Apart Of Me
Review

Apart Of Me (2016) is an exploration game where you visit a peaceful island, meet friendly characters, and complete quests. The theme of grief intertwines through these things. At their own pace, the player can collect various tools designed to help with coping. Collect gems to unlock interactive breathing exercises. Find messages on the beach that explain death customs in different cultures. Listen to interviews with other young people explaining how their grief felt.

The game also encourages players to think about how they feel, both through in-game questions and by suggesting they talk to trusted people in real life. The tasks are low-pressure and the player doesn’t have to do things if they feel uncomfortable.

To quote from Bounce Work’s website, "œDealing with the terminal illness and inevitable death of a loved one is difficult at any age - but for a child it’s devastating, especially as our taboos around death and dying leave many children without honest, appropriate conversations, leading to negative outcomes including depression, school exclusion and criminality. By making trusted, conventional counselling techniques available to children through newly-available technology Apart of Me will provide a medium in which the taboo around dying can be gently overcome, so that children with a terminally ill parent or loved one can turn their nightmare into an experience that gives them resilience well into their future."

Our examiner, Jo Robertson, first checked Apart Of Me 3 years ago. It was re-examined by Andy Robertson and updated 4 weeks ago.