Any available self-help games yet?

[Karen Wagersmith]

I wanted to familiarize myself with the current state of the field of games that have a self-help objective - particularly self-help for psychological issues. I know several are in the works to treat PTSD. And of course there is Superbetter. And there is a cognitive behavioral therapy game for use within a session with a mental health professional (on the Pesky Gnats web site) - so not really self-help. There's a mom in my neighborhood who is doing clinical testing for an app that motivates weight loss.

Does anyone know of any others that are already available or in the works?

[Robin Hughes]

Thanks

[Kevin Chung]

I just got here and feel like some kind of lone survivor.

[Katrina Breen]

Superbetter has now been taken over by a new organisation, and they are actively working on it :) Including the forum being back!

For a good app, try act companion. It costs $15 but if you don't like it Google play refunds you if you uninstall within 24 hours of purchase. There is also at least one ios equivalent, forget its name, but look up Acceptance Commitment Therapy!

[Robin Hughes]

I don't have high hopes for superbetter.

They are spendinga a big proportion of their funds on stuff that doesn't actually improve the game.

Gameful 2.0 was a disaster.

I don't expect Superbetter 2.0 to be much better.

Sometimes it is best to fix what you already have.

[Katrina Breen]

Are they making a new Superbetter?

[Robin Hughes]

The 'new organization' is doing crowd funding campaign at the moment for a 2.0

A good portion of the funding is going to research and to the mobile app. The research is about doing studies to show the game works, which doesn't actually make it work any better. Both of which don't actually fix the game. They are also adding premium which they say is fully featured however if you look at what is covered in premium it clearly is not. I can see the need some revenue for sustainability however I think they are limiting the free version too much and are actually taking existing features and making them premium which seems a bit low.

[Katrina Breen]

Perhaps though they are genuinely in a position of needing to do so, to get the paying customers so as to be able to continue maintaining the game. Re the research, wouldn't that be for the long term benefit of continuing to get customers, having evidence of the benefits of playing the game?