The positive impact of board games on mental health

Mental health in the board game community

A study involving more than 1,500 regular board game players found that the prevalence of most mental health conditions (including schizophrenia, dyslexia, ADHD, etc.) is comparable to that of the general population, with two notable exceptions: anxiety is twice as prevalent, and autism is four times more prevalent than in the general population. The primary motivation reported by participants for playing board games was social connection, followed by escapism. In other words, board games function as social spaces that are particularly valued by people whose mental health may be more vulnerable.

Games act as a social tool for people with autism

Using commercially available modern board games (including Dixit, Werewolf, and Codenames) over the course of an entire school year provides children with a welcome break from traditional classroom activities. Both students and teachers reported that board games strengthened social-emotional relationships. In particular, cooperative games fostered physical and emotional closeness between classmates that extended beyond the gaming sessions themselves.

Board games also act as social facilitators by providing a structured environment in which attention is focused on the game rather than on the individual. This makes social communication easier for people who typically find it cognitively demanding. In a six-week Dungeons & Dragons campaign, autistic adults reported that, despite fears of making social mistakes or being rejected, interacting through a fictional character made social exchanges more accessible and fulfilled their need for inclusion within a group. Participants developed strong emotional connections with their characters, allowing them to symbolically reframe aspects of their own experiences and overcome some autism-related challenges. Tabletop role-playing games therefore emerged as emotionally meaningful and psychologically safe spaces for social interaction.

Games act as a developmental tool for children

Among more than 300 children aged 9–10, incorporating modern board games into classroom learning increased self-efficacy by a factor of five. Self-efficacy, the belief in one’s own ability to succeed, is closely linked to self-confidence and wellbeing, and is a strong predictor of academic achievement. Board games provide children with a safe environment in which they can experiment with real-life situations, build confidence in their abilities, and learn without the fear of real-world failure.

Among more than 150 children aged 6–13 from disadvantaged backgrounds, the use of modern board games in the classroom increased emotional regulation (reappraisal of emotions and frustration management) by 19% and behavioural regulation (self-control and impulse management) by 22%. Board games appear to provide particularly meaningful benefits for children facing social isolation or other challenges, who are also at greater risk of anxiety and depression.

Games act as an accessible and engaging tool for older adults

Among independent older adults aged 65 to 82, just six board game sessions (including both traditional and modern games such as Azul and Pandemic) resulted in a 16% increase in reported wellbeing. Notably, participants engaged directly with modern board games without first needing to transition through more familiar traditional games. These findings suggest that commercially available modern board games are accessible and effective tools for promoting wellbeing in later life.

Among older adults living with Alzheimer’s disease, playing Dobble and Timeline helped preserve 45% of emotional functioning and 30% of social interactions, compared with only 28% and 3%, respectively, in the absence of stimulation. Adapted games featuring larger components, higher visual contrast and adjustable difficulty levels proved to be effective tools for supporting social connection and emotional engagement in people living with neurodegenerative diseases.