Using Indie Games to Inform Serious Mental Health Games Design

Abstract

Mental health literacy (MHL) is an important 21st Century skill. Good MHL can help to reduce barriers to help-seeking by equipping the public with the knowledge needed to help themselves or someone experiencing a mental illness. One Australian-based organization that does this through a training course is Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Australia. There are many digital interventions that aim to achieve this goal and serious games are no exception. Serious games have been identified as ideal for developing 21st Century skills, meaning MHL literacy is a promising candidate for serious games development. In fact, evidence suggest that serious games are effective as a tool for improving MHL. However, they often suffer from poor-quality game design, poor study design, high dropout rates, variability in studies and loss of motivation and engagement of players. This means that there are many challenges to consider when developing serious games. Here we describe our experiences in the development of a serious game prototype that utilizes the principles of MHFA. The aim of this development is to improve the confidence of players in delivering MHFA. Additionally, it aims to address the challenge of serious games quality by taking an artistic approach that combines narrative, aesthetics and mechanics using indie games for inspiration. There are many well-designed indie games that tell emotional and character driven stories of mental illness. They provide inspiration on the development of honest and relatable characters, which offer a positive representation of those experiencing a mental illness.