In times of instability and isolation, games can assume a powerful role in allowing us to have positive emotional experiences, and are proven to be beneficial for our mental well-being. But having got through Blue Monday once more, we could all do with a virtual vacation to make us smile and banish the January blues…
BANISH THE JANUARY BLUES
A new study from musicMagpie has surveyed players of some of the most popular titles to find out which games are making us the happiest. So escape to an idyllic island in the form of Animal Crossing (Nintendo Switch) proved irresistible to players in 2020, and 64.8% were the happiest playing the life sim.
With clubs closed for the foreseeable future, players are turning to Just Dance to get moving and 60.7% of players are the happiest on Ubisoft’s family favourite.
Mario Kart 8 is sure to get pulses raising! And so 58% of its player base exhibited happiness when hitting the rainbow road. Perhaps more surprisingly, Rockstar’s crime epic GTA V makes the top 10! With 45.9% of gamers the happiest causing havoc in Los Santos.
THE BEST GAMES FOR FRIENDSHIPS
FIFA players in particular were catching up through online gaming instead of by phone. Over half of all gamers said online gaming has kept friendships alive that otherwise would have been lost. Fortnite: Battle Royale proved most popular for online gamers playing online to stay in touch with friends during lockdown.
Online gaming isn’t just great for existing friends. The survey revealed that over half of all UK gamers have met new, lifelong friends through gaming. If the aim of your game is to find romance, then MLB The Show is the game for you, with 1 in 4 players dating someone they met whist playing it online.
It’s not all fairy tales in the gaming world though. Over half of all gamers to arguing with their partners over the amount of time they spend on their console or damaging their controller or console in anger over gameplay!
So maybe avoid the arguments – but pickup some these games to bring a bit of happiness into your life! Do it by trading in games that you no longer play at musicMagpie
Check out some of our exclusive interviews with video games developers, including art & design: