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Good For Fibromyalgia

Finding games to support and ease the challenges of illness, disorders and disabilities can be a time-consuming task. We have been working with experts in many fields to help individuals identify games they can enjoy, and potentially even benefit from.

We've worked with Fibromyalgia UK, and Andrew Hardy (andyhardy360) who lives with Fibromyalgia, to identify some searches that return useful games for Fibromyalgia sufferers. As stated on its website, "People with chronic pain conditions have often used distraction techniques as a diversion from their pain. An increasing number of people with fibro use gaming for enjoyment and as a distraction to cope with and manage their pain."

Andrew described one of his symptoms as fingers feeling like they were stuck together and being painful to move. This means that games that offer button or keyboard remapping are a good place to start, as the inputs can be configured to suit his varying digit mobility. Also, games you can play with fewer buttons can be good.

This also means that vibration is an important consideration. Games that use sudden and strong vibrations can cause Andrew pain and make it hard to keep playing. But also, he mentioned that games that offer softer and more continuous vibration can actually offer a welcome massaging experience. Games like Lonely Mountains Downhill or Rhythm Doctor are good examples of this.

Andrew also described the symptom of "fibro fog" as he described it. Not being able to think clearly or quickly. This means that games that offer really clear mission guidance and navigation assistance are helpful to get him on his way.

The unpredictability of his pain means that Andrew often needs to stop playing unexpectedly. This means that games that let you save where you are without losing progress are another good aspect to consider.

We put these requirements together to create a custom search for Andrew, games with the following features:

  • "Large Clear Navigation"
  • "Save Anytime"
  • "Head-Up Display Navigation"
  • "Vibration Optional"

You can use this as a starting point or create your own search from scratch on the game browser page of the database. We've also picked out some games that these searches return and provided them in this list below.

One reader, Angela Hickman Newnham, who suffers from chronic pain and fibro, said: "Video games are an important part of distraction from pain for me. Things that are important are not having rapid button presses and flow/pacing of the game. Lots of games work for me, depending on how bad of a flare! I am often weighing the value of distraction vs effect on symptoms. Currently playing Hades, which is hard on my hands but the adaptive difficulty (God Mode) makes it playable. It's helped me through 2 really rough weeks because of short play sessions of less than 1 hour and the rewards cycle that keeps me engaged."

A good search for Angela could be games with the following:
  • Played in Short Rounds
  • "Unfailable"
  • "Rapid Repeated Pressing Optional"

This list includes 16 games from the last 26 years, with 1,047 likes. They come from a range of different genres and play-styles and are all good games if you want to distract yourself from pain.

DetailsList Details

PEGI Ratings: PEGI 3 to PEGI 18
ESRB Ratings: ESRB EVERYONE to ESRB MATURE 17+
Australian Ratings: G to MA 15+
Genres: Action, Adventure, Brain Game, Collecting, Communication, Creative, Fighting, Narrative, Platform, Point-and-Click, Puzzle, Race, Rhythm, Role-Play, Sequencing, Shooting, Simulation, Sports, Stealth, Strategy and Traversal
Total Likes: 1,047
 

The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Release Date: 03/03/2017

Out Now: Switch and Wii U

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person, Cartoon, Day and Night, Open World and Weather

The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild departs from the previous Zelda formula with the scale and depth of its world. You walk, fly, ride and climb your way through a landscape that varies in climate, terrain, inhabitants and vegetation. Weather and...

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure

Release Date: 11/12/2020

Out Now: Apple TV, Mac, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One and iOS

Skill Rating: 5+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person and Cartoon

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is an adventure game where you play as a young girl who starts a wildlife conservation club. Play involves exploring the island, using the bird song you hear to find and photograph all manner of real-world birds. It stands out...

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

Release Date: 10/06/2021, updated in 2021

Out Now: Mac, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person and Hand-Made

Chicory: A Colorful Tale is an adventure where you play an everyday dog thrust into the role of wielding a magic brush. The world starts black and white but you colour it in with your paintbrush to solve puzzles and help your animal friends. It looks...

Lonely Mountains Downhill

Release Date: 22/10/2019

Out Now: Mac, PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person, Cartoon and Open World

Lonely Mountains Downhill is a racing game where you traverse a mountain on a bike. Make your way through thick forests, narrow trails and wild rivers. Race, jump, slide and try not to crash all the way from the peak to the valley. You choose your route...

Iris and the Giant

Release Date: 27/02/2020, updated in 2023

Out Now: Android, Mac, PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On, Cards and Cartoon

Iris and the Giant is a narrative strategy card game about a young girl named Iris who braves an imaginary world to tackle her inner demons and face her fears. It's a game about depression and anxiety where Iris uses escapism to cope with her life. More...

Minecraft

Release Date: 23/11/2017, updated in 2019

Out Now: 3DS and 2DS, Amazon Fire, Android, Mac, PC, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One and iOS

Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds

Components: 3D First-Person, 3D Third-Person, Blocks, Day and Night, Open World and Weather

Minecraft is an open-world adventure where you collect, craft and construct structures and items. Play involves exploring the world to find resources and good locations to build. Some of the best aspects of the game are less well known; along with the...

Subnautica Below Zero

Release Date: 30/01/2019, updated in 2021

Out Now: Mac, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Components: 3D First-Person, Day and Night and Open World

Subnautica Below Zero is an open-world adventure game that follows the original game, Subnautica. You play a scientist on an alien planet searching for clues about the research team that vanished there. What develops is a light...

Heaven's Vault

Release Date: 16/04/2019

Out Now: PC, PS4 and Switch

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person

Heaven's Vault is a communication adventure game you play an archaeologist translating an ancient alien language whose decrypting weaves through an unfolding drama. While doing real linguistic work you interact with companions and locals. Your choices...

Gran Turismo (Series)

Release Date: 01/01/1997, updated in 2017

Out Now: PS3, PS4 and PSP

Skill Rating: 14+ year-olds

Components: 3D First-Person and 3D Third-Person

Gran Turismo is a driving simulator that focuses on a photo-realistic driving experience. Players race real-world cars where bodywork and interiors are perfectly modelled. Whether hatchbacks or super cars, this game lets you step into the world of the...

Röki

Release Date: 23/07/2020

Out Now: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Cartoon

Röki is a Scandinavian folklore point-and-click style adventure game where you play Tove on a journey to save her family. As you help her to come to terms with loss, you explore deep into a snowy fairytale landscape with strange locations and creatures.

Forza Horizon 4

Release Date: 25/09/2018

Out Now: PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S

Skill Rating: 7+ year-olds

Components: 3D First-Person, 3D Third-Person, Day and Night, Open World and Weather

Forza Horizon 4 is a thrilling racing game where you race all manner of vehicles across a wide range of landscapes. This fourth iteration is set in the United Kingdom, with Edinburgh’s narrow streets, the Lake District’s hills and rainfall and the...

Dirt (Series)

Release Date: 01/01/2007, updated in 2020

Out Now: DS, PS2, PS3, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S

Skill Rating: 9+ year-olds

Components: 3D First-Person and 3D Third-Person

Dirt 5 is the latest game in a series of extreme sports racing games. Like Forza Horizon or the older MotorStorm games, the series focuses on exuberance and party atmosphere rather than just...

Assassin's Creed Identity

Release Date: 25/02/2016

Out Now: Android and iOS

Skill Rating: 11+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person and Open World

Assassin's Creed Identity is an action-adventure video game that takes the city exploration, combat and narrative adventure to mobile devices. Set during the Italian Renaissance, you explore Rome, Firenze, and Monteriggioni as one of four different...

The Outer Worlds

Release Date: 23/10/2020

Out Now: PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One

Components: 3D First-Person, Day and Night and Open World

The Outer Worlds is a futuristic role-playing game where you are a colonist working to thaw your team and colonise the planet. Exploring, talking, shooting; how you do this is up to you, in what soon becomes a tangle plot of corporate control and...

Rhythm Doctor

Release Date: 26/02/2021

Out Now: PC

Components: 2D Side-On and Pixels

Rhythm Doctor is a rhythm game about shocking patients' hearts back in sync with their heartbeats to save their lives. You press a single button on the 7th beat to defibrillate each patient. It sounds simple but each level has a unique illnesses based...

Luck Be A Landlord

Release Date: 06/10/2020

Out Now: Mac and PC

Components: 2D Side-On and Pixels

Luck Be a Landlord is a simulation game where you collect symbols to build the ultimate slot machine, win lots of money, and defeat capitalism. You choose the tokens like deck building games, then have repeated attempts to win money like a rogue-like...

Taming Gaming Book Written by parents for parents, the database complements the in-depth discussion about video game addiction, violence, spending and online safety in the Taming Gaming book. We are an editorially independent, free resource without adverts that is supported by partnerships.

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