Good news, gamers: Playing ‘The Legend of Zelda’ helps mental health

The next time someone says that staying home and playing video games is bad for you, direct them to this study that suggests open-world games may actually improve your mental health.

Researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Graz in Austria surveyed more than 600 graduate students about their experiences playing open-world games and the emotional impact of these activities. Their conclusions? Games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomand even Red Dead Redemption, And Mining craft can significantly enhance cognitive escapism (offering a mental break from everyday life), promote relaxation and improve overall mental well-being.

“Open world games are games that provide a large, freely explorable environment where players can move around and interact with the game world with minimal restrictions.” writes team in their article published in the journal JJournal of Medical Internet Research. “They offer large, detailed worlds to explore. In particular, games can have a vast world filled with varied landscapes, cities and hidden secrets.”

Unlike fast-paced action games, open-world games encourage players to slow down. Famous video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto said that his main inspiration when creating Zelda The goal of the game series was to capture the feeling of a young child exploring the great outdoors, just as he did in the countryside of his hometown throughout his childhood. Activities such as exploring, creating, or simply enjoying the scenery make these games relaxing in contrast to competitive games built around specific goals such as Fortnite or Call of Duty.

The freedom to play at your own pace helps reduce stress and improve mental well-being. Previous studies have also shown that Casual games can be a powerful way to relax and unwind. Open world games take this to the next level. Players surveyed and interviewed in the study reported a sense of “inner peace”, the ability to “forget about everyday worries” and the ability to “switch off” from the chaos of life. One even called open-world gaming “my form of meditation.”

Such games can also provide a much-needed antidote to the negative effects of other digital habits, such as endless scrolling on social media. deterioration of mental health. With rising levels of stress, anxiety and sadness among today’s young people, these games could ultimately play a key role in reducing stress and improving mental health, as well as having potential therapeutic applications in the future.