Eudaimonic Motives for Playing Mental Health-Themed Indie Games and Experiences on Mental Well-Being
Chan, Mun Kuan (2026)
2026
Master's Programme in Game Studies
Informaatioteknologian ja viestinnän tiedekunta - Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences
Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2026-05-25
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202605256272
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202605256272
Tiivistelmä
This study explored players’ eudaimonic motives for playing mental health-themed indie games and their perceived influence on mental well-being. Seven participants who are at least 18 years old and have experience playing mental health-themed indie games were interviewed. Using reflexive thematic analysis (RTA), five themes were constructed: Interpersonal connectedness and relatedness, From emotional resonance to emotional expression, Gameplay as space for understanding oneself through introspection and reflection, Constructing meaning through gameplay, and Perceived growth through gameplay.
The first four themes address how participants’ eudaimonic motives were shaped through gameplay experiences rather than as explicit motivations prior gameplay. Participants described these games as meaningful when they fostered connections, evoked emotional resonance, encouraged reflection, and allowed them to construct personal meaning through gameplay. The final theme addresses how participants perceived these experiences contributed to their mental well-being through increased mental health awareness and literacy, inspired personal growth, and greater compassion toward others.
This study suggests that mental health-themed indie games can function as experiential spaces where players connect, feel, reflect, and construct meaning in relation to their own lives. However, their perceived influence on mental well-being should be understood as subjective and interpretative, rather than as direct or causal. This study contributes to eudaimonic gaming research by highlighting how eudaimonic motives may develop through gameplay and how players interpret mental health-themed indie games as meaningful for both personal and interpersonal growth.
The first four themes address how participants’ eudaimonic motives were shaped through gameplay experiences rather than as explicit motivations prior gameplay. Participants described these games as meaningful when they fostered connections, evoked emotional resonance, encouraged reflection, and allowed them to construct personal meaning through gameplay. The final theme addresses how participants perceived these experiences contributed to their mental well-being through increased mental health awareness and literacy, inspired personal growth, and greater compassion toward others.
This study suggests that mental health-themed indie games can function as experiential spaces where players connect, feel, reflect, and construct meaning in relation to their own lives. However, their perceived influence on mental well-being should be understood as subjective and interpretative, rather than as direct or causal. This study contributes to eudaimonic gaming research by highlighting how eudaimonic motives may develop through gameplay and how players interpret mental health-themed indie games as meaningful for both personal and interpersonal growth.