Trophies for Mental Health III

[Beyondthegrave07]

 

 

Hello, everyone!

 

This event will be a bit more on the serious side, but don't worry! It will be fun AND maybe you'll learn a thing or two about mental health and be able to spot a mental illness and help someone with it in the future or know where to go... or at least, that's the goal. The month of May is the official Mental Health Awareness month and wasn't sure if I was going to do this event again, but with all of the overwhelming support I received last year, I just couldn't make it a one-off event. The event will operate very similar to last year, but before we get started with the details, let's revisit mental health and discuss what it is. Take notes; you may need it for the final exam (the trophy hunt).

 

 

What is a Mental Illness?

 

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI):

 

"A mental illness is a condition that affects a person's thinking, feeling, behavior or mood. These conditions deeply impact day-to-day living and may also affect the ability to relate to others. If you have — or think you might have — a mental illness, the first thing you must know is that you are not alone. Mental health conditions are far more common than you think, mainly because people don’t like to, or are scared to, talk about them. However:

 

• 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
• 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year
• 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
• 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24

 

A mental health condition isn’t the result of one event. Research suggests multiple, linking causes. Genetics, environment and lifestyle influence whether someone develops a mental health condition. A stressful job or home life makes some people more susceptible, as do traumatic life events. Biochemical processes and circuits and basic brain structure may play a role, too.

None of this means that you’re broken or that you, or your family, did something “wrong.” Mental illness is no one’s fault. And for many people, recovery — including meaningful roles in social life, school and work — is possible, especially when you start treatment early and play a strong role in your own recovery process."

 

That's right. It's more than likely you or someone you know has experienced a serious mental illness each year, and in this day in age where everything moves at a million miles a minute, it's important to always be aware of it with your friends, family, and even strangers.

 

How can I help?

 

There's a few ways you can help actually! One way is to always donate money to your local mental health association (MHA), spread the news of mental health awareness and have people realize that having a mental illness is okay, and let people know that the stigma that someone struggling through it is "weak" or is a lesser person is just simply wrong, and lastly, you can always just be there for anyone who you know struggles with mental illnesses and support and encourage them as much as you can.

 

The Event

Now, hopefully, you read through the stuff above and have a good understanding of how you can help so now let's get on to the event. The event is very simple, very chill, and should be an easy dub. I plan on having badges this year again, so if you enjoyed them last year, you'll like it this year. For your theoretical badge just have to do 2 things:

 

1. Earn a platinum or 100% on a game that tackles mental health issues or mental illnesses in some way, shape, or form. This can range from a specific character (such as Ethan from Heavy Rain or Ellie from TLOU2) to the entire game having a theme revolved around mental health (GRIS, Actual Sunlight, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, etc). However, games that use mental health issues as satire (Psychonauts) or is portrayed in a negative light/don't actually tackle the issues themselves (Joker from Batman Arkham games or Dead by Daylight) will not count. The goal of this is to learn something new or to see something in a different perspective, not to simply spot the obvious. I will be lenient on this rule but try to remember the goal of this before choosing. If you are unsure if a game fits, feel free to ask here. I will also count games that help with mental health if it is blatantly obvious like Flower or Aery. However, you have to explain how it can help others improve their mental health. It doesn't matter if you are starting a game from scratch or you have all of the trophies except one, as long as you pop it during May, it will count. Late sign ups are welcome, but you must earn the final trophy AFTER you join. It's not really participating if you sign up and are done instantly!
2. After you finish your game, post here and explain what you learned from the game or explain what illness your character had (if applicable). This is important too. I would like some real thought put into this event for those brave enough to participate. Simply saying, I finished Gris or I am Bread will not count. Explain how mental health was addressed in the game, what illnesses did you observe, did the person suffer from depression, anxiety, or something else? How did the character or characters cope with it? What were your thoughts on it as a whole? It doesn't have to be a book, but some general thoughts or discussion on the game would be nice. Not just two sentences. Though, I realize not everyone is an English speaker so I'll be pretty lenient on this one. Just do your best!

•       3. DLC only will not count. 

 

NOTE: Please post to let me know you are signing up so I can put you on the list. It's a lot easier to do it this year than have a bunch of lurkers try to join last minute.

 

Here is the previous event. It has a list of recommended games, games people completed, examples of descriptions people did for part 2 of the event, discussions made, etc. It really is a great read and would highly recommend reading it. Just don't plagiarize someone else's work please! 

Trophies for Mental Health II - Community Events, Contests & "We Plays" - PSNProfiles

 

However that's not all...

 

Bonus: (ARTIST FOUND)

 

I can acknowledge that some of you can finish a game in a day and be done with this event earlier than expected. Therefore, we will have a second part to this for those who really want to go the extra mile again. I got a lot of complaints last year about the theme being too obscure, so the theme this year is what the MHA is advocating for the month of May which is #GoOutside. Simply play a game where you have to go outside and do physical activities in the game that's not fighting/physical violence (combat). This can be sports, cooking, fishing, camping, swimming, etc. Should be an easy dub this year. Games like this would include Tales of Arise (camping), Final Fantasy games (chocobo riding), Red Dead Redemption (horseback riding), Abzu (scuba diving), Okami (Fishing), Yakuza games (Fishing), GTA games (running marathons, tennis, etc), so on and so forth. It doesn't necessarily have to be an extracurricular activity in the game. If the character does something in a cutscene, it will still count. I'll be pretty lenient on this one as long as you can explain to me a physical activity done in the game outside of violence. I'm undecided whether or not running around in an open world game will count... I'm leaning yes, but if you can find something else, please do so. Usually, those types of games have other activities in them anyways so it shouldn't be hard to find something other than running around.

 

The REAL Reason You Should Join:

 

I would be a terrible host if I did not put my money where my mouth is. I plan to do something a little different this year to try and raise more money. The amount of money donated will be based on the rarity of the game. Instead of doing just $1 measly dollar a game, I will donate money based on whichever game has a lower rarity %/better rarity between your two games, which, if you look at the calculation, will automatically be more than $1 a game. Therefore, choose your games wisely as you could sneak in a UR in there if you are clever enough. However, you must complete at least the first badge or any of it to count so plan carefully and don't forget what the event is really about! Furthermore, do not keep submitting games after your two are done. I will only take the first game submitted for each badge when calculating the donation so only submit your games when you're ready.

 

The formula is not complicated, so feel free to calculate yourself. The game must be 2 weeks old from the date of the post for it to calculated. Otherwise, it will be calculated after the event is over.

 

Here's the calculation: $2*(1+(1-Platinum %))

 

Feel free to pledge your own amounts if you want to donate. We had a lot of generous members last year and hope others join in as well. Anyways, thanks as always for reading and hope to see a reply from you! 

 

Other Donors (please thank them)

 

@Briste 

@Starrk_01 

@Kristen Danielle

 

NEW: Please read!!!

 

When you post to sign up, please list 3-5 games on your profile that you would recommend others to play for the event. Whichever games get recommended the most will be considered for the badges.

 

For example, here's a few choices from my list.

 

House of Fata Morgana - Most characters experience abuse that clearly affects their mental health. Michel,  Morgana, and Japaco especially. 

 

Nier Automata - There are several substories that deal with depression and all the characters go through mental struggles due to the bastardization of life.

 

Doki Doki Literature Club - One character suffers from depression and it's pretty in your face about it so it's impossible to miss.

 

Participants:

 

@Beyondthegrave07 2.87 ☆ 3.24 ♤

@Briste 3.40☆ 3.07♧

@Jeanoltt 

@Han_the_Dragon 3.77 ☆ 3.45 ♧

@breakingthegreen 2.97 ☆ 3.51

@MattbluePT 2.74 ☆ 3.85♧

@Im2Fast_4U 3.09 ☆ 3.50♤

@Cassylvania 2.45☆

@kindajustin 

@Platinum_Vice 3.93 ☆3.18♧

@DrBloodmoney 3.24 ☆ 3.54 ♧

@grifteskymfning 

@Sgznq 

@s68sc

@SpaceCoresDad 3.48 ☆ 3.85♧

@lady-reze 3.70☆

@rjkclarke 3.08☆ 3.35 ♤

@gruffiiti 3.52 ☆

@Redblaziken8 3.08 ☆ 3.32♧

@Sylvanticore 3.08 ☆ 3.06♧

@GT__Jedi 2.84 ☆ 2.85♧

@Taruta13 

@willythom88 

@MissShake 3.90 ☆ 3.55 ♧

@reaperveteran86 3.05 ☆ 3.83♧

@Violino 

@Starrk_01 3.71 ☆ 3.04 ♧

@DatZoolander 

@DJ__Beatroot 

@kindajustin 

@Yuber6969 

@pelagia14 3.56☆ 3.26♧

@GuitaristZag 3.98☆2.66

@BeesTrophies 

@Landertjuuh 3.75☆ 3.67 ♧

@Fenrirfeather 3.35☆

Edited June 7, 2023 by Beyondthegrave07

[Briste]

Yes please! I'll donate $1 per as well Thanks for hosting again!

 

/edit of course I read the post after saying I'm in....I'll add the games shortly

 

 

Recommended Games from my profile

 

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!

Figment

Oxenfree

Celeste

Detroit: Become Human

Edited April 24, 2023 by Briste

[Jeanolt]

I'm in, like every year. Joined the site for this, still here?. I was feeling really bad at the time, and I admit I'm feeling better and reached heights I never thought I will. Please check in on your family/friends often. They may need you more than you think.

 

This time I'll play either Gris, which I've played on steam, or the Suicide of Rachel Forster.

 

From my list I recommend Abzu, Life is Strange, Before the Storm, Sea of Solitude & Journey.

[Han_the_Dragon]

Cool, I'm in.

 

I'm likely not going sidetracked for this, since I do plan to finish my Persona 4 Golden challenge during the month, and will submit it as my entry..

 

My second game will likely be Shenmue 2 (I think that it has outdoors activities, like working.. if it's like the 1st game) or Assassin's Creed Rogue, since I'm planing to use them for another event, and it's a good excuse to get it done now..

 

Not sure what I would suggest that would fit broadly into the theme, but maybe Persona (3, 4 or 5 main games) or Nier Automata..

[Breakingthegreen]

Last years one was the first event I partook in, so I wanna continue that this year

 

My reccomended Mental Health games are:

• I was a Teenage Exocolonist
• Life is Strange: True Colors 
• Bugsnax
• Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope
• Lost Words: Beyond the Page

[You]

Good luck to anyone doing this! I haven't really got the time at the moment sadly.

I can't believe it's already the 3rd time this event has happened.

 

I remember participating in the first..... two years have gone soooo quickly....

Edited April 24, 2023 by enaysoft

[MattbluePT]

Count me in, one more time!

It's amazing to keep seeing this event returning and participating in it.

Not sure what games I'll be playing, but at least for the bonus game it's possible I'll finish FF IX which is what I'm currently playing.

 

My suggestions from my played games are the following:

- Life is Strange;

- Life is Strange: Before the Storm

- The Walking Dead (Any from the Telltale Series)

- Lone Survivor

- Last Day of June

[Im2Fast_4U]

Happy to join the event this year again! Thanks for hosting it again! I have no clue what I'll play for this year yet, but that's not a today problem! 

 

Suggestions for others:

-Concrete Genie (mine in 2021) [bullying, self-expression, isolationism, cliques, belonging]

-Alan Wake Remastered (mine in 2022) [nightmares, delirium, hope/darkness]

-Returnal [trauma, regret, (bad) parenting, lack of belonging/accomplishment, perseverance]

-Horizon Zero Dawn [isolationism, belonging, loss, apathy]

-The Last of Us (any iteration of the first installment) [loss, trauma, selfishness vs. selflessness]

Edited April 25, 2023 by Im2Fast_4U
Added themes covered by the games but remained spoiler free for folks to explore themselves

[Cassylvania]

Hey, it's back. Hey, I'm still here. Hey, I'm in.

 

Let's see. Games I would recommend for this...

• Lost Words: Beyond the Page
• Figment (my 2022 game)
• Celeste
• What Remains of Edith Finch
• Spec Ops: The Line

[kindajustin]

Participated in 1 and it was really cool, was too busy with life for 2. I'm in, I'll try to do something for this. I'll figure out a game, just gotta get off my ass and think a little.

[Platinum_Vice]

I'd love to join again.

 

For representations of depression, I'd recommend:

Braid

Disco Elysium

The Last of Us

 

... and Oxenfree features a protagonist with social anxiety, and Journey can very easily be interpreted to be a metaphor for a long term struggle with mental health.

 

Edited April 24, 2023 by Platinum_Vice

[DrBloodmoney]

I’m in again, darlings - thanks for running this one again @Beyondthegrave07

 

 

Not too sure what games I’ll be doing, but I’m certain the universe shall provide!

 

 

As for recommendations from my own list, I’d definitely highlight:

 

 

NORCO

(an amazing game that deals in anxiety, depression, grief, mental illness, and the ways those factors can be exploited by others)

 

Returnal

(handles depression, anxiety, guilt and grief in a very powerful, metaphorical way)

 

Chicory: A Colourful Tale

(deals with impostor syndrome, depression, loneliness and  the power of acceptance and friendship very well)

 

Afterparty 

(looks at alcoholism, anxiety, arrested development and the fear of change/ growth)

 

Dear Esther

(Deals with grief, isolation and loss in a poetic and interesting way)

[Darling Baphomet]

It's a bit ironic to see a moderator on a forum notorious for its refusal to do anything about rampant bigotry host an event for mental health. Statistically, the people most affected by mental health issues are marginalized people - women, people of color, queer people, etc; bigotry and mental health issues are directly related. But I suppose that actually creating safe spaces for people with mental health issues lacks the immediate gratification that can be obtained through performative allyship.

 

Honestly, as someone who struggled with mental health issues for a significant part of her life, "mental health awareness" is borderline offensive. It usually ends up consisting of a bunch of neurotypicals circlejerking about how sympathetic they are to the poor mentally ills without ever actually consulting people with mental health issues. Ironically, little to no effort is put into actually uplifting the voices of people who have actually dealt with mental health issues. We are treated as objects and or problems even during a month supposedly dedicated to us. The last two years, I didn't bother saying anything, but given recent events and the atrocious state of this forum this one feels particularly bitter.

 

If you want to financially support mentally ill people, giving money to a random charity which will use a significant portion of your contribution on paying its employees, advertising, etc is unlikely to do that. Give the money to a person you know with mental health issues who is struggling. Or if you don't know anybody, search "mentally ill" or something similar on GoFundMe. Mentally ill people are more likely to be poor than non-mentally ill people, both because mental health issues interfere with one's ability to earn money and because the stress of poverty (including being unable to afford mental healthcare) can exacerbate and even cause mental health issues; a person with depression struggling to pay rent, buy food, or pay medical expenses will find a much more immediate usage for your money than some random charity.

[grifteskymfning]

Count me in.

Edited April 24, 2023 by grifteskymfning

[Acszr]

I'd like to join this event please.

 

I'll either be doing Lone Survivor or LIMBO. Unsure which one as of yet.

 

The only game I have on my profile that grapples with mental health is We Happy Few which deals with addiction and drug abuse.

[You]

13 minutes ago, Darling Baphomet said:

It's a bit ironic to see a moderator on a forum notorious for its refusal to do anything about rampant bigotry host an event for mental health.

 

Erm no. Irony would be if BeyondTheGrave07 was going around making fun or contributing towards giving people mental health issues.

Also, I've never seen that sort of thing happen on this forum...

 

13 minutes ago, Darling Baphomet said:

Honestly, as someone who struggled with mental health issues for a significant part of her life, "mental health awareness" is borderline offensive. It usually ends up consisting of a bunch of neurotypicals circlejerking about how sympathetic they are to the poor mentally ills without ever actually consulting people with mental health issues.

 

Well, I'm sorry to hear that you have had, or are having issues with mental health.

 

However is there any need to bring this into an argument?

I like this event, I enjoyed and participated in the first one, and I'd rather it go ahead, since I think it's a genuinely a good thing, whether you like it or not.

You don't need to turn this into a who's oppressed more than who discussion...Just ignore this thread if it's not your thing

[DrBloodmoney]

29 minutes ago, Darling Baphomet said:

It's a bit ironic to see a moderator on a forum notorious for its refusal to do anything about rampant bigotry host an event for mental health. Statistically, the people most affected by mental health issues are marginalized people - women, people of color, queer people, etc; bigotry and mental health issues are directly related. But I suppose that actually creating safe spaces for people with mental health issues lacks the immediate gratification that can be obtained through performative allyship.

 

Honestly, as someone who struggled with mental health issues for a significant part of her life, "mental health awareness" is borderline offensive. It usually ends up consisting of a bunch of neurotypicals circlejerking about how sympathetic they are to the poor mentally ills without ever actually consulting people with mental health issues. Ironically, little to no effort is put into actually uplifting the voices of people who have actually dealt with mental health issues. We are treated as objects and or problems even during a month supposedly dedicated to us. The last two years, I didn't bother saying anything, but given recent events and the atrocious state of this forum this one feels particularly bitter.

 

If you want to financially support mentally ill people, giving money to a random charity which will use a significant portion of your contribution on paying its employees, advertising, etc is unlikely to do that. Give the money to a person you know with mental health issues who is struggling. Or if you don't know anybody, search "mentally ill" or something similar on GoFundMe. Mentally ill people are more likely to be poor than non-mentally ill people, both because mental health issues interfere with one's ability to earn money and because the stress of poverty (including being unable to afford mental healthcare) can exacerbate and even cause mental health issues; a person with depression struggling to pay rent, buy food, or pay medical expenses will find a much more immediate usage for your money than some random charity.

 

Strikes me as rather churlish of you to assume that everyone else on the site is neurotypical, and unaffected by issues relating to mental health.

 

I've found this site to have problems the same as any other, but generally to take a pretty firm hand in smacking down any blatant neuro-normative bigotry, (aside from the unfortunate acceptance of people describing the basic human instinct for crossing off lists and preferring order over chaos as "OCD", and being a little lax in only moderating, and not outright banning people for using "autistic" as some kind of slight.)

As compared to some other corners of the internet out there though, it's doing fine.

 

I'd wager that virtually every person on this site - and particularly those engaging with these events - have experienced some issues around mental health - whether personally, or via a relationship with a loved one / family member / friend.

Just because they don't talk about it explicitly on a public forum doesn't give anyone the right to make them feel less than they are, simply for engaging with an event like this one...

...and while there might be issues around the percentages of charitable contributions that filter through to those they need to help, I can categorically state that the particular charity I've contributed to (as part of this event, and outwith it,) has helped me both directly and indirectly, along with thousands of others, and is worthy of my contribution.

 

[s68sc]

I'm In Again, Thank you so much for running this @Beyondthegrave07

 

I still don't know what games should I play for this but I can recommend:

 

1. Life is Strange 1, Before the Storm and True Colors

2. The Last of US and The Last of US Part 2

3. What Remains of Edith Finch

4. Celeste

5. Lost Word: Beyond The Page

[SpaceCoresDad]

Absolutely sign me up for this! Mental health is an incredibly important topic to me, and I remember participating in one of these in the past. And since we have to offer up some recommendations from our own profile...

Minute of Islands is a really interesting hand drawn story about living up to expectations and finding yourself growing toxic from them. Super fun game- short, but it gets its point across well.

 

Night in the Woods really captures the feeling of a total mental breakdown. The mania that comes from it, the awkward conversations with family of why you suddenly dropped out of college, the trying to explain to close friends what exactly you're feeling while also knowing it makes no sense. It's extremely well done. I guess the trophies used to not work for this one, but I can confirm it is glitch free these days.

 

Severed deals with family trauma and PTSD, and how that can negatively impact one's image and memories. Quite literally seeing part of yourself as no longer belonging to you, you kind of have to go out of your way to find the true meaning of this one, but since you'll be getting the platinum, you'll be doing that anyway! It's also only on the Vita, if you wanted to bust that out for this event.

 

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is easily the most realistic and accurate portrayal of what it feels like to be undergoing psychosis. They really went the extra mile for this, interviewing countless people dealing with this mental illness, and portraying it in a way that I think the average person will be able to understand. If you do play this one, I heavily recommend playing with headphones on to get the full experience.

 

Hope these are enough- all of these games are excellent portrayals of mental health. Happy May everyone!

[lady-reze]

I'd love to participate in this!  

 

I recommend these games:

- Gris

- Martha is Dead

- VA-11 Hall-A

- Silent Hill 2

[Beyondthegrave07]

4 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

...and while there might be issues around the percentages of charitable contributions that filter through to those they need to help, I can categorically state that the particular charity I've contributed to (as part of this event, and outwith it,) has helped me both directly and indirectly, along with thousands of others, and is worthy of my contribution.

 

Same for me. The first year I did this, I donated directly to one that was helping with people in my area... I could walk from my office to there if I wanted. I knew exactly where my money was going to. Unfortunately though, it shut down during the end of the WFH COVID phase so that in alone should tell you how well they were doing receiving donations....

 

The one I donated to last year gave me the option to cover processing fees and admin fees for like an extra $8 or $9.... so I clicked the box and did so. Therefore, I knew exactly what my money was being used for. Good charities typically do this, and if they don't, there's usually a place where you can see how funded money is spent.

 

I also think giving your money to an institution designed to help those with mental health care is better than giving your money to a stranger on GoFund me. Not necessarily because I think the person is lying,  but doing this is a legit dart throw.

 

You have no idea what that money will be spent on. It could be used for aid, groceries, embellishing their addiction, gas, put into their bank account and never used for anything health related, etc. You literally don't know  which is why I feel more comfortable giving to an institution where I know people will get the help they need.

[rjkclarke]

Count me in again Grave!

 

I'd love to take part again....

 

So games from my profile I could probably recommend and why.....

 

1. NieR/NieR: Replicant - Whilst the games don't necessarily directly deal with Mental Health, they do in more subtle ways, but they're rewarding if you choose to think about them, or pay attention to them. I mention them more because alongside mental health struggles also comes an inability to properly process or deal with anger, and both versions of the original NieR story do a wonderful job of exploring how catastrophic misdirected anger can be on all sides... Not only this a lot of the sidequests explore a lot of other aspects of mental health..... and to add a little personal spin for me, both of these games helped me at times when I was having a few personal struggles with my own mental health.... Also, these are both fantastic games, worth anyone's time. There also exists within NieR a really heartfelt and beautifully positive message, about positivity in the face of sheer adversity, and we should consider positive mental health awareness just as much as the downsides of it. 
2. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - This is a tricky one to actually recommend, purely because it has such a difficult subject matter... It's worth experiencing, but I think you have to know what you're in for going into it. This game does not pull any punches regarding mental illness, it's bleak, it's blunt, but it is important. I just feel like it's important to mention that before going into it, this game won't fill you with joy, but it will make you think - and having a family member who has suffered from psychosis like Senua does, and hearing the personal accounts about that, this game did such a terrific job of bringing attention to that, in a way that isn't patronising, or exploitative.
3. Lone Survivor - The easy reason is this, the game is fantastic, and I think it's criminally underappreciated. What seems like on the surface a fairly small scale game, it has a terrific amount of depth to it, and it deals with mental health from so many aspects that you wouldn't necessarily expect in a game like this. Admittedly, yes, I'm being a bit vague to avoid spoilers, but this one is most definitely worth your time.
4. Silence - Although it might not seem like it on the surface, when looking at a screenshot of this picturesque and pretty game - but scratch beneath the surface, and there's a dark underside to Silence that manifests itself in a similar way to Limbo. It doesn't instantly click, but the more you think about it the more apparent those ideas become. It's another one I can't talk too much about without going very deep into spoilers, but Silence deals brilliantly with loss, grief, acceptance that that's a reality we'll all have to face at some point, and presents us the player with how we'd choose to deal with that.
5. The Town of Light - Although this is a quick platinum, which let's face it, shouldn't matter a tiny bit..... The Town of Light is an absolutely eye opening experience.... and yes, if you've played it, you'll know why I specifically used that bit of language. It is however incredibly important, but heartbreakingly sad too. If you're a person with a high capacity for empathy then this game will stay with you for a long time. I really feel like it's worth playing though, There are thousands of people out there who would have lived lives like Renee T, the main focal character of this game, and I think this game does such a wonderful job of demonstrating how far mental health awareness has actually come in the decades since places like Volterra Psychiatric Hospital were abandoned (the location of this games story, and a real place). This is one I don't think people ought to overlook. 

What a surprise I ended up waffling, but I could probably think of plenty more suggestions that I have on my list, that I'd recommend people considered too, so I might just do that when I finish a game as part of the event.

 

Either way I'm really looking forward to following along too!

[gruffiiti]

Count me in again please. Im sure I will be able to find a few games that will fit.

I see a few suggestions listed already that are games on my to do list.

 

[Redblaziken8]

Count me in for this one, I have a few games in mind and some recommendations from @rjkclarke I want to try ? 

[kindajustin]

I apologize for not including recommendations in my first post, but it was late last night and I honestly can't really think of too many games that would be good examples off my trophy list. I'll throw down some that might apply though.

The MISSING: JJ Macfield and the Island of Memories: Explaining in detail how this game tackles mental health issues would at least partially spoil the ending so I don't want to do that. But it's a pretty easy platformer adventure game with an excellent story. It's a short game that can probably be completed in a day or two if you're quick, but is ultimately not really worth it's full asking price. If you see it on sale or have PS+ extra, it's a great game to play, especially for an event like this.

 

It Takes Two: The main characters have a child who blames herself for her parents' divorce, which highlights what kind of mental struggles kids go through when parents separate. But it's not really deeply explored or a main part of the game or anything. Game can only be played in co-op, just a heads up to people.

 

Atelier Ryza 1: One of the main characters has an alcoholic, abusive father who is regularly causing minor trouble around town which bears both emotional and physical consequences for his son. But again, I'm not sure if the relativity minor presence of these issues makes it a good choice for this event.

 

Other than that, other people have already made a lot of good recommendations that I might have mentioned. That's all I got.