Designing an Informative Mental Health Visual Novel

Abstract

Video games have the potential to provide more than entertainment and these applied games can be designed for education, training, and more. The therapeutic potential of mental health video games is a developing field of study where research suggests they are an inexpensive, accessible, and stigma-free adjunct to therapy. By studying the intersection of mental health education with video games, the visual novel “Telepathic Bearista” was designed to implement cognitive behavioural therapy techniques into a game.

Faculty Mentor: Robert Andruchow