Games Played: Depression Quest, A home visit, Papers Please, and Fake it to Make it

 

Depression Quest

It was heavy and frustrating in a way that felt intentional. Seeing healthy options “crossed out” made me feel a sense of powerlessness that I hadn’t experienced in a game before.

Learned: I learned that depression isn’t just “feeling sad” it’s a clinical restriction of choices.

Suggestion: Adding a “Resources” button that remains visible throughout the game could provide immediate real-world help for players who find the experience too triggering.

A home Visit

I felt a high level of anxiety trying to choose the “right” words. The live-action video made the stakes feel very real, especially when the patient reacted poorly to my choices.

Learned: Communication and Observation

Suggestion: I would suggest adding a “review mode” at the end where you can see the video clips of the paths you didn’t take to understand the full range of outcomes.

Papers Please

Stressed and morally conflicted. The ticking clock and the need to feed my family made me start to ignore the humanity of the people in line just to get through the paperwork.

Learned: It taught me how systems and poverty can force good people to make cold, bureaucratic decisions.

Suggestion: ?

Fake it to Make it

I felt surprisingly “gross” and greedy. The game is designed to make you feel the thrill of watching numbers go up (profit and views), which made me realize how easy it is to stop caring about the truth when you are chasing “engagement.”

Learned: I learned how fake news sites actually operate as a business.

Suggestion: It would be interesting to see a “Counter-Player” mode where you see the real-world damage your fake news is causing to specific individuals

Reflection

When comparing these games, I noticed a clear “Empathy Spectrum.”

Internal Empathy: Depression Quest and Papers, Please focus on what is happening inside a person’s head. They are lonely, intense experiences that force you to sit with discomfort.

External Empathy: A Home Visit and Far From Home focus on the space between people. They are about how we observe, help, or accidentally hinder others.

While the professional games had more “polish,” the student-created and classroom games felt more relevant to my current life as a student. Depression Quest remains the most impactful for me because it didn’t just tell me a story; it took away my ability to play the game “correctly,” mirroring the actual experience of the condition.