Gaming the Mind Podcast

Just in time for the spooky season, we take a look at the game Vampire Therapist, a visual novel in which you play as cowboy vampire Sam, and help your fellow bloodsuckers navigate their psychological struggles by providing them cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

CBT is a type of therapy that helps people understand and change patterns of thinking and behaviour that may be causing them problems. By working with a therapist, people can learn practical tools to challenge negative thought patterns and gradually build healthier coping strategies.

Vampire Therapist turns CBT concepts into gameplay, such as challenging you to identify your clients’ cognitive distortions (irrational thought patterns that can lead people to see things in a negative or inaccurate way).

In this podcast, Don, Hammy, Kunika and Jason discuss Vampire Therapist and how it captures elements of CBT within its plot and gameplay. Could this game help introduce CBT to players in an entertaining way?

We discuss what parts are accurate to CBT, and what parts take a creative license to ensure a fun experience. Plus: what other CBT elements could be turned into game mechanics?

We received review copies of the game from the publisher.

We take a look at generative AI, and consider its potential uses, including in gaming. But what about the ethical implications of AI using the work of others, and AI being used by companies to replace human workers? Can aspects of generative AI map to human neurological functions, or are we wrong to apply human qualities to AI? We also wonder how you’d feel if you were recieving therapy from an AI without realising it isn’t a human. And what does it mean for an AI to “hallucinate” – is it similar to hallucinations in humans? Maybe a better term would be “confabulation” – find out what that is, as Hammy and Sarah dive into this deep topic!

Recorded at MCM Comic-Con. Join us as we verse-jump through the multiverse of the deeply profound masterpiece, ‘Everything, Everywhere, All At Once’! Jason, Hammy and Sarah journey into directors the Daniels’ exploration of the beautiful mess of human existence, and how the film teaches us to be kinder to ourselves and each other. Weaving together themes of identity, family, womanhood, existentialism, intergenerational trauma, mental wellbeing, this panel was an interesting one for sure!

With thanks to Popverse for allowing us to share this audio with our listeners!

We take a look at World of Horror, which has now left Steam Early Access! This stark black-and-white horror RPG is inspired by Junji Ito and H.P. Lovecraft. Otherworldly horrors promise to test the sanity of Shiokawa, Japan. In the game, your character has a “Reason” meter, which measures their ability to mentally cope with the incomprehensible things they encounter. Once the meter is depleted, your character suffers a mental breakdown and the game ends with them admitted to a psychiatric institution.

We talk about the game and how we measure mental health with scales even in real life. We also discuss the nature of Lovecraftian/cosmic horror, and what fear of the unknown and existential fears might mean for our mental health. Also: is it a big deal that both the creator of World of Horror and Junji Ito both worked in the field of dental health?!

We have another “anime takeover” for our podcast, as we cover Makoto Shinkai’s latest film: Suzume! Though it’s an animation, Suzume covers traumatic disaster events that are very real and recent in history. We discuss what the film has to say about the outcome of disasters in terms of mental health. We also chat about the film’s mental health theme of grief, and the responsibilities we have in taking care of each other as well as ourselves.

In Suzume, the titular high-schooler sets out across Japan on a mission to save the country from disaster, by closing mysterious doors that are unleashing chaotic forces upon the land. But what lies beyond the doors, and how does it link to Suzume’s past?

This episode has spoilers for Suzume throughout.

Capcom’s refreshed look at Resident Evil 4 adds a wealth of depth to characters such as Leon, Ashley, Luis and Ada. So what can we now understand about the mental health of these characters who are going through such a harrowing experience? How has Leon’s traumatic experience from Resi 2 affected him, and is he ready to talk about it? What is post traumatic stress disorder, and could Leon be going through something similar? And what about the mind-altering effects of the Las Plagas parasite? Hosts and Resident Evil superfans Hammy and Sarah dive in to explore these deep topics! Recorded in April 2023.

(Content warning: this podcast describes suicidality and suicide in media, including non-detailed descriptions of suicide methods).

We know there are guidelines around the depiction of suicide in media, but now there are games in which the player must make their character enact suicide, and with virtual reality this can be an immersive experience. Hammy, Don, Sarah, Marcus and Sachin discuss the possible implications of this. What kind of suicide acts does your character enact in Bonelab and Superhot VR? Should such games have warnings? And what do we know about whether suicide in VR increases suicidality?

In the podcast we reference this study on the impact of virtual reality suicide.

If you are affected by the contents of this podcast and want further help, you can find resources here.

FromSoftware’s games have had profound effects on the lives of players, especially those going through their own real challenges. And the games, such as Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring, allude to mental health struggles within their story arcs. Want to know more? Grab your Sculptor’s Idol, light your bonfire and join us in the Hunter’s Dream as we discuss mental health themes in the lore and gameplay experiences of the Soulsborne franchise. Jason Ng from Gaming the Mind leads a talented cast of streamers (MariaThePawdawan), lore experts (SmoughTown) and psychiatrists (Hammy from Gaming the Mind), for a fascinating and thought-provoking session! Recorded at EGX 2022.

What makes Kirby so cute, and why does he make us so happy? In this episode of the podcast, Hammy, Sachin and Marcus discuss Kirby (and other cute characters, besides), to discover the healing power of cuteness.

We consider what makes something cute, and why we find things cute in the first place. What is the purpose of cuteness in terms of survival, and as a social tool? How is it similar to the Japanese concept of kawaii? We look at games that use cuteness, and how they appeal to gamers. The new Kirby game, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, combines cuteness with an unsettling atmosphere – does this reflect how we use cuteness to deal with stressful situations? Do we like cuteness because it takes us back to younger, simpler days? We see if depression can reduce our reaction to cuteness, and talk about how people want to look at cute things when they are feeling down. Finally we read about how one cute game, Animal Crossing, has been helping people during these dark times.

We used these sources for reference:
On cuteness: unlocking the parental brain and beyond – academic paper looking beyond the evolutionary psychological view of cuteness
Meaning of “Kawaii” from a psychological perspective – summary chapter on psychological understanding of kawaii
The healing power of virtual cuteness – article by Erica Kanesaka looking at the geopolitical context of kawaii, and how Animal Crossing was a comfort during the pandemic

We’re discussing the game of the moment, and probably game of the year, Elden Ring, in our latest podcast. FromSoftware superfan Hammy is joined by Sachin, Donald, and Marcus as we talk about what makes Soulsbourne games so fun, and how difficult they really are.

We consider whether Elden Ring needs proper difficulty options, and why it’s okay to want the game to be easier. Victory isn’t in failing, it’s in giving up… or so we say, until we talk about why sometimes it’s okay to walk away from a game if you realise it’s really not for you. Some people who are using Elden Ring as their first real crack at a Soulsbourne game may be experiencing buyer’s remorse, and we think of ways to lessen those feelings.

But what about people who are doing okay at the game, but can’t shake the feeling that they’re no good at it, or that they’re playing it wrong? We talk about “cheesing”, where players win in ways the game supposedly doesn’t intend, and how some players can feel guilty about that. We relate this to the concept of “impostor syndrome”, where someone doubts their own skills and accomplishments, and worries they’ll be discovered as a fraud. Is “cheesing” valid? How can we feel better about what we’ve accomplished in the game, and worry less about how we did it?