Epic RPG ‘Skyrim’ is the best game for mindfulness
Epic RPG ‘Skyrim’ is the best game for mindfulness
A leading platform for fandoms and online communities has revealed a list of the top 10 ‘most mindful’ games. The list was created using the findings of a study of 100 participants covering a range of demographics. Participants had their heart rates monitored and were asked to record their emotions, stress levels and how mindful they felt before, during and after gaming. Bethesda’s fifth release in the Elder Scrolls series, with its rhythmic battle mechanics and outdoor scenery, has been found to be the most mindful.
A leading platform for geeks and fandoms has revealed that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the best game to play for mindfulness.
The platform, FandomSpot.com, conducted a study to discover what games are the best for mindfulness and relaxation to create a list of the ‘most mindful’ games.
The study of 100 participants, from a varied range of demographics, monitored the gamers’ heart rates while gaming and asked them to record their emotions, stress levels and how mindful before, during and after gameplay they felt.
The top 10 ‘most mindful’ games were discovered to be:
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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
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Katamari Damacy
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Tetris
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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
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Minecraft
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No Man’s Sky
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Euro Truck Simulator
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House Flipper
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Firewatch
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Flower
To see the full study results, visit: https://www.fandomspot.com/most-mindful-video-games/
To attain a shortlist of gaming titles that the study participants had to play, FandomSpot.com community members were asked in a prior survey what games they believed helped them to achieve a state of ‘flow’. The state of flow, also known as ‘being in the zone’, is an essential element of mindfulness and refers to the feeling of being completely absorbed in something and achieving a feeling of ‘energized focus’.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was reported to be the game that helped the most people to ‘get into the zone’ due to its rhythmic battle mechanics and natural scenery.
When analyzing the shortlisted games, the study participants were asked to play the titles in their regular gaming setup under usual conditions but with the addition of a heart rate monitor to keep track of cardiac changes, ensuring they did not jump significantly to suggest the player was stressed or over-excited.
Gamers were also asked to record via a questionnaire of how their mood shifted before, during and after gaming to highlight emotions, stress levels and how mindful they felt across a two-hour gaming session, as well as specific details of the gaming elements they found relaxing or ‘mindful.
To ensure the study was representative of all adults, 100 candidates selected were from a range of backgrounds, locations, gender, sexual orientations and ages (ranging between 18 and 72). Those partaking in the study were also asked to provide medical details so the platform was able to register their normal resting heart rate.
The benefits of mindfulness (and being in a state of ‘flow’) include greater levels of happiness generally, improving performance (including athletic performance), and can even help an individual’s levels of creativity.*
FandomSpot.com is the best site to browse all fandom content for anything imaginable, from games, movies and TV shows, to anime and even old-school memorabilia. The platform has been created to bring passionate people together to celebrate their fandoms in every possible way.
Alyssa Celatti of FandomSpot.com, said,
“A new year means new beginnings and I can imagine a lot of people are trying to set some renewed focus on being more mindful this year, particularly after the last few we’ve had.
“Although gaming often gets a bad rap and is stereotypically seen as something that can make people angry or stressed, it’s actually an easy and accessible way for us to achieve more zen in our lives. After all, our study has proven that many games can help with mindfulness – enabling us to really switch off and tap into something we can dedicate our whole-self to. We’re sure many gamers – and gamer newbies – will benefit from our list of the best games to play for mindfulness.”