Dark Souls Helps My Mental Health But I Don't Know Why

During the pandemic more people have been playing games than ever before, but while it's easy to think gamers are gravitating towards the likes of Animal Crossing or Minecraft, many people instead turn to intense, difficult games like Dark Souls or Bloodborne for comfort.

By Chris Morris on May 31, 2021 at 8:00AM PDT

Alexander Kriss, psychotherapist and author of 'Universal Play', explains the science of how games help people's mental health, and why playing stressful games during a global pandemic might be a good thing.

The Gaming Mind by Alexander Kriss: https://www.amazon.com/Gaming-Mind-Psychology-Videogames-Power/

TheHappyHob's Soulsborne No-Hit Run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG-AtY0Nm44

Distortion2 Opening the locked door: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKt_C7RfaqQ

Otzdarva's DS2 No-Hit Run Attempts: https://youtu.be/1igv3qUtHXg

VaatiVidya's Prepare to Cry - Artorias the Abysswalker: https://youtu.be/Ag60ZF-IdKk

RKG Beating Dark Souls on a Transatlantic Flight: https://youtu.be/m7FPI1p-A00

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Good for him, but he’s obviously not that mentally fked if he can focus on and enjoy utterly unproductive activities.

I’ve been basically the opposite…I remember being hyped for the PS5 and going thru all the bullshit just to get 1 which was a nice distraction at the time, but now it collects dust.

2 • 3 years ago

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Because it's slowly getting you to accept death, dying over and over. Don't commit suicide thinking you get a do over.

Upvote • 3 years ago

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As a clinical psychologist and someone who loves videogames myself, I found this video awesome - both for Alexander’s input and for Chris’s insights into what makes Dark Souls soothing in his particular case. So interested in finding out more about people’s experiences with videogames during this pandemic. In my case, it’d been years since I played as much as I am playing right now - even though I have sort of a love/hate relationship with Souls-like games in particular.

Anyhow, keep up the good work!

2 • 3 years ago

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@fclyra: Don't you think he may be training his brain to see death as a "mechanic" that's part of life and therefore could end up killing himself thinking that somehow he can start from the previous checkpoint and do things over to succeed?

I really do not understand people who can enjoy playing a game where you just die over and over. Maybe you can explain the logic to me, what goes on in their brain and the motivation for playing those souls games. Which in my opinion have the laziest design ever, overly difficult enemies and bosses and a system design for you to repeat the same sections over and over, to artificially extend what otherwise should have been very short games.

Upvote • 3 years ago

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@sebb: I don’t think playing Dark Souls “trains your brain” to accept death and therefore commit suicide any more than playing FPS games leads you to shoot people in real life.

As for the motivation for playing DS, I think Chris gave some great examples: the catharsis with the game’s bleakness, the focus that the difficulty demands. Obviously not a universal thing. Like I said, I myself have sort of an ambivalent relation to Souls games, and I certainly haven’t played them during the pandemic. I’m sure people have all sorts of different reasons for playing and not playing them.

Bottom line, it’s ok to have a different opinion and different tastes! Just don’t confuse things like committing suicide and dying in a videogame ;)

3 • 3 years ago

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@fclyra: I'm not confusing dying in a video game and dying in real life. I've been gaming for 27 years and I'm still alive!

I'm saying people who play souls games have a better acceptance of death, of a game over screen. That has to affect/configure your brain on some level. Being desensitised to losing/dying.

A game over screen means you failed, so they must see failure as success, by some twist of the imagination.

Upvote • 3 years ago

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@sebB: I'm going to chime in here since this might be relevant or interesting from a psychological standpoint. I can say that I think to some capacity after playing a lot of Souls games I might have started to see failure more as a mechanism potentially leading to success rather than it being the opposite of success. You might not necessarily lose ground from failing and that failures aren't kept track in the same way successes are by anyone usually, aside from oneself.

2 • 3 years ago

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@sebb: Honestly, I don't think it's that complicated. People die a lot when they play Souls games, yes, and then eventually they beat the boss who's been killing them over and over again and they feel overjoyed in having been able to overcome that challenge. At least it's what I've read in pretty much every favorable review of a Souls-like game that I've come across, and it has also been my experience during the good times I've enjoyed with these games.

Again, it's obviously ok not to feel like that, and just to feel like the frustration or the tension is too much, like I, myself, also have at times. Or to dislike the games for any other reason, like the "lazy design" you mentioned before or anything else. I just don't see a direct link - much less a universal one - between liking a game where you happen to die a lot and having your brain "reconfigured" to better accept death and even to commit suicide.

2 • 3 years ago

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@fclyra: Fair enough. As for me I have dark souls 1, 2, 3, Sekiro and Nioh and have played them all on pc and always ended up rage quiting. Installing and uninstalling them over the years. The farthest I got was in Nioh. I beat the boss in the ship next to the burning village and got to the mainland. After beating that boss I did not feel anything except more frustration, thinking this should not have been that hard, and just kept coming back to the design of making the game overly difficult. Anyway, I do accept that people like this genre. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around how they can like it lol.

2 • 3 years ago

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chrismorris91 Staff

@sebb: Just to chime in here - I don't think 'death' in Souls games is or has any reflection to dying in real life because there's essentially very little consequence to dying in the games. In fact, one thing I've said in the past to people trying Souls games is to not worry about dying because as soon as you stop being bothered about that, the game has absolutely nothing to hold over your head (for the most part).

You mention 'seeing failure as success' but I think it's more like 'seeing failure(s) as part of the road to success' which I think is hopefully a pretty healthy attitude. You might die playing the game a couple (or maybe even dozens) of times, but if you don't give up then it's all part of the process towards the time you do actually beat whatever challenge you're up against. "If at first you don't succeed..." and all that

Upvote • 3 years ago

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@chrismorris91: "as soon as you stop being bothered about that, the game has absolutely nothing to hold over your head" I actually tried to force myself to see it that way once but it still gets me every time. Like a slap in the face. I have been playing games for 27 years and to me dying in a game means you failed, game over. To have devs actually make that a mechanic, just does not compute for me. It's not normal in a game to have death be a requirement for success lol.

Upvote • 3 years ago

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@sebb: Yeah, I get you. I've played Dark Souls 1, Bloodborne and Sekiro (plus Fallen Order, which is allegedly a Souls-like, but I found it much, much less difficult than the original From Software games). I quit DS1 midway during my first playthrough, but I did come back to it and finally beat it some time later, with enjoyment. I managed to beat Bloodborne in one go, but then I never touched it again. As far as Sekiro goes, I got to the final boss and then quit. Haven't beaten the dude to this day. It wasn't even a rage quit, I was just exhausted by all the grinding I had to do to get there, and I found I didn't have the energy to die a million more times before finally beating him. I did feel like returning to the game some time later, but I couldn't shake the thought that I was already way too rusty to go straight to the final boss, and I certainly didn't feel like starting from scratch. Right now I'm juggling with the idea of getting the Demon's Souls remake, but I don't know if I'm really willing to go through that type of hustle again. So yeah! Tough games, lol. Works for some folks, though. Including me - eventually.

Upvote • 3 years ago

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Well I know for sure that video games helped keep me out of trouble in numerous ways when I was a teenager. They were a place I could release tension and stress, a lot of fighting games. Fighting games aren't known for being calming and likewise they did cause a lot of frustration, but winning against a hard CP player or beating someone online gave such a great feeling of triumph that it paid off, despite the frustration it took to get there.

2 • 3 years ago

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@thelostscribe: for me it's games where I get to pretend to be someone else. Whatever immerses me in that way: rpgs (oblivion, skyrim, witcher 3, etc.), action games (batman arkham games, tomb raider reboot trilogy, etc.), whatever has a good story and world.

Upvote • 3 years ago

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@thelostscribe: In the same boat as you bro. Tons of gangs violence and trouble where I'm from but I was always occupied with a game. I also became really good at fighting games in my tween years -- very good way for me to release stress and pent up frustration.

3 • 3 years ago

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@LoveBird-: Exactly, even though those fighting games gave as good as they got, getting better and winning was a great way to focus aggression against the CPU's instead of outwardly in a way that could have been harmful. If I were a teenager when Dark Souls came out, I imagine it would replicate that same feeling, Dark Souls is very balanced and you can overcome the challenges presented if you persist long enough.

Upvote • 3 years ago

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@thelostscribe: I'm not sure about souls games though. I persisted but never won. Maybe not long enough, but at least a few hours. Felt like degrading myself, the way these games just have you dying over and over and walk all over you.

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@sebb: It took me a long time to get decent at them. I've never seen them through to the end, but the hours I played did provide enjoyment. One thing is the game doesn't really advise you where NOT to go. So you can just wander into areas you have no business in for some time. The first Dark Souls was particularly bad about that. I enjoyed the challenge once I got in the groove, but yes, they were very frustrating.

Upvote • 3 years ago

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Edited By Spectralfire0

Interesting video. It was nice to dive into this personal realm with you. I'm a big souls series fan also. During the pandemic I have been playing a lot of games as well. I've had more time to do it and I also enjoy the way it requires my whole attention. Sometimes I think about the amount of time I've subtracted from dwelling on something negative. I've been meaning to replay Dark Souls during this time though I haven't gotten to it yet. Modern psychology posits that those who go through life never struggling with mental health issues are the outlier, not the norm.

Upvote • 3 years ago

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Easy. Hard games are good for stress relief. Too much stress leads to mental health issues. Therefore if you have adequate stress relief you will likely be fine.

2 • 3 years ago

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Tough and stressful games make you sleep better. I’m speaking from experience.

3 • 3 years ago

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Does slipping a sales opportunity into this also improve your mental health?

Upvote • 3 years ago

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Chris! Best wishes for your mental health moving forward sir. Amazing video, great guest, really good questions.

What is that picture in the background? Looks so familiar, but I can't figure it out and it's driving me crazy.

Upvote • 3 years ago

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chrismorris91 Staff

@mattwoahyeah: Thanks Matt! The picture is a print based on Monument Valley, I got it from an artist who sold them to raise money for charity. It's a cool picture!

Upvote • 3 years ago

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Chris! Best wishes for your mental health moving forward sir.

What is that picture in the background? Looks so familiar, but I can't figure it out and it's driving me crazy.

Upvote • 3 years ago

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Bless Lord Miyasaki. Without this man (and Fromsoft) gaming would be boring as ****.

3 • 3 years ago

PrpleTrtleBuBum

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PrpleTrtleBuBum

you die, you push on, you die.... then you survive

every alcoholic, depressed etc. can relate to that circle and want hope of surviving.

all the while it has functional gameplay, slow pace and serene vistas and music. not balls to the wall hard that half of people cant complete just because their reactions arent good enough

i say that as someone who played through dark souls 2. i started all the other games too but i just didnt want to play them more. its basically like playing yearly fifa game but its slow and on superhard mode. i didnt feel like going through the pit again just to get the same feelings

2 • 3 years ago

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Edited By NilsDoen

I'm interested to know why mental health has become such a pop cultural phenomena. I'm struggling with not telling ppl to stfu and grow up - but at the same time i don't want to be feel lika grumpy old man that hate on societal advancements.

A conundrum thats taking a toll on my mental health T_T

Upvote • 3 years ago

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@nilsdoen: kind of Laika first dog in space, no?

Upvote • 3 years ago

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@id0ntkn0w7: huh

Upvote • 3 years ago

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Edited By mrbojangles25

@nilsdoen: mental health issues have been around for centuries, as have the medical fields to deal with it, it's only in the past year that people en masse have had to confront their demons as they've essentially been stuck at home with their thoughts.

It's not "pop culture", it's merely a realization, a revelation, that a lot of people have gone through.

And I say it's about damn time.

It's good that you recognize this is a serious thing and that you shouldn't be a "grumpy old man". Many a people have gone through their life not half as happy as they could have been because they've focused on "being a man" about it or "not whining" or have been told by loved ones to "snap out of it".

Being depressed isn't simply a matter of being "sad" and snapping out of it. Social anxiety isn't just another word for being shy and quirky, and people that use drugs or alcohol or overeat aren't simply weak.

4 • 3 years ago

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Edited By NilsDoen

@mrbojangles25: yeah sure i get that this is what one would say. and someone else would say that kids these days are way too focused on themselves and obviously becomes stuck in a downward spiral of 'wait i feel bad too' 'wait this offends me as well'. And a third person would insist that these thoughts always lead to misdiagnosed gender dysphoria.

Its clear to me at least that there should be a balancing act between sorting out real problems and creating a weak population. And don't get me wrong here - I myself have been balancing these thoughts all my life. And it has often helped me to try and toughen up rather than mope.

But I guess my main gripe here is when kids (of all ages) throw around language they dont really understand. My 6 year old niece the other day said that her friend stayed home because she wasnt at good mental health.

Upvote • 3 years ago

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Every emotion has been pathologized, every method of coping has been medicalized.

It used to be if people felt sad or anxious it was just a normal thing you needed to learn to deal with, now it's a 'disease' you need to be 'cured' from. Our society is convinced that emotions can't be managed without external means; no one is capable of just getting over anything anymore.

If I said alcohol helped me through a tough time, or heroin 'saved my life' people would understand that this was me justifying unhealthy habits. Videogames aren't quite on the same level, but to assign healing powers to what are basically luxury entertainment consumption products is just silly.

3 • 3 years ago

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Edited By Danmonger

@Grampy_Bone: Nah it's not what you do, its how much you do it. Anything in moderation is safe and can even be beneficial. It only becomes an issue when it crosses the line and becomes an addiction.

Upvote • 3 years ago

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@Grampy_Bone: Have you never found a wonderful novel to have a healing effect on you? It can be therapeutic and that’s pretty accurate. That’s great literature for you. In regards to games, Bloodborne helped me tremendously when I was in-between jobs about 5 years ago. I had lost all sense of control in my life, I wasn’t happy, and Bloodborne provided me with a psychological nightmare to grab the reigns of. It was an uncanny gaming experience for me. But I digress now because regardless of your mental state, the game in and of itself is a psychological masterpiece, and should bring meaningful “affect” on you. You could be happy as Larry but Bloodborne is still more than likely to have a uniquely provocative affect on you. That’s just my two pence.

2 • 3 years ago

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@Grampy_Bone: Yes. I think this pathologization of emotions (especially discordant ones) are a way the societal norm scapegoats it's own problems and contradictions into nature/individuals. I mean, it is a lot easier to blame an individual's natural body/brain for not "functioning right" than it is to delve into the social mess that we're all thrown into - and that produces the majority of these issues in the first place.

3 • 3 years ago

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@nilsdoen: France and Britain have pioneered the awareness of Mental Health since the late 80’s with Human Rights Acts and Care Mandates. America are catching up, they’re a bit late but it can only be seen as a good thing. You have to consider their usual social divides and the fact that they still won’t allow their women to have the exact same pay as a man doing the exact same job.

Upvote • 3 years ago

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@bloodbornelore: funny how you continue to respond to my posts even though I've been very clear about not wanting to discuss anything with you.

Upvote • 3 years ago

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@nilsdoen: Eh? What the heck is wrong with you? What I do?

5 • 3 years ago

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Sekiro is better than all the souls games in every way.

5 • 3 years ago

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@gr4h4m833zy: Just not the masterpiece in level design that is Bloodborne. ;)

Upvote • 3 years ago

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