Open-World Games Like Zelda Can Boost Your Mental Health, Study Says : ScienceAlert

Many modern video games fall into the open-world category, giving players vast, detailed worlds to explore – and a new study shows that these expansive digital playgrounds have benefits for our mental health.

Researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Graz in Austria asked more than 600 graduate students about their experiences playing open-world games and how those sessions left them.

They found these video games – including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Significantly enhances cognitive escapism (taking breaks from thinking about real life), relaxation levels, and overall mental health.

“Open world refers to games that provide a large, freely explorable environment, where players can move and interact with the game world with minimal restrictions.” He writes The team in their published paper.

“They provide large, detailed worlds to explore. Specifically, games may feature an expansive world filled with diverse landscapes, cities, and hidden secrets.”

It’s proof that these types of games can serve as an antidote to the other digital activities we engage in, like scrolling through social media — which is important. It has been linked With declining mental health.

“By providing immersive environments that allow for mental transformation, emotional comfort, and meaning, these games can serve as valuable tools for promoting mental and emotional health.” He writes Researchers.

Based on a total of 32 interviews and 609 surveys, participants reported feelings of increased “inner peace,” as well as their ability to “forget about my daily worries” and “disconnect” from everything else going on. One participant described open world games as “formalist.” Of meditation“.

There were signs of calm, relaxation and contentment in the volunteers’ responses, and there was also talk about relieving stress and calming tension. Some players said they felt a sense of belonging to the game and growing as a person.

It appears that both the autonomy afforded to players in open-world games and the richness of the game Virtual worldsIt may contribute to improving mental health, which is something game developers could consider.

With advances in gaming technology and more ambitious goals for game studios, open world games have grown in size and complexity – in some cases giving players almost an entire second life. In a fantasy world.

These games usually have quests within them, but do not force players to follow them step by step. There is room for experimentation and exploration, without the pressure of needing to complete tasks within a certain period of time.

The study adds to what we already know about how video games work Relieve stress and enhance satisfaction – When you play moderately.

With more evidence from more research, we may one day see therapists and doctors recommending that their patients spend time in the world of Zelda.

“Future research that uses physiological measurements to study the effects of open-world games on mental health is well worth it.” He writes Researchers.

The research was published in Journal of Medical Internet Research.