#mentalhealth #psychology #gaming #hades #supergiant
Thanks for watching The Flow, Story, and Overuse of Hades | Screen Therapy!
Supergiant’s Hades is a game with a balance between flow-inspiring dungeon crawl mechanics and engaging story-telling that is almost TOO perfect. This game challenged my mindful gaming practice and sometimes had me playing for several hours a day. This review of Hades is a love letter to the smooth, gorgeous, and rewarding gameplay but also a quick tutorial on how to stay mindful and practice the Positive Media Literacy habits needed for Digital Flourishing. I highly recommend Hades, it an amazing game that deserves all the praise it has received, but I’d put a disclaimer on it warning players to remember to check in with themselves after each run and maybe put it down and take a break.
Chapters:
00:00 I Blame Hades For My Hiatus
01:18 Positive Media Literacy
02:25 The Flow Experience
07:08 Narrative Engagement
10:19 Avoiding Overuse
13:13 Conclusion
Sources:
Janicke-Bowles, S. H., Raney, A. A., Oliver, M. B., Dale, K. R. (2020).
Introduction to Positive Media Psychology. United States: Taylor & Francis.
Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Csikzentmihaly, M. (1990).
Flow: The psychology of optimal experience
(Vol. 1990). New York: Harper & Row.
The Evolution of Roguelike Design – Design Doc
Oliver, M.B., Dale, K.R., Janicke-Bowles, S.H., Raney, A.(2020).
Introduction to Positive Media Psychology. “What is Positive Media Psychology?”, “Meaningful Entertainment”. United States: Taylor & Francis.
Reinecke, L., Oliver, M.B. (2017) Media Use and Well Being: Status Quo and Open Questions. The Routledge Handbook of Media Use and Well-Being. Routledge.
Nabi, R. L., Prestin, A. (2017) The Tie That Binds: Reflecting on Emotion’s Role in Relationship Between Media Use and Subjective Well-Being.
Huta, V. (2017). An overview of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being concepts.
Reer, F., & Quandt, T. (2020). Digital Games and Well-Being: An Overview. Video Games and Well-being, 1-21.
Music:
Hades OST – Darren Korb
Outro/Screen Therapy Theme:
Never Really Gone by Stuart Bateman
Stuart Bateman – https://soundcloud.com/stuartbateman
https://twitter.com/StuartEBateman
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Thanks for the videos ❤️
I love your perspective on games!
I never really thought about games in terms of 'is it giving more than its taking', though looking back, I think that to some extent I recognized this when I decide if a game's learning curve is worth it for me, or if maintaining skill at a game actually brings me enjoyment. I remember when I quit playing League of Legends, I was burned out and somewhat resentful of the game almost, despite having thousands of games over many years since late 2010, but I had many good memories of those competitive highs that called to me. Eventually, as I waffled back and forth on coming back to it, I realized something: the frustration of trying to recapture enough skill to at least stand where I was previously and maintain that skill wasn't bringing me much enjoyment or satisfaction, and was instead bringing out the negative aspects of my personality associated with that highly competitive environment. It was at this point that I put down LoL for good. I simply didn't like the influence it had on me.
That being said, it's not surprising at all that Hades is getting acclaimed. If you look at Supergiant Games' record, while it may not be solid gold you can at least say the worst they've done is silver. Truly a talented and artistic studio that deserves the praise its games routinely get. I've been a fan since Bastion, and Transistor grew on me over time, but sadly I haven't had the opportunity to experience Pyre or Hades. I think that they especially stand out when it comes to music and scoring.
Also I still hope you touch on Dark Souls someday.
I really like your videos! They are quite unique and refreshing. I appreciate that your analyses aren't spoiler-heavy either. It often stops me from watching videos from some people I subscribe to, but yours often spark interest without revealing too much. It's quite enjoyable 🙂
I've played a game called "When the Darkness comes" some time ago. Mental health is its central theme and I found it an interesting experience. Hearing your thoughts on it would be really cool. It's free on Steam if you're interested. It's just a suggestion though. Whatever your next video will be, I'll be sure to watch it anyway.
Thank you for your content, I really appreciate what you doin' <3
I can totally get how you got lost in Hades, I've recently picked up the game myself and it's a masterpiece. Sometimes I don't even realize that I've spent so much time in the game, and then I look up and it's dark outside. Thank you for your take on this! I thought the video would cover the storyline and how that affects the player, but the actual gameplay and properties of roguelight flow is also really intriguing.
I feel like Hades covers both hedonic and eudaimonic areas on the spectrum, with the gameplay being hedonic and the narrative being eudaimonic (in terms of how Zagreus's relationship with his parents changes over time), but the eudaimonic factor isn't that prevalent until after a couple of completed runs. Even with only one of these factors, Hades is a really accomplished game for an independent company, and having both really makes it one of my top favorite games. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
This is lovely. I'll definitely be going through your backlog over the next couple days because this is exactly the kind of chill, positive analysis I enjoy. Your tone and voice are a fantastic contrast from the many high-energy game design YouTubers
…I wish I knew what the heck “Rogue-like” even means…