Gaming Helps To Improve Mental Wellness – My Favourite Online Games To Play

I’ve been a gamer for as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved online gaming. Gaming has always been a way for me to improve my mental wellness and reduce stress levels, especially because I play a lot of wholesome games (which I also stream on Twitch in my spare time). I have an anxiety disorder and life hasn’t exactly been easy for anyone over the past year or so. Playing games really helps to boost my mood, plus there is also a social aspect to some games. Some games look for props and RPGs and wargames are easy to play with friends, too. There are games I love that I can play in person as much as online, and buying printable dungeon tiles makes the entire process more fun. That’s why I’ve decided to create this blog post in which I’ve included a mixture of my favourite free to play games and games which need to be purchased.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch

Animal Crossing has been a firm favourite of mine with regards to gaming for years. I find that there is an escapism when I play Animal Crossing: New Horizons, with the colourful graphics and it is just a genuinely charming experience to play. It gives me a break from adult life. There is also a big social aspect to Animal Crossing, as you can visit other players islands and talk to them. There is a reason why Animal Crossing: New Horizons was so successful during the global pandemic.

 

Scooby Doo Doo Good Frenzy – Plays.org

I love games which remind me of my childhood, which is why I enjoy playing this Scooby Doo themed game so much as it is a Pac-Man style game. Plays.org offers a variety of free online browser based games, which means you don’t need to download anything! There are plenty of free games, for both adults and children. If you like the sound of this game because it’s nostalgic, there are a lot of other games you can try. If you have kids, you can even go to a Yugioh trading card shop, to see if they have anything that you could pick up.

 

Dead By Daylight – PC

I play DbD on PC but it is also available on other platforms/consoles including PS4, Xbox and Nintendo Switch. This game isn’t the best for my anxiety when I play as a “Survivor”, but I’ve recently discovered I really enjoy playing as the “Killer” because I’m the one who is causing any scares (so I know what to expect haha). This is such a fun game to play with friends, especially as survivors because you can work as a team to defeat the killer.

 

Open Restaurant Simulation – Plays.org

Time flies when you’re playing this game, it really gets you hooked. You are in control of a single waiter operating a restaurant, so your job is to seat customers, take orders, serve them and reach the target profit level before the timer reaches zero. The overall aim is to serve as many customers as you can, progressing through the days by reaching your profit targets.

 

Splatoon 2 – Nintendo Switch

Splatoon 2 has one of my favourite games since I bought the Nintendo Switch. Released in 2017, Splatoon 2 is a third-person shooter game and your job is to shoot more of your ink colour around the map than the opposing team in one of the main game modes. You can play alone or with other people (or your friends) in online multiplayer. Splatoon 3 was announced earlier this year and I am extremely excited for it to be released!

 

Poppit! – Pogo

I’ve played games on Pogo since I was a teenager, as I used to compete against my step mum on some of the games. The website has changed a lot in recent years, but some of my old favourite games have remained which is good. Poppit! is one of the classic which I’ve always enjoyed playing. Pogo has free to play games, but there is also a paid option to join Club Pogo.

 

Online gaming helps us to connect with others, with a bonus of it helping to boost mental wellness. There are so many options out there for free to play games and also paid games. I like to read game reviews anyway, but I always read a few different reviews of a game before purchasing. Demos can also great for helping you to discover new games!