Reviews & Previews of Indie and Kickstarted Games
Benny Sperling’s posts at the intersection of gaming and therapy.
We’re all following a path of some kind or other. Maybe it’s a parent’s path or a mentor’s path. Until we aren’t. Then we’re creating a new path. Blazing a new trail as it were. Others may have crossed the area and you may pass over their footsteps, but really it’s all new to you.
Benny returns with a look at the intersection of inspiration and temptation.
Don’t panic. Benny’s back with another installment of Therapeutic Meeples. This time, it’s about panic attacks.
Benny takes a look at that difficult topic: perfection. From players to game play, what can we expect from perfection?
Benny scours the DSM and brings us another installment of Therapeutic Meeples. What is the Imposter Syndrome? And what does it have to do with Camel Up Cards? Both fair questions.
As is often the case, I was pondering a game idea and thinking about how it would, or if it would, relate to the therapeutic setting. Over the years of designing games, I have found a number of publishers are looking for what they term “family-friendly”, “gateway”, or “easily accessible” games. In a sense, they are looking for games that are often ideal in a therapeutic setting. Games that are fun, fairly light, and visually appealing. These games also tend to be quick playing and offer an opportunity for looking inwardly regarding one’s experiences. Often they can be a catalyst for conversation. But I started thinking about something different: games with an economic core to facilitate therapy. I considered a number of possible options when looking at this idea. In an economy, the participant is seeking to input some sort of good/material/service in order to claim something different in return.…
In this article of Therapeutic Meeples, we enter into the space of Social Anxiety, and how board games can bring out thoughts of possibilities and opportunities within our lives.
Today, Benny takes us on an adventure in search of the greatest healer in the world. He explores how using a game and game mechanics can provide helpful insight into what you need to understand about yourself to heal. Follow him as he works with a patient using the mechanisms of Tikal.
Today, Benny takes up the question of what game mechanisms work best for therapy.
I was impacted by the news of Chris Cornell’s death. Soundgarden had been one of my favorite bands as a teenager, them and Pearl Jam. So a lot of my developmental history was framed by those bands, also by delving into DC hardcore bands like Fugazi, Bad Brains. In many ways these bands shaped who I am as a professional in mental health and also a board game designer.