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[DAHGAMING]

Maybe Elder Scrolls online, im not sure if you know much about it but for me its a very relaxing, easy game. It can be what you want it to be, have a look at some youtube vids with him maybe.
Your friend can make any character he likes, start where you want on the map, follow the story or go exploring and questing. You can play it solo no problem and its not hard, I find it the most relaxing game, the music adds to that aswell.

I will say though with depression you cant force anything, and your friend may not be able to do anything at all.

Its a horrible thing depression, I always knew it can hit bad but for the first time in my life the last 6 months or so I have been struggling with it on and off and now I realy understand it.

Abit of context, Im 35, got my first house may 2022, married last June to my amazing wife, we have 2 mad dogs we love and financial stable, not rich but we dont have yo scrape the barrel.

I dont realy have a reason to be depressed, but it got me anyway, it hit me hard last September and I have just been off work for 2 weeks and I am forcing myself back tomorrow.

Its horrible, but I know people are alot worse with it, what I can say is you dont enjoy anything or want todo anything, a week ago I spent the whole of Sunday drifting in and out of sleep, when I was awake I couldnt even relax with a film, I didnt want to play games, the taste of food I enjoyed normaly was gone. For me, once I fall into it I dont know how long it will last or how deep it will go and its a slow process back to feeling better.

See what they think about Elder Scrolls but dont force it, your a good friend as its not easy for people around depression either, thanks for being there for your friend.

 

[Astray]

Hello GAF

I have a friend who is really depressed. He’s gone through a lot of stuff the last few years and every time it feels like stuff is getting better it somehow gets worse.

I’ve tried talking to him to make him feel better but after a while I think diminishing returns kick in on that. I’m not sure I’m helping much. I’ve tried to get him into games instead (he wasn’t big on those before).

The problem is I have never really had to deal with depression before so I legitimately don’t know what to recommend. I suggested Baldur’s gate and Elden ring and he bounced off both because he got overwhelmed and discouraged early on. I was thinking of lending him my Switch for the Zelda games, but again, I’m not sure they work best for depression.

Can you please help me? I legitimately don’t know what to do and I want to help. The platforms are PC, Xbox, and Switch (since I’ll lend him my switch it I have to). Any recommendations will be very appreciated. Thank you so much to everyone who helps.

I appreciate your concern for your friend, but games will likely not be a solution for his depression by themselves.. And could in fact make them worse.

The root cause in his life that is causing the depression is what you need to tackle, if there are games or films music etc that you feel speak to his issues then probably go with those, but not without working out a plan to at least ease the core issue in his life.

Otherwise you're just helping him escape his problems, and maybe even get him hooked on something he shouldn't be in the process.

 

[Danjin44]

Troll post.

You never know…..Elden Ring might help…

Mostly with family related issues.

Spoiler

 

[DenchDeckard]

Go for a good walk...take a weekend away to somewhere nice and walk.....

While on the casual walk...talk. discuss them seeking help and what games activities you can do together in co op.

Go home and play Palworld.

But ultimately, get some good walking or excersise in and discuss seeking help.

 

[Scotty W]

My prescription is… Dr Mario.

 

[GigaBowser]

TOTK saved my marrige

 

[PeteBull]

Exercise or muscle training is the cure.
After that, maybe video games will be fun again.

Exactly this, video games will be amazing but once his body is spent, humans are meant to have physical excersise, if no gym them go bike riding/swim, even fast walks in the park if he is super couch potato and cant do much more, gotta move tho.
Back in the middleages peons, who were basically slaves, worked 12-16h/day from dusk till down and none was depressed, obviously as modern human we are to soft to replicate it but at least 3x 30min dumbell workout weekly as a start will work just fine, here u can even use this routine in the vid i guarantee it works like a charm, tons of kcals spent, feeling good after and even bit of musclebuilding too

 

[Killjoy-NL]

As weird as it may sound, but Hellblade 1 might be worth giving a go.
It's not too long, but going by the Accolades Trailer, it does seem that there are people who've been through, or are going through, emotional/mental problems that felt comfort knowing they're not alone in dealing with their struggles.

The trailer contains nothing but feedback from people mentioned above and it made me think about how games might have the ability to help people.

 

[RJMacready73]

It's gotta be Journey as it quite literally takes you on an incredible emotional journey and just leaves you speechless and positive at the end of it, utterly stellar game and one of my most memorable gaming experiences and I'm a hard aul emotionless northern Irish cunt, we have our feeling removed at birth

 

[PectacularOz]

Disco Elysium...

 

[DeVeAn]

What really helped me after trying so many things was…Reading the Bible. Specifically reading the gospel of John. Truly helped me. Good luck! Video games are great for distraction which won’t help long term IMO.

 

[deriks]

Put him to play games that he's the coolest and has lots of fun

Metal Gear Rising, Mario Odissey, Doom Eternal, Spiderman, Untitled Goose Game

 

[Aion002]

That entirely depends on what types of games he enjoys.

I think that light-hearted games would be the ideal, games like Harvest Moon or Dave The Diver.

Also, obviously, games can momentary distract a depressed person, but they should seek professional help.

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

Coop games, couch ones mate. Barring that online coop and just have a solid baseline attitude for them to bounce off as needed. Friends are the important part of gaming if you're looking for healing and time well spent.

 

[Bernardougf]

Is your friend Jez ?

 

[FunkMiller]

The problem is I have never really had to deal with depression before so I legitimately don’t know what to recommend.

There's a great game called 'Go And Seek Professional Help' that I'd recommend over any other.

Maybe you can give him some games to play after he's done that.

 

[Neolombax]

I've read stories of how people learned how to cope with their depression with games, but I'd recommend seeing professional help. Maybe get active, some outdoor activities?

 

[Hudo]

Yakuza: Like A Dragon.

Ichiban and his character arc are the perfect "lift-you-up", imho.

 

[LastBattle]

Apart from suggestions from other posters regarding seeing a doctor and or therapist.

Is your friend into any kind of fitness? I find that exercise makes a big difference with my mental health and while not a miracle cure, it can go a long way to making feel a bit better. Any kind of exercise is good, even getting outside and going for a walk on a daily basis.

Games can be great as an escape, but imo depression needs to be tackled on multiple fronts.

 

[diffusionx]

The Spyro trilogy

 

[Techno_Inked]

Yakuza: Like a Dragon
- It's easy to understand and play
- Long enough to sink your teeth into
- Has tons of mini games
- Tons of collectibles
- Tons of varied side quests
- Gripping and well told story
- But most importantly the story and side quests often deal with many tough topics in a light hearted way. It gives you a new perspective of life.

In my opinion the Yakuza series is the closest game equivalent I've found to Ted Lasso. If you've seen Ted Lasso you'll know it's an optimistic feel good kinda series. I'd recommend your friend to watch that too.

Good luck to you and your friend. Hope everything works out in the end.

 

[vodka-bull]

Totally wrong approach. He needs to get his ass up, go outside, meet people and work on himself, go for a walk every day and feel life instead of trying to numb down everything with another life escaping drug.

 

[cireza]

Not sure if a game is the solution, but I would recommend Persona 4 for the social parts.

 

[The_Observer]

South Park games, for laughing. Or Journey, for therapeutics.

 

[King Dazzar]

Best thing you can do is get your friend to talk to a healthcare professional/doctor. Once they reach out for help and start getting it, I'd hope they realise looking back, that its the best thing they ever did. Issues like these need proper help, rather than just hobbies alone.

 

[The Infectious Paradox]

Plat It Takes Two with him!!

 

[darrylgorn]

Find a co-op table top game to play with him instead. Preferably with others who will tag along.

 

[Aenima]

Yakuza Zero.
With all the weird japanese humour and JAV actresses in the game, the only depressing moment will be see the credits roll.

 

[Shut0wen]

Super Mario Wonder is pure distilled joy.

Unless hes tryna get them extra levels, itll make him even worse

 

[West Texas CEO]

Summertime Saga cured my depression.

 

[taizuke]

Hogwarts Legacy? I had a smile almost the entire time i played this game. Pretty much every character you meet is cheerful, super friendly, excited, happy, full of optimism, ect.

It's a joy to play. Also, Sea of Stars because of it's main theme which is a wonderful story about friendship.

 

[DeathGuise]

In 2011 after some horrible revelations I went through a divorce. It was undoubtedly the worst time of my life. I couldn't sleep, and I couldn't eat, and one thing I noticed was that I couldn't enjoy anything. I couldn't play games. I had started Witcher 2 when everything fell apart, and every time I tried to play I would have an anxiety attack.

As the weeks and months rolled by I was healing pretty well I think. I was eating and sleeping okay, and I kept going to the gym throughout the entire ordeal. But I just couldn't play video games. I'd start to be a nervous wreck like five minutes into playing anything. I wasn't able to play Skyward Sword or Skyrim.

I was however able to play Dark Souls.

Dark Souls didn't tell me everything was okay. It told me that everything was precisely not okay. And for whatever reason that helped. Maybe it's as simple as having one's pain validated. Maybe there's a great deal more to it. Maybe it has nothing to do with that, and everything to do with the game mechanics themselves, like the level design.

Regarding your friend, I'm sorry. And I am not necessarily recommending this to him. Because A) sometimes the nature of one's depression has a strong determination on what treatment will work, and 2) I was never at any point suicidal. I was just in hell. But it is something to think about.

Dark Souls. Signalis. Signalis might be my favorite *dreary* game of all time.

 

[BlackTron]

I don't think a video game is a solution for this but they can be a better-than-nothing activity and like with movies or reading there are good and bad choices depending on your headspace.

It's probably going to be something cathartic like Doom, or simple and fun like Mario. I think a big open-world time sink with checkboxes is a huge mistake. Don't pick any games with padding, boring parts, or expect you to "make your own adventure".

The tweak I would make is that I'm looking for a game to help my friend feel better, not make them feel better. The game isn't going to solve the problem and is calling upon one with the wrong intention IMO.

 

[DevilMayFlyForAWhiteGuy]

I think what others have said about therapy and spending time with him is probably the best course of action.

That being said two games that come to mind are Okami and Prince of Persia (2008). Both are fairly easy games and both have a theme of taking dark/depressing/cursed areas and bringing new, vibrant life to them. They’re pretty comfy and hopeful and not too dark.

Inversely I think Shadow of the Colossus can be seen thematically as the opposite, and a sort of cautionary tale about how one’s actions can set oneself on a course of self destruction, which is something I had to realize when I was depressed when I was younger. (Damn now I want to play SotC again; wish my PS3 wasn’t dead.)

 

[Griffon]

Dark Souls legitimately helped me go through a very rough patch of my life.
The Soulsborne games are all about teaching you resilience in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds. It is the best medicine I ever got.


PS: any FROM Souls-like is good for it, except Elden Ring, the open world design feels too different and kinda goes against the ethos.

 

[amigastar]

How about Doom Eternal on Nightmare?
I'm just kiddin. Sorry to hear your friend has issues.
He maybe should seek professional help.

 

[Putonahappyface]

Spend time with him. Just hanging out.

This. Get him out in the fresh air hiking or anything physical in the real world!

 

[Majormaxxx]

Video games are escapism and escapism has its therapeutic role.

However... it is best to address the issues leading to depression instead of postponing the depressive feeling until after the gaming session.

These issues could be loneliness and not enough time spent with friends or just other people; lack of life satisfaction (career, family, goals); deteriorating physical fitness etc. Honestly it could be a lot of things...

Or, it could be something that needs the help of a professional...

 

[Crayon]

If it's dangerously so i'd buy them a co-op game and say we're playing this together. Doesn't matter which game just don't forget to grab your mic.

 

[RareJordan]

I would recommend Firewatch. It's a short game, but it's impactful and it's easy to get lost in that world for a couple of hours.
Plus, the dialog and the setting is superb.

My wife doesn't play video games at all, except for Firewatch. It's the only game she's ever completed.

 

[twilo99]

If he is physically able he should go on more walks outside rather than playing dopamine depleting video games..... they are literal vampires when it comes to that so if anything, a video game might make him feel worse over time.

 

[Humdinger]

Hello GAF

I have a friend who is really depressed. He’s gone through a lot of stuff the last few years and every time it feels like stuff is getting better it somehow gets worse.

I’ve tried talking to him to make him feel better but after a while I think diminishing returns kick in on that. I’m not sure I’m helping much. I’ve tried to get him into games instead (he wasn’t big on those before).

The problem is I have never really had to deal with depression before so I legitimately don’t know what to recommend. I suggested Baldur’s gate and Elden ring and he bounced off both because he got overwhelmed and discouraged early on. I was thinking of lending him my Switch for the Zelda games, but again, I’m not sure they work best for depression.

Can you please help me? I legitimately don’t know what to do and I want to help. The platforms are PC, Xbox, and Switch (since I’ll lend him my switch it I have to). Any recommendations will be very appreciated. Thank you so much to everyone who helps.

Just my two cents, but I would google or search Youtube for ideas on how to help a depressed person. Recommending them a videogame probably isn't going to help a whole lot, especially if he is dealing with serious depression related to life events that are getting him down. I know you'll find a scattered few on gaming forums who will say a game helped them through depression, and that's great, but I don't think playing a videogame is going to be that helpful (except as a temporary distraction) for the majority of people with serious depression.

 

[Leonidas]

I doubt video-games is going to solve a depression problem, is your friend overweight by chance? What hobbies other than gaming does this guy have?

Lend him your PS5 and let him play those exclusives

What exclusives?

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I doubt video-games is going to solve a depression problem, is your friend overweight by chance? What hobbies other than gaming does this guy have?

What exclusives?

Astros Playroom should cheer anyone up

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

I'd suggest some cozy games where there's no stress or expectations, just build your little sanctuary the way you see fit. Games like Animal Crossing New Horizons, Stardew Valley, My Time at Portia and Sandrock etc. are easy to escape in to and provide a lot of immersion.

 

[rofif]

dark souls cures every depression

 

[coffinbirth]

Hey man, just stumbled across this and wanted to give my perspective as a lifelong player of video games and as someone that has dealt with pretty severe depression since my early teens. I'm not sure of the circumstances of your friend, but it sounds like a combination of shitty life events as opposed to being horribly depressed for seemingly no reason (clinical)...so I will give a response that I feel is appropriate to that scenario.

The best thing for this type of scenario, in my opinion, is diving into hobbies, so if gaming is a hobby for him I'd say that they are going to want games to simply get lost in. I'd also encourage him to explore other hobbies, as sometimes they can become your passion(sounds like gaming is more of a distraction from reality here) and can change the course of your life. Plenty of success stories out there of people that have turned dark times into bright futures by simply pursuing things they enjoy doing.


But you asked for games, so here are a few, based on his dislike of the ones you mentioned.
Addictive, grindy games to take their mind off of shitty realities. This can encompass many genres.
I'd say put them on a solid IV drip of Palworld, Vampire Survivors, Power Wash Simulator, and maybe some No Mans Sky or ARK or something. Mario games, Fall Guys, Wreckfest, Forza Horizon 5, all easy ways to put a smile on a face. Breath of the Wild got me through a rough spot in my life. So did Oblivion. Maybe some competitive games with high skill ceilings for sense of accomplishment in a competitive manner? Rocket League, CoD, Apex Legends, etc.

All of the aforementioned games are more than capable off providing that "escape" that some people desperately need at times...especially extended periods of time trying to get their heads right.

Anyways, just my two cents being thrown your way, and I hope your friend is ok.

 

[Hudo]

Silent Hill 2