10 Gutsy Video Games That Tackle Polarising Subject Matter
1. Night In The Woods
Night in the Woods is one of the most effective displays of the mental health issues that pervade the tumultuous period of life that is university.
The game follows Mae, a recent college dropout who returns home due to unexplained issues. When she arrives she returns to her old life, hangs out with forgotten friends, and explores her old town. Along the way it is revealed that Mae disassociates and after a particularly traumatic event six years ago she has begun to do so again.
The game is a constant reminder of just how different every form of mental health can be, as Mae slowly begins to disassociate again, finding it hard to talk to her parents, or even her friends as she struggles with her ever growing issues involving her mental health.
Perhaps the most effective part of the game is how it never really gives any sort of answer on the issue; no instant fix that will whisk all of Mae's troubles away. Instead, when the game reaches the conclusion, the old friends talk, they laugh, and they carry on as best they can.
It's here the real message of the game becomes clear:
It's okay to not be okay, and prioritising yourself is the way forward.