Checkpoint: How video games power up minds, kick ass, and save lives

Author:  Joe Donnelly

You're probably familiar with tired cliches around gaming culture in the media: That video games are violent and damaging. That they’re for children, or society's outcasts; for the lazy and those without purpose. Joe Donnelly is here to tell you that video games, in fact, save lives. They saved his.

Inspired by his own experience navigating depression following a tragic personal loss, Checkpoint reflects on the comforting and healing effect that entering into new digital worlds and narratives can have on mental health both personally and on a wider scale. From the big-budget triple A studios, to the one-person indie set-ups, there are thousands of eye-opening games exploring human complexities overtly and subtly all waiting to enthral and comfort players old and new.

Through exclusive, in-depth interviews with video game developers, health professionals, charities and gamers alike, Joe makes the case for the vital value of gaming culture and why we should be more open minded and willing to pick up a controller if not for fun, for the well-being of ourselves and our loved ones.

‘Checkpoint will make you reassess who gamers are and how gaming influences mental health. Both playful and hugely poignant, it will almost certainly have you reaching for the controller.’ - Annie McGuire, BBC Scotland