Many modern video games fall into the open-world category, offering players large, detailed worlds to explore – and a new study shows that these vast digital playgrounds have benefits for our mental health.
Researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Graz in Austria surveyed more than 600 postgraduate students about their open-world gaming experiences and what those sessions left them with.
They found these video games – notably The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – significantly improve cognitive escapism (taking breaks from thinking about real life), relaxation levels and overall mental well-being.
“Open world refers to games that provide a large, freely explorable environment, in which players can move around and interact with the game world with minimal restrictions,” the team writes in its published paper.
“They offer large, detailed worlds to explore. Specifically, games can feature a vast world filled with diverse landscapes, cities, and hidden secrets.”
This is evidence that these types of games could be an antidote to other digital activities we engage in, like browsing social media – something that has been linked to a decline in mental health.
“By providing immersive environments that provide mental diversion, emotional relief, and meaning, these games may serve as valuable tools for improving psychological and emotional health,” the researchers write.
Based on a total of 32 interviews and 609 surveys, participants expressed a feeling of increased “inner peace”, as well as the ability to “forget my daily worries” and “disconnect” from everything that goes on. pass. One participant described open-world games as “my form of meditation.”
There were mentions of calm, relaxation, and contentment in the volunteers’ responses, as well as discussions of relieving stress and easing tension. Some players said they felt a sense of being called to play and growing as a person.
It appears that the autonomy afforded to players in open-world games and the richness of virtual worlds may help improve mental health – something game developers could take into account.
With advances in video game technology and the more ambitious goals of game studios, open-world games have grown in scale and complexity, in some cases offering players almost an entire second life in a fictional world.
These games usually contain missions, but do not require players to follow them step by step. There is room for experimentation and exploration, without the pressure of having to complete tasks within a certain time.
The study adds to what we already know about how video games can relieve stress and increase satisfaction – when played in moderation.
With more evidence from further research, we may one day see therapists and doctors recommending a trip to Zelda’s world to their patients.
“Future research that uses physiological measures to examine the effects of open-world games on mental well-being is largely meritorious,” the researchers write.
The research was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
