A guide? On this? Yup, on this. It’s valuable information that you don’t know you need until you’re trapped in a cancer ward with little contact with the outside world and no way out. Backstory? I will write a post about this in full another time but the short version is: 18 May 2022 I was diagnosed with Acute Myloid Leukemia. Subsequently, I was in the hospital from then until nearly christmas and afterwards I was attended clinics three times a week. During which I was locked in a ward with the other cancer patients, not allowed to leave and only allowed to see one family member once a day for an hour only. Games were my source of sanity, but not every game is suitable for such a situation. Some are too intense for someone deathly ill. Some too grim to stomach. Multiplayer is nearly impossible and many other choices will have your room mate attempting to strangle you in your sleep. So the following is my guide, to ease the way to gaming during your most difficult hour(s). Hardware When it comes to hospital you have three choices of gaming hardware: mobile, steam deck (or equivalent) or Nintendo Switch. Forget your playstations and xboxes: the hospital doesn’t even own the shitty TVs in the rooms and certainly won’t let you plug anything into them. PC setups take way too much room. If you’re lucky your ward might have a barebones recroom with ageing tech, but I wouldn’t count on it. Whatever you pick, bring a powerboard with you. Power outlets are in short supply in the rooms and your stuff WILL get unplugged in favor of medical equipment. Plugging everything into a powerboard will help avoid that plus help make moving easier when you are inevitably shuffled around the ward. Headphones are also a must. Even if your room mate has the TV on blast, you will find yourself put on blast if your games make a peep. Unfair? Obviously, but I don’t make the rules. A tablet stand that has a clamp on one end and a flexible arm, paired with a wireless controller for your device of choice can help keep you playing even when you’re too weak to lift more than a cup of water. And finally, mobile data. Don’t try to rely on the “free” hospital wifi. It’s too slow to even load webpages properly. Your games have no hope. Software Sky: Children of the Light Available on iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows and SteamOS First we have an MMO, which will have some of you wondering if I know what I’m talking about but stay with me. It’s an MMO in name only. There are next to no stakes in Sky. No real set backs. The nurse comes into the room to take your vitals for the fifth time that hour and it’s no big deal to just put to game down and your arm out. The vibes are primarily calm. The gameplay, simple but satisfying. Other players flitter about you and your friends? They can take your hand and even pick you up and lead you to your destination. That was what my mum did when I was too unwell to engage in even simple gameplay. Bullet Heaven Games Vampire Survivors is available on macOS, Windows Xbox OneX, box Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Meta Quest All you have to do is dodge in most of these games and the levels are generally suited to quick bursts. A good distraction from the nausea in your tummy. Visual Novels Tsukihime is a real classic. No, they are not all “porn games”. In fact, there are as many genres of Visual Novel as there are for books. And as it stands we english speakers have access to more VNs than ever before. “Cozy” Games Fantasy Life i is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 While I generally find this label too subjective to be useful, it can lead you to games that are either slower paced or lighter in theme which is appropriate when you’re very ill. A good example that I’m playing right this moment is Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream for Switch. It’s creative, but not demanding. Sound advice from Wei Wuxian That having been said, not all cozy games are appropriate. Cult of the Lamb (a personal favourite of mine) is very macabre whilst Spiritfarer ran far too close to addressing the thing that was killing me for my own comfort. Reviews and recommendations are your friend here. Tetris Tetris Effect is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Meta Quest Studies show that playing Tetris with six hours of a traumatic event can help mitigate trauma! As good excuse as any to play if you ask me. Summary Videogames can be a great tool in getting you through one of the most trying times of your life. If you have any suggestions you think should be on the list, let me know and I’ll add them with credit!