What video game has helped you escape?
So basically, which game in your life has helped you deal with things like depression, anxiety, or anything?
For me, Pokemon helped me escape during my childhood. As I got older, RPGs like Skyrim really helped me get through stuff by providing an outlet and distraction. How about you guys?
For me, role play games such as Fall out 4 or similar where My mind can get immersive so I can forget for a short time anyway. Destiny can also help but can get bored if on solo play.
@Mtude, I still haven't played anything from the Fallout series, but I don't feel any pressure to it. What aspects of these games would you recommend?
For me it's been Undertale.
Since I am non-binary and the characters are all so nice to you. They just want to be friends and have a good time. It's something I would like to have. I don't play it anymore *spoilers* but I like to see playthroughs and art.
Also Animal Crossing helps me whenever I feel anxious.
@PixelStar, Undertale ❤︎ And I've heard people talking about Animal Crossing as a coping mehcanism - it's not my cup of tea, but I'm glad that it's working for you! It's good to share different titles to inspire people to try out new things.
Hearthstone - I play it frequently and it's a great distraction. But also the Final Fantasy games, or any other jrpg, as they usually require a lot of time and are story driven, so I can get lost in them :)
@ForeverKeepRising, Heartstone is a great distraction for me too. I really enjoyed its mechanics and aesthetics, and one game has just enough length to get me through the dark thoughts, but not too long to devour my attention for hours ^^;
@Celaeno Hahah it has been known to distract me for hours, but yeah usually it's just a quick, short change of pace and can do wonders :D
@ThisTooShallPassSoon, yup, Pokemon helped me too, but I had to emulate them on the PC ^^;
Also, I think RPG in general are great, because you impact your character and their skills, so you feel much more in control which is beneficial for our psyche + and there is a clear progression and feeling of achievement.
Grand Theft Auto series...oh man..they're so damn good..played 3,VC,SA and now 4.
The Mass Effect trilogy and lately Europa Universalis 4
A little cliche, but League of Legends. There are so many champions to master, so it feels like I have little goals that I work towards. That kind of structure and stability has helped a lot.
Stardew Valley. Try it. It draws you into that happy and peaceful universe full of love and friendship.
I find single-player games with a massive story better to completely escape. The Elder Scrolls series is pretty great for that and old-school RPGs as well. Big shout-out to Vampire Bloodlines and Neverwinter Nights. No need to feel ancient though, I recently discovered Divinity: Original Sin and Dragon Age and they completely stole a few hours after simply going in to adjust settings and save a new profile.
Escaping with friends is nicer when possible so I'm still guilty of World of Warcraft (though we tried other MMOs) and the sense of group achievement or having fun silly times together is one of a kind. Sadly that doesn't work when you want to distract yourself from the fact that you don't play with your friends anymore and the social aspect is rubbed in your face all the time. But The Secret World is my biggest discovery answering that: a MMO that can be played for the most part as a single-player game, it's even somewhat better to be alone to enjoy the story and feel all the feels; plus a nice community to interact with whenever.
The sad reality is when I'm really down not even my favourite games will really help because I lack the energy to pay attention or achieve any goal. But I still enjoy seeing my avatars and imagining I'm somewhere else even if that means sitting in the town square for a few hours doing absolutely nothing. MMOs are a bit better because I know the random characters passing by are "human" which feels like a connection even if I don't talk to anyone.
@ThisTooShallPassSoon RPGs have definitely helped me. I love skyrim, fallout, and I played runescape for a while until I stopped a few years ago. May get back into it. I also like playing Silent Hill whenever I feel bad.