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Life is busy and requires careful planning to spend time wisely in service of supporting oneself, families, and friends. For those 50+year olds supporting both adult children and aging

parents, time management is especially tough and ‘me time’ is at a premium. Even in retirement, demands remain to stay healthy, contributing members of society. So, what’s an easy, on-demand

activity providing highly coveted ‘me time’ and an escape from reality? Over the last six to seven years, according to a recent AARP Research study, an additional 12 million 50-plus adults

have discovered playing video games.[1] However, due to limited exposure and a full understanding of the benefits, some adults may feel stigmatized or guilty if they spend time gaming. Below

are the thoughts of one 68-year-old female participant in a research study[2] on the social pressures of playing certain types of games historically thought of as suitable for younger

players: _In the beginning I didn’t dare to say that I played it [i.e., the game “Tomb Raider”]. I thought people would think that I had lost my mind. They’d talk about how a woman shouldn’t

be doing that, especially not a woman of my age. But, I bought it anyways. And I love it! … And I am certainly not addicted to it or anything like that! It’s just something I like to do in

the evenings. … I never talk about it to other people. I think, aside from my family, there are not a lot of people who even know. Certainly not at the senior center. … I don’t mind, though.

There are plenty of other things to talk about._ Nobody should ever have to justify or hide that they enjoy playing a 3D entertainment game, like _Tomb Raider,_ or other video games, like

the latest _Super Smash Bros._ and _The Last of Us,_ or battle royale games, like _Fortnite_. 50-plus gamers find great benefit in game play. In fact, three-quarters (76%)[3] of 50-plus

year-old participants in the AARP study said the most important reason they play games is to have fun. PLAY IS MEANINGFUL It is easy to forget play does not need an ulterior motive. It is

one of the most important things we do in our lives. In her Wall Street Journal article, “Be a Gamer, Save the World,” game designer and author Jane McGonigal says: _"Games consistently

provide us with the four ingredients that make for a happy and meaningful life: satisfying work, real hope for success, strong social connections and the chance to become a part of

something bigger than ourselves.”[4]_ This quote might read a little differently from what many people would expect when describing the reasons play is an important part of human life. It

challenges the notion that play is solely the domain of children by highlighting how many games require players to develop skills which are relevant throughout our entire lives. As famous

psychoanalyst and pediatrician Donald Winnicott voiced this in his seminal work, Playing and Reality: “…_on the basis of playing is built the whole of man’s experiential existence._”[5] Play

is just that important in our lives and ceasing to play means giving up a crucial part of who we are as humans. Play theorist Brian Sutton-Smith came to this realization, as well, and

concludes, “The opposite of play, in these terms, is not a present reality or work, it is vacillation, or worse, it is depression."[6] THE NOT-SO-USUAL SUSPECTS Many studies discuss how

3D entertainment games can actually have positive health outcomes on players in terms of their socio-emotional well-being. Revisiting Jane McGonigal’s argument above, in her 2011 book_

_Reality is Broken, she describes how games “fulfill genuine human needs that the real world is unable to satisfy.”[7]  A review of 28 individual studies[8] noted many commercial

entertainment and casual games not only help to reduce stress and anxiety among healthy individuals – meaningful for healthy aging -- but also provide relief for patients suffering from

other conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, Parkinson’s disease, and comorbid anxiety. Other games also found to have such effects may not be the ones that instantly spring to

mind as having health benefits or even as being relaxing, like _Lego: Marvel Superheroes_, _Pokémon Go_ and even _World of Warcraft_. Research finds these games do not necessarily provide

relaxation, but, rather, a redirected form of stress:[9] _Justin shows how WoW [World of Warcraft] play can be therapeutic, allowing for escapes from a “stressful or complicated” offline

reality, what he calls “vacations from your mind.” Justin tells us that WoW in part provides such relief through relaxation. … True, play in this online virtual reality itself can be

stressful, Justin admits. But life online is “never as bad” as things can be in the so-called “real” world, in this interviewee’s opinion, thus pointing to the potential therapeutic escape

and gain of even WoW’s positive stress._ RELAXATION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME So, what games are the 50-plus playing? Research[10] finds casual puzzle games -- which are the most popular game

genre among all age groups[11] and even more so among 50+ year-olds[12] -- can improve your mood and decrease stress. From _Mahjong_ to _Wordle, Chess_ to _Solitaire_, there is a puzzle game

out there to suit all different interests and skill levels. There are also many games specifically designed for relaxation, stress reduction, and meditation. More traditional approaches to

relaxation include the game-like mediation apps designed, researched, and produced by Professor Carrie Heeter[13] from Michigan State University and more avant-garde approaches like

_SoundSelf _which turns players’ voices into highly visually immersive meditative tracks and the beautiful game _Flower _in which gamers play flower petals which float across the breeze.

ESCAPE TO RELAXATION The positive stress mentioned earlier -- perhaps akin to the “positive anxiety” found in the work of Wendy Suzuki[14] -- often brings additional benefits for those

wanting to improve their problem-solving, learn new skills, or reinvigorate pre-existing ones. From perceptual brain twisters, such as the popular card matching game _SET_,[15] to more

straightforward puzzle games, like the well-loved _Tetris,_[16] to more advanced spatial puzzles in 3D environments, like _Portal, _there are no shortage of options for challenging one’s

mind in new and different ways. In fact, a study on _Portal_ found it even outperforms a well-known cognitive training game on measures of problem-solving, spatial skill, and

persistence.[17] This finding is particularly interesting because _Portal’s _strong storyline has more in common with a movie than a cognitive exercise, which adds to its strengths. Much

like people enjoy a good movie to relax and escape into a story, games can offer a similar escape. The difference, however, is that while movies are passive, games, by definition, invite the

player to take part. Research shows that active engagement in media encourages different and more focused styles of thinking and learning compared with passive watching and listening. Games

can transport players to a different place and time for an instant perspective shift.[18] In the end, gamers should not feel guilty when playing video games since research on the

socio-emotional benefit of games supports embracing game play as a meaningful part of one’s everyday life. While more research is needed to understand the potential health benefits of game

play, gamers can hold their heads up high knowing enjoying video games can be a smart way to spend one’s time. Dr. Bob De Schutter Dr. Leanne Chukoskie The Games for Life Initiative

Northeastern University Dr. Bob De Schutter – Bob is an Associate Professor of Game Design at Northeastern University. He has specialized in researching play in relation to aging since 2004,

and he is also the owner of independent game development studio Lifelong Games. Dr. Leanne Chukoskie – Leanne is an Associate Professor at Northeastern University. Her lab develops

sensor-enabled experiences for assessment, intervention, and education, especially for children on the autism spectrum and older adults experiencing cognitive decline. End Notes Unless

indicated otherwise, the authors are not affiliated with the developers or publishers of any of the games mentioned. Before playing any games with younger generations, please review any

cited games’ content on a parental review site as some games may contain content not suitable for young children or teens. While none of the games provided by AARP Games or AARP’s AlcoveVR

offerings were studied as part of any of the studies mentioned above, it should be noted there are many similarities in the design of AARP Games’ Arcade and Word games and AlcoveVR’s

meditative experiences to the studied games referenced in this article.