A groundbreaking video game has been designed to help young minds with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) by Cornwall game designers.
The game titled Ace of Hearts is a serious game that aims to address issues like bereavement, poverty and substance abuse that gives a distinctive platform to support mental health.
The developers of the University of Falmouth have led this game that is part of the Adolescence, Mental Health and the Developing Mind Programme (ATTUNE) project.
It is a £35 million UK-wide initiative exploring youth mental health through gaming. Running till 2026, the project investigates mental health resilience, vulnerability, and the impact of early intervention.
The game is developed in collaboration with young people and focuses on encouraging open discussions about difficult experiences.
Games offer an escape from reality by immersing players in the virtual world and giving them a sense of control. The sense of accomplishment and mastery boosts self-esteem and enhances mood counteracting anxiety, stress, and depression. But this game is specifically designed to address emotional well-being.
Explaining the game in a simpler way, Graham Smith, a software designer and lecturer at Falmouth University stated: “The main purpose of the game is to get people to talk about it afterwards. Mental health is a serious topic, and anything you can do to help young people who are suffering is worth it.”
The prevalence of mental illness is higher than expected. Around 19% of the adult population have mental health problems, affecting 45% of teenagers and 13% of children each year.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it is estimated that 4.4% of 10-14-year-old and 5.5%-year-old experience an anxiety disorder.
Moreover, depression affects about 1.4% of adolescents aged 10-14 years, and 3.5% of 15-19-year-olds.
Considering this, Professor Kamaldeep Bhui, a psychiatrist and principal investigator on the ATTUNE project highlighted the urgency of early invention explaining: “Half of mental illnesses start by age 14, and three-quarters by age 24. Games are something many young people feel safe using, they can be a space where they don’t feel alone.”
While there are concerns related to addiction of gaming persist, developers emphasized that Ace of Hearts is developed with empathy and caution to avoid triggering content.
One of the developers, Smith stated, “It's not Call of Duty," adding, "We're here to make serious games with serious messages.”
With Ace of Hearts, Cornwall’s game developers are proving that interactive media can be a powerful ally in the fight for better youth mental health.
