IT’S NOT A GAME –
DEC. 8, 2021 – Some games already appear to be attempting this feat, but it can be hard to distinguish between those which “other” the mentally ill and those that have done genuine research either by staffing mental health professionals or by sharing first-hand experience. Here are some of the best portrayals of mental illness in video games. One of the most ambitious attempts to show mental illness in a video game came in the form of the British developer Ninja Theory’s “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice.” It explores the struggles of mental health using the fantastical elements as a sensory stand-in for Senua’s symptoms, which is why it’s so frightening when those senses are manipulated.
