When was the last time you lay on a beach to listen to the waves?
Or saw the sunset from a hilltop?
Or jumped over a river?
I did all that yesterday. From my couch, yes, but it almost felt real.
Real enough, that this morning I woke up as soothed and relaxed as the last time I really did those things.
Animal Crossing has been my favorite game since I played for the first time in 2006, and for good reasons: it requires no skills other than the willingness to have a good time. It provides you with a curated selection of relaxing ambient music and no one judges you for wearing socks and sandals.
As it is a casual game, it allows players to easily interrupt a gaming session, without serious consequence when coming back later; making it easy to pick up for a quick break when I need to clear my head.
Video games have been studied regarding their impact on players’ health, and are often associated with negative effects. However, for many, video games are just a way to de-stress and sometimes even a way to fight social anxiety or distance.
A game with no goals nor endings
Animal Crossing is a game with barely a story, without a specific goal, and without an ending.
It is all about community and nature.
While originally taking place in a town, in their latest opus, Nintendo relocated to a deserted island, where you can spend hours strolling around catching fish and bugs, harvesting fruits and flowers, socializing with silly animal neighbors, all with a soundtrack of soothing music and nature sounds.
There’s freedom to do anything, from running on the beach, to sitting under the stars at night or even completely redecorating your house and town.
While I’m an unconditional lover of to do lists, checklists and task lists, not having goals to fulfill in order to progress in the game really gives me a feeling of peacefulness while playing. I can progress in any direction, choose how I want to spend my time within the game and still feel like accomplishing something.
As the time in-game progresses based on real life, you find yourself setting up a daily routine of the key tasks on your island. I must say it is quite satisfying to sit at my desk in the morning, knowing that I have already cleared all the weeds and bugs in my garden, as well as collected all the seashells on the beach.
Routines, however small or digital they are, are a key foundation for a good mental health.
Impact on mental health
I have always been someone who needs constant change of environment and movement to be able to concentrate. That’s why after a week working from home I was pacing back and forth in my flat, not knowing what to do with myself.
Since I’ve started playing again during my tea-breaks, I have seen how good it feels to be able to take some time where you don’t have to have a purpose or a driver for your actions, but instead can embrace the opportunity to be able to do anything.
These 20-minutes breaks have left me feeling much more focused and relaxed afterwards, as if I had cleared my mind completely, ready to go back to what I was doing.
And I’m not the only one to have seen the positive evolutions!
Media psychology studies have shown the positive impact of video games in the past, and how it can contribute to the restoration of the resources and psychological well-being of users.
Video games have been shown to be much more effective than films or any other media in helping momentary detachment from real-life stresses, to relax both emotionally and physically.
The socializing aspect of the game, either with in-game character or other players, is another key factor in helping with players' mental well-being.
Neighbors and other in-game characters have very positive interactions and the game as a whole transmits a calming and positive vibe.
At times where most of our days are spent indoors, finding a way to feel like you are part of a changing environment is important in order to disconnect from our everyday lives. Especially as the boundaries between home and work can get blurred.
Having this peaceful oasis of fun really made a difference in the way I approach my leisure time. While I can’t paint or read when I’m frustrated, booting up my video-game provides me with enough simple distraction to let go of the daily grind.
Animal Crossing is not the only game with the same easy-going, stress-free model. Stardew Valley is another similar one, and George, a friend of mine, was willing to describe his experience with it:
“I experienced a strong episode of depression which led me to seek professional help.
Through this, my therapist suggested finding an activity that I could rely on to fully unwind and distract myself when the negative thoughts started to take over.
As an active gamer, video games were my first thought.
However, most of the games I like to play, while very enjoyable, would bring me to a place of tension or stress, due to the sense of having tasks to accomplish and the possibility of failure.
That's when I discovered Stardew Valley. This is a game with a very simple story. You take on the role of a character who, after burning out at work, decides to move to a farm to start over. The objective: Enjoy your time in the farm while enjoying the company of your neighbors.
I usually dislike games with no clear objective because I have a hard time focusing on them due to the lack of it, but this was ironically a situation very close to the one I found myself in, so I figured I'd give it a shot.
At first, my gamer instinct to try and make everything perfect was driving my experience, but soon after, the atmosphere, environment, and music the game places you in, helped me unwind from those thoughts and simply let go and enjoy messing around.
Little by little I kept finding myself forgetting about my dark thoughts and simply focusing on relaxing and enjoying the ride while my neighbors helped me turn my farm into a success.
It was definitely a strong pillar that helped me through some of the darkest times. I think it's very interesting that now that I find myself in a better place, I have a hard time wanting to go back and play it (due to my tendency of a clear objective in a game). However, simply thinking of the hours I put into the game, continues to bring a smile to my face and gets me excited, as I've stored it as a very clear and relaxing go-to memory.”
This article is not sponsored by Nintendo or any other company.
