The StepWell Saga: first South African cellphone game for mental health aimed at youngsters

A cartoonish looking gaming screen showing starry sky with some clouds, and bluish colour mountains in the background. In the foreground is a side view of some green grass, with a cutaway showing the underlying brown rocks and dirt below the grass. On the surface of the grass, in the centre, can be seen a figure that looks a bit like a monk with light colour clothing and a hood hiding the person's face. A bit off the left on the grass is a small r robot looking character with an astronaut's helmet on their head.

Mental health among South African youngsters is a serious concern. As part of a wider project to improve mental health policy and services in South Africa generally, the Foundation for Professional Development (FPD) has launched an innovative attempt to reach youth where they are at – playing games on their phones.

FPD secured a pioneering grant from Grand Challenges Canada (funded by the government of Canada) to develop Africa’s first serious game dedicated to mental health, entitled The StepWell Saga – Stronger Together.

As per edutainment theory, the game is not explicit about its mental health messages. These come through in the character dialogue and gameplay activities that teach skills like problem-solving, strategy and teamwork, and develop mental resilience — while also being fun to do. It challenges the player to think critically and promotes the importance of relationships in facing life’s challenges.

I really like the idea behind this game, and it looks like the reviews are pretty good. It is just sad that I see it is geo-restricted for South African accounts only (I personally really detest geofencing). It is however available for both Android and iOS, as well as in the Huawei store.

See https://techcentral.co.za/the-stepwell-saga-game-mental-health/246683/

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