A couple of years ago, I gave a talk to Creative Mornings STL about how video games could be a part of a healthy lifestyle with some hacks that were supported by scientific research.
Here’s the full video if you’d like to check it out:
In the video, I discuss the many healthy benefits of video gaming, which include the following hacks for boosting the benefits of video gaming:
PLAY WHILE YOU’RE ON AN EXERCISE BIKE, OR YOGA BALL, OR WHILE STRETCHING. There are a number of exercise bikes available that have desks, and there are also desks which can be strapped to many existing bikes. Commit to making the first 30 minutes to an hour of any gaming session accompanied by hopping on an exercise bike and work on pushing yourself to keep peddling while you play. After a few sessions, you’ll find it’s fairly easy to do, and you actually may find it difficult not to want to move your legs while gaming. WARNING: Treadmills are a bit more difficult to game on.
USE GAMING AS A REWARD SYSTEM. Build game breaks into your daily routine and give yourself a few minutes of game time once you’ve accomplished your goals. Research into positive psychology (also known as “Happiness Research”) have found that individuals are more productive when they take occasional breaks to do things they enjoy rather than when they power through work.
CHALLENEGE YOURSELF TO GAME DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU PRESENTLY DO. Let’s face it – research has found that few gamers actually finish most games that they start, and this is often because the time required to complete games is significant while the thrill of the experience wears off long before the endgame approaches. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still have some fun with them. Try speedrunning, or make up a new backstory and motivation for your character you can explain to viewers on a Twitch stream, or, if you’re on a PC, install some mods and let things go crazy. You might find these exercises not only give longevity to games you’re struggling to finish, but also become creatively fulfilling.
USE GAMING AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO ADDICTION (INCLUDING WEB SURFING OR SOCIAL MEDIA!) Having trouble coping with an addiction of any sort? Try combating it with three minutes of Tetris or a similar 2D puzzle game. Research has shown that three minutes of Tetris can reduce addiction cravings and can also refocus your mind, possibly because of the interaction between movement and shifting colors onscreen. This is particularly helpful if you’re struggling with surfing the web or spending too much time on social media and letting it eat into your productivity time.
USE GAMING AS A SOCIAL EXPERIENCE. Game nights are a fun, socially acceptable experience, but it’s all about framing. Invite your friends and acquaintances to play games that are accessible to everyone, not just interesting to you. Video games can be intimidating to non-gamers, so they should often be one of several planned activities. Board games can be a more socially acceptable choice so long as a variety of games is offered – not everyone wants to play Settlers of Catan, after all.
Here are some game recommendations I provided to those in attendance which can be part of a health gaming lifestyle.
FOR EXPLORATION
Super Mario Odyssey (Switch) – A family-friendly game from Nintendo with many large open levels for players to explore, each packed with things to find and puzzle challenges to unlock. The entire experience is simply magical, and it’s amazing how much content Nintendo jammed into the post-game for players to explore once Bowser is defeated.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch, Wii U) – Nintendo’s popular take on the open-world formula with a vast world to explore brimming with secrets. Many consider it one of the best games of the last decade. Previous Zelda games such as The Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess and The Wind Waker are also highly recommended.
The Witcher III: Wild Hunt (PS4, Xbox One, PC) –A massive open-world fantasy game based on a Polish novel series with a surprisingly well-written story and a compelling cast of characters. Most players will never see even a fraction of what this game has to offer, and the DLC expansions only add more to an already incredible package. Knowledge of the first two games is not required. Be warned, however, that this game earns its M rating in every way conceivable.
Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC) –A free-to-play and absolutely enormous open-world massively multiplayer online roleplaying game set in the Star Wars universe. There are eight different stories to play through, each of which can be enjoyed without interacting with other players. Each story takes players to over a dozen planets in a time period set 3500 years before the movies where the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire are in the midst of a cold war, and the game is brimming with memorable characters, plot twists and big moments, all courtesy of the team at Bioware (also known for the Baldur’s Gate, Mass Effect and Dragon Age games as well as the original Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic) While there is an optional subscription fee and opportunities to buy in-game currency for additional cosmetic items and perks, players can create up to 4 characters and enjoy all of the character story content (plus two significant expansions) for free, which provides dozens of hours of original content for each character.
FOR 3D PUZZLE SOLVING
Portal 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC) – A game involving puzzle rooms where players use portals to solve problems, often in mind-bending ways. Known for its quirky sense of humor, but also greatly extended on the PC by a vast array of free levels created by fans.
The Talos Principle (PS4, PC, Mobile, VR) – A game involving maze-like puzzles that require careful timing, manipulation of machinery and/or intuitive thinking.
Picross 3D (3DS) – A grid-based logic puzzle game where the player sculpts shapes based on numerical clues. Extremely challenging at higher levels, but quite rewarding to master.
Statik (VR) – A puzzle game where players have a strange box strapped onto their hands and must use logic and reasoning to pass increasingly challenging tests where no instructions are provided.
FOR 2D PUZZLE SOLVING
Lumines (Series, many platforms) – A puzzle game where pieces drop in time with the beat of electronic music playing in the background. Though the core gameplay is extremely simple, variations in the cadence of how pieces fall and clear create a deep, rhythmic, zen-like experience.
Puyo Puyo Tetris (Many platforms) – A crossover between two long-running puzzle series where pieces drop and must be cleared. Includes many different modes and styles of play, including the best current version of Tetris available.
The Swapper (Many platforms) – A game where players use a series of disposable clones to solve puzzles based around physics and placement.
FOR HAND/EYE COORDINATION
Dark Souls (Series, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, PC) – A tough-as nails action RPG where players are encouraged to explore an open world and improve their character’s fighting ability through trial and error. Other games in this style include the PS4’s Bloodborne and Nioh, both of which are also excellent.
New Super Mario Bros. (Series, Nintendo platforms) – The 2D Mario games are known for their smooth difficulty curve and their thoughtful level design that encourages players to use a handful of available techniques to traverse increasingly challenging worlds. Another excellent series in this style includes Rayman: Origins and Rayman: Legends.
Shovel Knight (Many platforms) – A 2D precision platformer that takes draws obvious inspiration from the 8-bit era, but which has established itself as a great game in its own right. Though it’s challenging adventure, it’s also a worthwhile one, with some exceptional free DLC available for those who can’t get enough.
Spelunky (Many platforms) – A 2D platformer where death can be frustratingly frequent, but where the action never gets old since each new attempt includes randomly-generated levels. Every new adventure leaves you hoping that this time, you’ll stumble across the treasures that will see you through to the end.
FOR LEARNING A SKILL
Rocksmith (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – Plastic guitars with colorful buttons are so 2005 – Rocksmith is a game that is meant to teach players how to actually play a standard or bass guitar, and beyond the standard experience, players can purchase over 1,000 additional popular songs to learn to play.
Art Academy (Series, Nintendo DS and 3DS) – A series that teaches aspiring artists how to apply actual techniques for drawing and painting to their own canvas to create beautiful artwork. Variants are also available to teach players how to draw Disney characters and Pokémon.
Influent (PC) – An immersive foreign language program that encourages players to create a “memory palace” by exploring a virtual room and learning 300-400 vocabulary words. The game is meant to provide a foundation rather than fluency and should be augmented by further study, but it’s a very engaging way to begin the challenge of learning a foreign language.
Kerbal Space Program (PC) – A simulator about space travel that not only models physics accurately, but which is a sheer joy to play due to its humorous characters and its openness to insane experimentation with the principles of rocket science.
FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Just Dance (Series, Many platforms) – The Just Dance games offer an entertaining and light aerobic experience that can get you up off your seat and moving around the room. There are a number of these games to choose from, with more being released every year.
ARMS (Switch) – An extremely physical fighting game where players wield Joy-Con controllers like boxing gloves and flick their wrists to throw punches or block attacks. While it doesn’t provide a heavy workout, a few rounds will cause many games to work up a sweat.
Zombies, Run! (Mobile) – A game designed to be used while running that uses an evolving storyline (played over your headphones) to give you cues about how fast you should be going.
Beatsaber (VR) – A fast-moving rhythm game set in virtual reality (complete with a Tron aesthetic) that offers some great opportunities to flail your arms as you swing lightsabers to high-energy music.
Virzoom (VR) – If you’ve got $400 to spend on top of the cost of VR gear, this combination of an exercise bike and software is a novel way to work gaming into your exercise routine.
FOR SOCIAL INTERACTION
Super Smash Bros. (Series, Nintendo platforms) – There are few games that encourage more enthusiastic multiplayer match-ups than Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros., and inviting friends and acquaintances to battle from the comfort of your living room is a great way to spend an evening. Even the uninitiated will find something to love with many familiar Nintendo characters or mascots from other series, and hardcore gamers will find a lot of depth and nostalgia that will keep things interesting. (And if this option isn’t so desirable or you only have a Nintendo Switch, the Mario Kart series is also great to have handy.)
The Jackbox Party Pack (Series, Many platforms) – If you’re having friends over and need something fun to offer, try the Jackbox games. Each comes with an excellent and irreverent trivia game called You Don’t Know Jack as well as four other mini games which often are played by using your guests’ smartphones as controllers. Players don’t need to be seasoned gamers to do well, and there is enough content in each volume to provide dozens of hours of fun.
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes (VR) – A game where one player is uses a screen or (ideally) a virtual reality headset to observe and defuse a bomb while other players examine a bomb defusal manual and provide instructions. Cooperative gameplay is absolutely required to succeed.
FOR DESIGN/PROGRAMMING SKILLS
LittleBigPlanet (Series, PS3, PS4, PSP, Vita) – A platforming game where players are given an enormous amount of ability to program and create their own levels and games which can be shared around the world. Advanced users should check out Dreams on the PS4.
Super Mario Maker (Wii U, 3DS) – A level editor that allows players to create different styles of Mario-style 2D platformer levels and then share them with other players around the world.
Rec Room (VR) – A free virtual reality game where players can not only play a series of pre-made games with other players from all over the world, but also create their own rooms and games for other players to enjoy.
Roblox (Mobile and PC) – A free-to-play game filled with user-made games and experiences with are often social in nature. It’s like Legos for programming, and while it’s often played by younger children, the games available continue to grow more sophisticated and provide inspiration for what can be accomplished with a basic video game engine.
FOR NARRATIVE EXPERIENCE
INSIDE (Many platforms) – An atmospheric side-scrolling adventure that uses light and color to astounding effect to tell the story of a boy who seems to be running from the authorities, but whose travels suggest that he is the lone hero who can stop a seemingly evil scientific plot to control the minds of the masses.
Her Story (PC, Mobile) – A game where players review several videotaped interviews from a 1994 murder case to learn the truth of what happened between a missing man named Simon and his wife, Hannah. But nothing is exactly what it seems, and the ambiguity of the story is a big part of its appeal as players piece together their own interpretation of what really happened.
What Remains of Edith Finch (PS4, Xbox One, PC) – An interactive story that allows players to explore a young woman’s family home and learn more about a multi-generational curse that has claimed the lives of many of her relatives… or has it? The plot and characters in this game are a definite highlight, and the brilliant design showcases some of the best potential for interactive fiction to become a major genre in gaming.
NieR: Automata (PS4, PC) – An unusual Japanese action role-playing game set in the far future in an era where androids and machines are battling over an Earth where humanity is now extinct. The game plays like a mash-up of multiple genres and has a story that’s both bonkers and incredibly compelling, punctuated by 26 different endings, some of which call the entire plot into question in surprisingly serious ways.
Undertale (Many platforms) – A seemingly simple role-playing game about a little boy trying to get home becomes a heart-wrenching journey filled with likable characters and notable villains. Just don’t assume that the game’s over when you’ve finished it, because there are multiple ways to play, including a path where you leave everyone you encounter alive.
Persona 5 (PS4, PC) – A stylish Japanese role-playing game set in Tokyo that juggles dungeon crawling with Jungian psychology (yes, really!) and high school daily life. The attention to artistic detail in every aspect of the game (down to the menus!) is absolutely amazing, and the lengthy story breezes by thanks to a great cast of characters and a fun whodunnit mystery that always keeps you guessing. Previous games in the series such as Persona 3 FES and Persona 4 Golden are also highly recommended.
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CITED SOURCES FROM THE VIDEO
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