Anxiety Attack: The Game

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

There are games based on various topics such as drinking, suicide, and now anxiety. Anxiety Attack is a first person, single player indie game that shows people what it’s like to have an anxiety attack. While I personally haven’t played the game myself, I was able to watch Jacksepticeye, a popular Youtuber, play it on his channel.

As someone whose anxiety is through the roof I can honestly say this game is incredibly accurate. The game begins with a warning informing you that if you have anxiety or depression you should probably avoid this game. Now I can handle my anxiety rather well, my depression – it depends honestly, but for this venture I was all right. I understood what I was getting into and I wanted to see how this game creator imagined anxiety. I usually enjoy seeing other people’s perspective of things, especially when it’s something I have (anxiety) or something that I like.

The game warns flashing negative words like ‘death’ and ‘useless’ or phrases like ‘I am worthless’ and ‘nothing matters’. Those words (and many others like them) can matter a great deal and affect your mood and mentality terribly.  These words flicker throughout the scenery, especially when you are encounter a shaky dark mass – the actual anxiety attack of the game. Should you run into an anxiety attack, you must focus on breathing no matter what words appear and the screen’s distortion. The game is not a horror game like Alien Isolation or Five Nights at Freddy’s, so there are no unexpected jumpscares or gory details. You can see the anxiety attack and avoid it; by no means does it lunge at you like Freddy Fazbear.

This game shows people just how important breathing is during an anxiety attack which I couldn’t agree with more. Anxiety attacks come in different forms and appearances and breathing is the key to help reducing them. There are even breathing techniques that aid someone who is enduring an anxiety attack. Some techniques include counting backward from ten to one (a wondrously helpful move) while taking deep breaths in between and focusing on your breathing as opposed to the jarring thoughts in your head. I prefer to take deep slow breaths while reminding myself of things that make me happy like the beach, the stars, or some good Indian food.

The game also focuses on how people should have a happy place to seek solace during their anxiety attacks. It illustrates this concept by giving the player ten peace zones to locate while roaming through a serene forest (which is beautifully depicted and paired with some lovely, calming music).  Having a happy place couldn’t be truer. My happy place is the beach – which I’ll sometimes go to ease my mind and my anxiety. I even use calming music (preferably Mecano’s Hijo de la Luna) to help me during an anxiety attack.

What this game ultimately reveals is that there is no shame in having anxiety or depression and that they are merely obstacles to power through in our lives. Granted, these are not simple seas to swim or miniscule mountains to climb. It hurts even worse when people tell sufferers to ‘man up’ or ‘get over it’ or that ‘it’s no big deal’.  Anxiety and depression are a big deal and should be treated as such – just like any other illness mental or physical that harms a person in some fashion.  

If you or anyone you know suffers from anxiety or depression then follow through with those breathing exercises, get help, talk to your friends, and be safe. I find that drawing and writing actually helps lessen my anxiety because my brain is focused on my work as opposed to the ‘what ifs’ bouncing in my head. Even getting outside every once in a while in a reasonably peaceful atmosphere gives you fresh air which in turn soothes the mind. 

Everything will be all right in the end because everything works out in some fashion if not by our own doing then by the twisted ways of the cosmos. Just breathe, focus, and be strong. In the words of Nail from “Dragonball Z : Abridged,” “YOU CAN WIN! YOU FEEL GREAT! YOU! CAN! DO! THIS!”

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So tell me, what are your thoughts on the game Anxiety Attack?