated a wonderful list of games and apps "...created to challenge how we think about mental health as well as help gamers cope with or understand their own mental health journey".

The list is packed with quality experiences, and is absolutely worth a look for anybody simply looking for great games to play.

Mental Health Games & Apps List - Safe In Our World

Have a look at our list of games that were created to challenge how we think about mental health & help gamers cope with or understand their own journey.

https://safeinourworld.org/games-and-apps/

  • The Week in Games Giveaway

This week saw the very first Week in Games giveaway over on Twitter thanks to One Drunken Knight developer Captainsteff, who was kind enough to provide fourteen Steam keys for the game!

The winners were chosen at random from all subscribers and emails sent out to each. A few keys have yet to be claimed so please check your inbox (and promotions folder) from Wednesday evening to see if you were one of the lucky ones. If you missed out, please consider checking out the game below!

One Drunken Knight on Steam

One Drunken Knight is a "pee-zle" platformer where you need to drink to gain special powers and stay alive...

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1400610/One_Drunken_Knight/

NEW RELEASES

All the major releases arriving this week and next!

Criterion are back behind the wheel in Need for Speed Unbound - Out now!

THIS WEEK:

NEXT WEEK:

RECOMMENDED READS

Hand-picked gaming articles from around the web!

By Ainsley Bowden - Seasoned Gaming

A deeply personal article by Ainsley Bowden about how gaming helped him in the years following the death of his son, and what led him to create the Good in Gaming initiative.

By Nick Powell - Safe In our World

The hard part about wanting to help remove the stigma attached to mental health is that you have to take the nerve wracking step of telling people about it.

By Jack Mullen - Safe In our World

Things are tough for the world right now, that’s for sure. I’m no more knowledgeable about what is going to happen than anyone else. But I do have some experience of social isolation for reasons that were out of my control. I’d like to share this story, with the hope that some people may feel some resonance with it in this tricky time.

By Shawn Kittelsen - Polygon

This story is about how my sedentary, workaholic writing habits made me overweight, and slower and weaker than I should have been. And how it rapidly went downhill from there. Then I’m going to tell you how I fought back.

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More for your inbox!

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  • Refind* - Every day Refind picks 7 links from around the web tailored to your interests. Including, of course, gaming.

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…and that’s it for this week!

I really hope you enjoyed the issue. I’m always looking at ways to improve this newsletter, so if you have any comments, suggestions or enquiries, please reply to this email directly or catch me over on Twitter or Hive!

Thanks again, and see you next week!

Jeff