Emotionally responsive gaming promotes mindfulness

London-based startup BfB Labs is developing a gaming platform that promotes positive mental health in young people by teaching resilience through games.

The teenage years are tough for almost everyone, and London-based BfB Labs has found a way to help. The tech startup created an emotionally responsive gaming platform to help young people maintain good mental health. Currently raising funds on Indiegogo, Champions of the Shengha is a mobile game that uses a Bluetooth ear clip to measure players’ heart rates.

A fantasty card battling game, Champions of the Shengha uses swords, spells and stress control. Players who can manage their anxiety through diaphragmatic breathing techniques excel, earning more resources with which to defeat opponents. The beta version of the game is currently being tested and is available for free to schools in the United States and United Kingdom. Pending funding success, an updated beta version is due in December 2016 for further iterations among the testing community, with a final product ready in March 2017.

Wellbeing is a powerful movement, affecting positive change in almost every area of life, from work to home and school. This service helps entire companies de-stress, and a wearable tracks jaw movements to monitor mental health. What communities have yet to benefit from personalized approaches to wellbeing through mindfulness?