At first glance, it seems that video games and grief could have nothing to do with one another. While one is labelled as a source of entertainment, whilst the other is a complex and lengthy emotional process. However, video games have a great deal to do with grief, with how we cope with loss and move forward.
The power of play has time and again demonstrated its benefits in situations of isolation and community-building. Now, we will see how video games can have a significant and positive impact on grief.
❗DISCLAIMER
While we recognise the potential of video games to help people get through a difficult time or cope with a loss. If you find yourself in a similar situation, please seek help from a professional. Video games can be a useful tool, but they are never a solution in themselves. Lean on your loved ones, don’t isolate yourself, and ask for the help you need.
Comfort Gaming: Using Video Games to Cope with Grief
Comfort gaming, when talking about videogames and grief, is the use of video games as a tool for emotional support, escapism and relaxation during difficult periods. For people experiencing grief, games can offer a space to process emotions at their own pace. Reconnect with meaningful memories, and find calm during exploration, creativity, or social connection.
According to the study A thematic analysis of bereaved adults’ meaning-making experience of loss through playing video games, games can afford players meaningful experiences that can support them through difficult times. During this study, the team examined how video games can provide a unique experience of meaning-making for players who have suffered a loss. And as a consequence, enabling them to actively reconstruct their narrative of that loss and facilitating the sharing of their grief.
In the study Nintendo Switch–Based Exergaming for Subthreshold Depression: Mixed Methods Randomized Controlled Trial, the team evaluated the effects of switch-based exergaming intervention on depressive symptoms. They reached the conclusion that switch-based exercise gaming intervention was associated with improvements in depressive symptoms, anxiety and sleep quality in adults with Subthreshold depression (StD). These findings suggest that video game platforms can serve as accessible and engaging tools for early mental health intervention in real-life settings.
Video Games Remember, Players Keep them Alive
Video games have served as a platform for remembrance. One that awaits us and where our great adventures will be immortalised. Some of them have gone a step further and have even immortalised people who are no longer with us. From famous figures to devoted fans and members of the community.
Some of the most famous examples are:
Robin Williams in World of Warcraft
Following the passing of the beloved actor Robin Williams in 2014, Blizzard Entertainment created a permanent in-game tribute to honour both his legacy and love for video games. Players can find the memorial on a small island on Nagrand in World of Warcraft. The area is filled with references to William’s career. Scattered toys, an egg-shaped flying machine, and a magical lamp that never goes out.
The lamp is an interactive objective. If you activate it, a Genie NPC named Robin emerges. The tribute was added after thousands of fans signed a petition asking Blizzard to commemorate the actor. Who was known to be a World of Warcraft player and a lifelong gaming enthusiast.
Kobe Bryant in NBA 2K
To celebrate NBA 2K 25th anniversary, the game honoured the legacy of Kobe Bryant by featuring him as the cover athlete of the game.
As part of the tribute, the game introduced a new mode that allows players to relive some of Kobe Bryant ‘s most iconic performances throughout his career. According to Greg Thomas, Visual concepts president, the tribute was designed to celebrate Kobe’s lasting impact on basketball and his influence across generations of both players and fans. This addition and tribute made the centrepiece of the franchise’s 25th anniversary.
Brandon Lee in Death Stranding 2
This homage is more of a fan-supported theory than an official tribute from the video game. In Death Stranding 2 fans believe that the resurrected villain Higgs is styled after Brandon Lee in The Crow.
Although many fans initially compared Higg’s new appearance to the joker, because of the white paint. A closer resemblance is Brandon Lee’s character in The Crow. In addition, Higgs returns from the dead with a striking gothic look, wielding a guitar while seeking revenge, making the film a clear visual and thematic inspiration for this redesign.
These tributes are not limited to famous figures; there are also tributes to fans. These may be organised by the studio or by the fans themselves.
Michael Mamaril
Michael Mamaril is an Npc in Sanctuary that gives out blue or rarer loot. This NPC also plays an integral part in the “tribute to a vault haunter” trophy. His name is Michael Mamaril, and he was a Borderlands fan that passed away at the age of 22, in October 2011. Michael and his friend Carlo used to play this game together a lot. After Michel’s passing, Carlo sent an email to Gearbox requesting a short eulogy be read by Claptrap, Michael’s favourite character. Not only did they provide him with that eulogy, but they also added Michael to Borderlands 2.
Erik West
Erik the Slayer is a Nord barbarian in Rorikstead. He is the son of Mralki, innkeeper of the Frostfruit Inn. When meeting him, Erik will ask you to convince his father to change his mind. He is bored of his life as a farmer and wants to leave town and live adventures.
Erik the Slayer is based on Erik West, who was known as “ImmoktheSlayer” on the forums and was given an opportunity to play Skyrim at Bethesda’s studio during its development, thanks to the Make-a-Wish foundation. Erik West died of cancer in May 201, six months before the video game’s official release.
Ezra Chatterton
Erza Chatterton had an immense passion for World of Warcraft. He spent countless hours playing, often sharing the adventure with his father, Micah. That time, however, would prove heartbreakingly short. In 2007, while still only a young teenager, Ezra was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
His story reached Blizzard Entertainment and through the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Erza was given the opportunity to fulfil one of his greatest dreams. He helped create a character for WOW. A Tauren farmer named Ahab Wheathoof, an NPC who asks players to help search for his missing dog, Kyle. Erza also provided the character’s voice. Sadly he passed away in 2008, at just 14 years of age.
Video Games and Grief, A space to Honour Loved Ones
However, not every tribute necessarily has to involve the game’s developers. This is where sandbox and multiplayer games come in. These are games that allow players to create memorials, keeping a player’s activity and their time spent in the game alive. These memorials, created or maintained by loved ones, are recognised and preserved within the community. They stand as a testament to love and affection, preserved through the respect of an entire community.
Minecraft
Minecraft has become more than just a sandbox game for exploration and construction. The freedom in its mechanics allows players a space to create and remember. The Game allows these tributes to become deeply personal. Using blocks as their building materials to create statues, gardens, and entire locations. These digital places can be visited, expanded, and shared with others. Allowing communities to come together and keep someone’s memory alive.
No Man’s Sky
Through the game’s base-building and exploration systems some players have created memorials in No Man’s Sky. These locations act as digital landmarks, allowing others to visit, reflect, and remember those who are no longer part of the journey. Some communities have used the game’s expansive environments to create spaces that celebrate the lives and achievements of lost players. This ability to build, share, and revisit these locations shows how virtual worlds can provide new ways for players to preserve memories and maintain connections long after someone has left the game.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing’s island customisation tools allow players to create memorial gardens, tribute areas, and personalised locations inspired by people, pets and experiences that hold special significance. The cozy and gentle nature of the game makes spaces feel particularly intimate. These creations can serve as places of reflection,offering a comforting environment where memories can be revisited.
Video Games and Grief: The Lasting Power of Play
Once again, we have highlighted video games and the power of play as something more than mere entertainment. Not only do they help us overcome isolation, but they also provide social interaction and the opportunity to build our own community. Board games and video games have become tools for coping with grief, difficult times or loss.
Video games and grief have proven to be two concepts that can go hand in hand and improve players’ lives.
Join us and find other gamers to play with whether it is online video games or gather up to play board games. Check out our other articles on guides, news and curiosities.
Game on!🎮🫂
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