
Asynchronous: Other games are a way to connect and play without being online at the same time (like Horizon Chase Turbo, Worms, Words With Friends, Wargroove, Animal Crossing).Competitive: With some practice there are easy and fun online competitive games (like Tricky Towers, Videoball).Co-operative: Some of the games are good ways to connect and play co-operatively online (like Feather, Overcooked 2, Ibb and Obb, Skylanders Children of Light).It's part of National Loneliness Awareness Week, aims to reduce feelings of isolation by getting people to talk with friends or family safely online. There are lots of practical tips and advice on the Every Mind Matters website. The games on this page are part of the Better Health: Every Mind Matters Loneliness campaign, to help protect and improve the nation’s mental health and wellbeing. Finding games to play online with grandparents and carers is not only a good way to keep in touch but a lot of fun. Video games are one way that we can reconnect with each other, without needing to be in the same place. Social anxiety and other mental health issues. Being unable to be in the same place as loved ones. There are many reasons, stages of life and circumstances that can leave us feeling isolated and lonely. Playing these games with young people, and answering questions they might have along the way, can be a useful starting point for important conversations about grief."

They can help show the player that they are not alone in what they are going through. "The games we have selected don't necessarily offer an ideal way to cope with death but tackle the topic of death openly and with a positive attitude. With these games, players may find valuable space in which to acknowledge grief as a completely normal reaction to bereavement." "To help children cope with loss, it is important that they receive honest explanations about death, appropriate to their level of understanding. "We express grief in different ways depending on our age," they said. By focusing on the intersection between gaming and mental health, they want to raise awareness of mental health challenges and reduce the stigma surrounding these issues. I've come up with some games that explore this topic, along with help and suggestions from Gaming The Mind ( Twitter), an organisation of UK-based mental health professionals who aim to promote positive mental health within the gaming community. But also, games can provide a helpful space in which to process, consider and understand death and loss.

This means that some care is necessary if players are sensitive to losing significant people. Games include interactions, narratives and characters dealing with all aspects of life (and death).
