What is it?
Mental Sandbox is a website that specializes in researching and developing video games that can be used to soothe the symptoms of various mental health conditions. With meditative techniques and coping strategies built into the gameplay, players learn to build
healthy, non-destructive habits to help in situations of high emotion or stress. On this website, users can browse the vast catalog of games to find one that best works for their targeted needs. In addition to the games themselves, users can find national crisis
hotlines, mental health resources in their area, and a variety of research regarding the impact that these games can have on one’s self.
What does the name mean?
In the world of gaming, sandbox games are games that have relatively few limitations and allow players to explore the virtual environment at will. Now, in regard to psychology, the term “mental sandbox” was coined by Eric Ross Weinstein and refers to “psychological spaces in which we should process the most contradictory and irrational aspects of our lives.” (Sabater, 2023) Basically, you have to tackle the hard stuff head on in order to see personal growth. In combining these two definitions, we get Mental Sandbox, a mental health video game website.
