Jump to content

Trophies for Mental Health (Event)


Recommended Posts

Oop, almost forgot to make a post about having completed The Last of Us and thus making good on my pledge to the Not Alone bonus badge thingamajigger! And just in time, too! I don't have much to say about it within the broader context of Mental Health Awareness Month, other than how unexpectedly disturbing I find Joel from a psychological perspective. In his own way, I don't think he is a great deal better than the poor excuses for humanity who fall by his hand.

 

More importantly, I'd just like to thank everyone who took part in this event. As a self-admitted lurker, I've seen a few people remark on how this very thread brought MHAM (that's Homer Simpson's favourite acronym, by the way ?) to their attention for the first time, and if that's not an example of unqualified success as regards OP's mission statement, I don't know what is. Sharing your stories is a brave thing to do, and I can only hope doing so has taken you one step closer to where you want to get to in life ?

 

...Well, shit, I didn't really mean for this to, like, steal any thunder from any undoubtedly superior forthcoming final statement from @Beyondthegrave07, so imma quit, 'kay? Feel free to, like, repeat this some time or whatever ? So, umm, #BreakThePigma and all that!

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, AK-1138 said:

...Well, shit, I didn't really mean for this to, like, steal any thunder from any undoubtedly superior forthcoming final statement from @Beyondthegrave07, so imma quit, 'kay? Feel free to, like, repeat this some time or whatever ? So, umm, #BreakThePigma and all that!

No thunder stolen at all! Haha. I just want to make sure people still look at this even after badges are handed out, totals are configured, mistakes are corrected, etc. because I would like feedback on the event, ideas for next year, or the idea of having a similar event later this year.

 

This is the first time I've hosted something like this so if there's ways to improve upon it, I'm all for it. I'll bring up some talking points I want to address afterwards, but I don't want this discussion to clog up the thread when people who still need to post and possibly miss it.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quick question: Do you have to complete the game you play for the bonus badge? I’ve played Journey with multiple companions but didn't think that would count since I haven’t completed it. But I’ve seen others post about games they didn’t complete for this badge so I just wanted to ask. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I completed Celeste for this event.  I want to take some time to write the reflection this game deserves so please pardon my progress as I continually edit this comment.

 

The Pitch:  Celeste is a 2D platforming game with some of the best and toughest platforming in the genre.  It is simple consisting of effectively only 3 buttons and a joy stick, but it is masterful in its crafting.  Each level is challenging to figure out and challenging to complete with many secrets and collectibles - some of which push you to your limit to gather.  It also has a lot of end game content that can keep you playing for dozens and dozens of hours.  It features some of the best music that I have heard in gaming, has a gorgeous pixel art style, and wonderful and colorful characters. 

 

There aren't many games that will sit and have two characters having a candid discussion about what depression feels like, or depict a panic attack as an overwhelming darkness with a mass of tentacles closing in on you from all sides. Juxtapose that with a pixelated platformer where Madeline spends a lot of her time running and magically dashing to collect flying strawberries and you end up with Celeste; where the two are blended together with an important and sincere story to make it a genuinely emotional game.  

 

Celeste is about many of the mental problems that people face today.  One of the chapters is a veiled metaphor about an abusive relationship, another about how people can be trapped by social media, still another about accepting the parts of you that you do not necessarily want to be a part of you.  Maybe I'm reading to much into it, because thankfully the game doesn't outright throw these things in your face, its cleverly woven into the narrative, but I would be remiss if I didn't say that some of these moments hit a little close to home, and one I'm willing to wager that many others relate to as well. Overshadowing it all, is the titular Celeste mountain which our heroin Madeline must climb both literally and figuratively on her journey.  

 

But, ultimately what I took from Madeline's story is that it isn't about running or dashing, but rather about standing.  Madeline is most successful when she stands her ground in the face of the part of herself that frightens her the most and how learning to understand those parts is the only way to stop them from controlling you.  I think it reaches out to an important point to try and understand ourselves and each other and, to be candid, I didn't expect that message to come from a game.

 

~TC

 

 

 

Edited by Together_Comic
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Damn, I’m sorry but I didn’t make it.

 

The month totally got away from me and as much as I really wanted to support this event, ultimately I needed to casually play games that didn’t fit the theme at all. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, TimeLordCrow13y said:

Quick question: Do you have to complete the game you play for the bonus badge? I’ve played Journey with multiple companions but didn't think that would count since I haven’t completed it. But I’ve seen others post about games they didn’t complete for this badge so I just wanted to ask. 

Yeah, you need to finish them. I still need to verify people's completed games, but if you notice someone didn't finish their game, PM me.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well... Ive procrastinated on writing anything about the games I completed this month until the last day it seems. Thanks for the reminder Beyond.

 

I chose Oxenfree for my focus on mental health game. It was an interesting game about a group of teens going to an island for a night of partying where they discover some paranormal activity. While the game itself focuses on the interactions of the teens and the paranormal, there are definitely some underlying themes of grief and the main character's inability to cope with it.

 

My second game was The Grand Tour game. The whole game more or less is the show with the same name on Amazon except you get to drive the cars and compete in events related to the episode. The game/show is hosted by the 3 friends Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May and their adventures while traveling the globe reporting on various cars.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I finished Abzu two days ago. The game itself does not focus on any mental ilness or concern, it's about something completely different. Like Journey, it's a beatiful, quiet, simple, and pacific game, that lets you explore in your own way a huge ocean, filled with life and bright colors. Abzu is a game that stimulates meditation, and pretty helpful for people that suffer from anxiety, depression or stress. It's a way to disconnect from the world, and just pay attention to a whole different world that we usually ignore. The problems don't "go away", you simply learn to cope with them, and continue to enjoy the life and the little things that it gives to you. A game that enters in that magical category with Flower, Monument Valley, Florence, and the aforementioned Journey. I had a great time with it and if you dont, you're probably looking at it the wrong way. 

 

PD: The soundtrack is amazing

Edited by ValenTris7
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I finally popped the plats on 12 games today, including my choice for the main badge Ghost Giant VR which I did my write up a few days ago. My original plan for #YouAreNotAlone was Dragon Age: Origins since you travel with the same group (if you choose) throughout most of the game. However, I didn't end up popping that one today. I do have a couple of other choices in Detroit: Become Human, which would also count for the main badge, but Connor and Hank are together throughout the whole game, and how you choose to have them interact throughout the game has a direct impact on how long they remain together. I also could use Batman: Arkham Asylum as Oracle is Batman's right-hand person throughout in is always in his ear giving him insight and making sure he is ok. I could also use Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales as his best friend Ganke is to Miles what Oracle is to Batman....the dude in the chair.

 

Every one of the games I mentioned are worth playing if you haven't so far. They are all pretty fun! Thank you again @Beyondthegrave07 for setting this up. I also want to thank @Ellie-nyan for making the time to make us all badges with such a busy schedule. With the wonderful turnout, that is no small feat. Thank you!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Briste said:

I finally popped the plats on 12 games today, including my choice for the main badge Ghost Giant VR which I did my write up a few days ago. My original plan for #YouAreNotAlone was Dragon Age: Origins since you travel with the same group (if you choose) throughout most of the game. However, I didn't end up popping that one today. I do have a couple of other choices in Detroit: Become Human, which would also count for the main badge, but Connor and Hank are together throughout the whole game, and how you choose to have them interact throughout the game has a direct impact on how long they remain together. I also could use Batman: Arkham Asylum as Oracle is Batman's right-hand person throughout in is always in his ear giving him insight and making sure he is ok. I could also use Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales as his best friend Ganke is to Miles what Oracle is to Batman....the dude in the chair.

 

Every one of the games I mentioned are worth playing if you haven't so far. They are all pretty fun! Thank you again @Beyondthegrave07 for setting this up. I also want to thank @Ellie-nyan for making the time to make us all badges with such a busy schedule. With the wonderful turnout, that is no small feat. Thank you!

I made a note to check your profile today and saw the platinum rain fall and already marked you down! Very well done!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seasons After Fall 

 

1S3c1b9a.png

 

This was my choice of game for this event. Its story begins with a cheerful ‘Seed’ setting you, a fox, off on an adventure to discover four slumbering ‘Guardians’ so as to perform a mysterious forest ritual. However when this ritual does not go as planned, the Seed suddenly turns her back on you, casting you aside and vowing to find someone more competent to do her bidding, before vanishing. 

 

IjKpQSD.jpg

 

Whilst not about any specific mental illness, I found it to be a light delve into general mental health, and how we can support those around us who might be struggling. As the developers of the game themselves put it: “It talks about self-confidence, trust, and being trapped in some kind of personal constructed mindtrap.” 

 

And so continues the story. Against typical expectations, the Seed’s moment of treachery does not entail her subsequent villainy. Instead, it is at this point that the game begins to send you on a journey of understanding, forgiveness, and reconciliation. 

 

Your mentor on this journey is the first Guardian, a great Bear, now awoken from his unnatural slumber. As you slowly make your way through the forest, the two of you begin to unravel the truth about the Seed. 

 

TO4e1tZ.jpg

 

It transpires that the Seed was intended as an integral part of the ritual - a sort of rebirth - but through fear and misunderstanding she mistakenly believed the Guardians to be conspiring against her in an effort to abandon her and have her disappear. In turn she lashed out, putting the Guardians to sleep and attempting to coerce you into taking her place within the ritual. Upon failure, she retreated into bitter isolation. 

 

I am fortunate enough to have never suffered any mental illness myself, and as such I would not wish to try and diagnose anything particular upon the Seed. But I do know that fear, loneliness, and mistrust of both yourself and those around you can frequently be symptoms of those who struggle with their mental health. 

 

What surprised and pleased me about this game is that the Bear did not feel anger at the Seed, nor did he seek to punish her for her mistakes. Instead he strove to understand her; reassuring and believing in her whilst slowly gaining her trust. When someone is in need it’s all too easy to turn your back on them, especially when their internal issues manifest in their external behaviour. It’s never easy for anybody involved, but the Bear only ever wants what’s best for her, accepting how hard her situation must be, and trying his hardest to comfort her. I found this to be a great reflection of how we can all try to support and uplift those around us. 

 

l2gYYYV.jpg

 

“Her fears have overwhelmed her, and she’s built a prison around herself. Her heart overshadowed by doubt.”

When in distress, secluding yourself from the world, from your friends and even your loved ones, is an alluring yet very dangerous path. I know because I trod it at one point. Isolation can cause extreme damage to both yourself and those that care for you. 

 

And this is the path that the Seed chose, so afraid of abandonment that she ultimately inflicted it upon herself. Within this little dark corner - of both the forest and her mind - she protects a series of ‘treasures’, seemingly all that she has left. But as your fox destroys these ‘treasures’ one by one, it becomes apparent that they are anything but something to value; “Open your eyes Seed, these aren’t treasures you see around you, these are your fears.”

 

Therein lies the horror of such loneliness. Your mind can become clouded and consumed by that which afflicts you. Attempts to help you can instead be misinterpreted as attacks. As the Seed willingly turned away from all those she believed had forsaken her, she found herself unknowingly clinging to the one thing she had left: her doubts and fears. Sadly it can so easily become a perpetuating cycle; convincing yourself that this is your lot in life, that misery and gloom is all you can ever know. 

 

But the simple truth is that nobody can face this world by themselves, alone. And whilst it might be impossible for others to truly understand what you’re going through, they can still rally to your side and lift whatever burden they can. As the kindly Bear said: “If you don’t trust yourself, how can you trust others?” 

 

So as the fox shatters the Seed’s final fear, that very trust has been gained. Now, together as one, the ritual is performed and the Seed blossoms into a new lease of life, free from the pain of the past. It might never be quite that easy in real life, but there’s always worth in trying. 

 

y5eKKly.jpg

 

If anyone is interested in this game, it goes on sale for around £3 occasionally. Whilst the gameplay is lacking, it’s an undoubtedly beautiful and soothing experience. 

 

I am glad to have contributed to this event, and wish you all well :) 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've just purchased a print of this artwork by Alireza Karimi Moghaddam which speaks to me as both an artist and a mental health patient on so many levels. This little digital painting depicts Vincent Van Gogh as he paints 'The Starry Night' while looking through the window of his bedroom at the mental asylum that was located in the Saint-Paul de Mausole Monastery at the Saint-Rémy-de-Provence commune in southern France. The year was 1888.

 

If one visits the Wikipedia article for "psychosis," the main photo on that page is 'The Starry Night' because the painting depicts the changes in light and color that can appear to a person while they are experiencing a psychotic episode. It has been theorized by modern-day physicists that the sweeping, swirling brush strokes that Van Gogh used to create this painting indicate that during his moments of psychosis, he was able to see what are known as "eddies" surrounding the light sources that he was painting. These eddies, which are normally invisible, are part of a fluid mechanics phenomenon known as "turbulent flow," which attempts to explain the violent, unsteady, or chaotic movement of fluids like air and water and how light interacts with them. It has now been almost 131 years since Van Gogh's death (in 1890) and scientists have yet to fully understand this phenomenon.

 

"He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." (Isaiah 61:1 & 3 NIV)

 

Vincent van Gogh Comic by Alireza Karimi Moghaddam

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

35 minutes ago, Dr_Mayus said:

Just to clarify @Beyondthegrave07 you will let us know when the badges have been totalled for the donations?

I will tag everyone I mentioned in the OP once I have it finalized and everyone who told me they needed more time to post has posted. I'm going to cut it off on Friday evening regardless and have totals ready then. 

 

I think out of everyone, I'm just waiting on @Together_Comic to put his thoughts together, and I should have a pretty accurate total after that. I will reconcile my excel totals with Ellie when she is ready to make sure we don't miss anyone. She's been working 12-hour shifts, and I told her to take her time. I'm in no rush.

 

After we agree on a total though, expect to be tagged. ?

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Together_Comic said:

@Beyondthegrave07 I edited my initial post do you want me to post it again here?

Didn't realized! ? No, you're good! Thanks for pointing it out. If anyone else did this and didn't tag me or anything like that, let me know so I don't miss you on my final sweep.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Ellie-nyan said:

~~Badge Time~~

 

That's amazing, holy shit.

 

Thanks @Beyondthegrave07 for hosting the event, and thanks everyone for participating. I'll do my donation on monday or so and share the proof if needed. i'm sure we'll help someone, not only with the donations, but also by raising awareness for the cause. Cheers.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...