We made a DEPRESSION GAME?! 

A good thing about this game is all the sequels you can make! Anxiety! ADHD! Why my father left! OCD!

I love how many times he just looked at Tom like "I could do a whol thesis on that statement you just made..." Like at 24:45

I kinda feel like this game could use some kind of collaborative component, instead of it just being a competitive race. Maybe a perk when is 2 players share the same space, or are 1 space away. Such as maybe a few 'sad' cards effects are weakened when a player is near, or a yellow card can effect both. Or maybe some spots on the board give 1st place players a chance to give players lagging behind a boost. Maybe some cards require you to do more then move spaces, like talk to other players. Or maybe the game ends when everyone reaches the end, and the people at the end can do things to help everyone left. Depression can be a very isolating experience, but opening up to others, ether loved ones unaffected or other people suffering, is best for everyone involved. In this game, you literally are not alone since you have other players, but there can be a lot of space between players. I think tying some of the themes more into the mechanics can make some of it resonate more. It's one thing to read a card, but another to actively act something out.

The frown face cards stacking is such a great and subtle representation of how one “down” can quickly spiral and lead into another. I would for sure play this with family and close friends.

To Tom: Make this game. It will be worth it, even if it doesn't sell well (or at all). Just go through the full process of making the game, make some physical copies, and then put a "pay what you want" printable up online. This is something that could do a lot of good for a lot of people. And with some of the suggestions in this comment section this could go from a simple metaphor for depression to a. full-on allegory and role-play vehicle for neurotypical individuals to better understand what it's like to have depression. You're obviously very passionate about this, and that's the best person to make something like this.

I really hope even in the future and even if its really unrelated to tom this game in some way gets released or re though of

This is legitimately a very great idea for a game

"And I get to leave the table neurotypical!" I wish lmao

I kinda want a trans version of this about dysphoria and such. Like negative cards involve dysphoria stuff and negative interactions with other people but positive ones involve like euphoria and validation and such

Thank you to all of you taking the time to comment. Let me know what else I can do for you on the channel :) - Ben Ps.. we maaay make the full game..

just a thought on the idea of the game, half the two existing piles, make a third deck that is a half good and half bad. change up the board symbols to draw a "random card" from the third new pile, adds a bit of chance to the game. just an idea, and the other two piles exist for when you roll the dice on a happy face or sad face

Do not change the text of the game. Make the illustration's a bit more silly

Can’t believe they made me into a boardgame

The fact that you helped Tom out was amazing. I have personally never had depression, but I have some friends that have had depression in the past. Anyway, super underrated, and super informative. Stay safe!

I would love to see an ADHD game, maybe where you roll a die at the start to see if you have ADHD Type Inattentive, ADHD type Hyperactive, or ADHD type combined, I feel like ADHD could be tricky to put into a game though, lol, might just be because I never hyperfocus all the way through a project or game, buttttttt ADHD really is a mindfrick lmao, especially since it can cause Depression, RSD, Anxiety, Imposter Syndrome, and my fidgeting causes Dermatillomania yayyyyyy : D I'm pretty open about all my experiences and happy to share if you want, I feel like I have a good understanding of my head, I live with all the stuff above except the imposter syndrome. Also a lot of representation for women with ADHD would be cool in a game like that since often even in modern day ADHD can be seen as a 'boys' thing. Ahhh I'm rambling

This game should absolutely be packaged and distributed. I like the simplistic design of the box as well, although that might not have been deliberate, and rather, may have just been a result of making the game in a day. But just a title on a blank box seems to exude a feeling of putting in the least possible effort because that's all you can muster. And that resonates with me quite a bit, because depression.

I really like the concept of this game, I wish it was a bit longer I think, but yeah, I'd love to see it become a real thing specially because it would help people get frustrated playing it and force them to empathize without having to have depression themselves.

I love the font for depression

20:00 ish gave me flashbacks to Tom's signature food Just F*ck It, the only food that comes with an advisory warning.

Do a kickstarter, people around the world would love it and back it up

If this ever does sell, keep the box cardboard and janky. I love it. He's so proud of it, just keep it that way.

I'm planning on playing this game with a few friends but one of the problems I seem to see with this game is that it's a little too short for how many cards there are. There are more sad faces than happy faces on the board which makes sense thematically; but, you run the risk of players getting bored with the concept and not want to complete the game multiple times to see all the cards. I have a feeling the reason Tom made the gameboard so short is because he originally made it for a video where him and two others make a board game in a week. Tom knew that they all had to play each of their board games so he needed to make it a quicker game to keep the video length below an hour. I decided to remake the gameboard by hand but just added extra squares to make the game last longer. Most people are willing to humour a board game at least once but a lot of the time if it's not the next UNO or Monopoly then they'll never bother to play it a second time. Also I think reading the reflections out loud is absolutely necessary for the game to work in it's goals to be educational, otherwise you'll have people treat it like the flavor text on MTG cards and only read the "got angry, go back 2 spaces" part

12 years ago i went through a severe depression which also developed into social anxiety, severe enough to cause panic attacks when around my close family (Lived with my parents at the time). At the time even though it was just 12 years ago mental illness was stigamtized and taboo, so when i got a diagnosis i didn't seek support even when told by my therapist that it would be the best thing i could do. Mostly i didn't include my family at first because i was extremely scared of how they would react to it, but also because i didn't know how to explain why i was doing what i did or didn't do. So i would have loved to have this boardgame back then, it would have helped give my family some idea what was going on, because i couldn't explain it at the time.

This is a very good idea, and i would love to see it in a full game. i've had multiple friends who had depression, and unfortunately one of them is no longer around due to the depression. tho i've showed this to this vid to the other friends who had it, and they said it look fun, and would've probably helped them thru it faster.

One of the cards helped me Identify something.

Came here after watching the TryHards video, and I really love the concept of the game! I believe it can do so much good in spreading awareness and starting conversations that one does not know how to start. I was looking at the printable version (as I'm interested in printing it and using it) when I noticed that the :( cards with *END TURN* on them don't do anything for the gameplay, and don't represent a consequence of the symptom/action? If it was instead replaced by a *MISS NEXT TURN* (the opposite of the :) cards that say *ROLL AGAIN* ) or have a *MOVE BACK X SPACES* like the other cards, they could be more immersive and representative of the effects the symptom/action has on oneself (like the other cards). I would love for an official version of this to come out in the future!

(I posted the following comment on TomSka's video as well, but, thought it was important enough to post here too) Maybe the ending of "Depression(TM)" can be more liiike: The people who win become a "Therapist" role, meaning they can now add their own dice-roll to other players' (to help the players "get through their day"). A Therapist dice roll doesn't have to be taken if it would lead the player to a bad spot, and sadness and happiness roles are effectively a zero from the therapist(s) for various reasons, but mostly ease of gameplay-then each player goes until they actually make it through the day. I feel like the above would be a much better, more logical, and more wholesome message/finale for people who ACTUALLY are struggling with depression and playing the Depression boardgame than just "Welp, someone made it through the day faster than everyone else (somehow), so nobody else gets to make it through the day; they lost."

Honestly, oddly enough, just thinking of it as an adventure and discovery and experimenting with food did help me a lot personally with helping myself consistently eat (not recovering from an ed, more-so just pulling myself away from what I was doing long enough to eat, and doing it at a reasonably consistent time), like my mind's like "honestly, what does chicken nuggets with hot sauce taste like? It sounds banger" and my mind's like "damn, I can't argue with that" so I just go do it. (or in other cases it's been something like "huh, I haven't actually tried this type of cheese on a sandwhich before, may as well see how it's like now")

That's a very interesting game ! I'm definitely going to try and play it with friends and family. (Also : Yes Please Give Us This Game)

Yes, please, give us this game! (In an official capacity)

Came here from the Try Hard video where Tom original came up with the idea. Thanks for the free pdf I'm thinking of sending it to the counselors that work at the high school I teach at and let them possibly use it with the kids.

i really enjoyed this i’ve been in depressive episodes on and off since i was about 9 so i really like when it’s represented in a way that can make me laugh instead of just saying “YOU ARE SICK GET HELP >:(“ especially since i can’t afford it thank you for the information as well!!!

This is something I would 100% play with my friends, we would have fun with this

I love the amount of care put into this.

Ingenious idea, Tom. Great first video, Ben. Good rapport, I hope to see more collaboration between you two good humans

Really eye opening.

Thank you for the greater play through and sharing your experiences with some of the aspects built into the game, would love to see this become more commonplace. I do wonder though, outside of using it as a resource, will you redesign it and somehow make it more approachable for those that would otherwise steer clear of such confrontational topics

Tbh when i saw Tom making this game i rll hoped it would be released in someway and it did :) Really good concept and first version!

I am very grateful for the effort that has gone into this game, and that you not only thought of the concept, but also executed it so well. I can't wait to attempt to translate it and print it so that I can play it with my family.

I really loved this!

Thank for making it! I've spent all day making my own copy from the digital print out. It's been a good mental health project and I am sure will help me explain my depression to family.

My son downloaded/printed the game today. We played it tonight and it was great. Fun and edumicating. As a MadMan (and former mental health worker) I think this fun learning about MH is great!

We love the Doc!

i could see this also being played in schools as a tool to raise awareness and teach younger people about what depression is and how it works.

Great video and game

This was a very enjoyable video, and I'll be looking forward to when a version of it gets released! (personally a fan of the comment suggestion of a collaborative element being integrated!) Also, both of you are very handsome men and I hope each of you have a lovely day.

I love this board game now. It looks hilarious and Informational.

As a person who finds it hard to seek professional help for my issues, I have high hopes that even if its just through videos explaining things and giving tips to help in small ways that this channel really will be able to give some people like myself even just a small amount of help or insite in some way

Legitimately though, this game is awesome. It seems fun to play, it has an amazing purpose, and you can tell it has a lot of heart. Im super glad you put up a free version to print and play, but I would love to see an offical release! My only critiques are that maybe you could extend the board and perhaps add a few cards.

I hope u mass produce this game in some way it seems really fun as well as in general better to ease ppl into the thought of someone they know with depression and how to help them

I definitely would love a physical copy of this game, though I am happy the print and play exists.

I love the idea of this game, I'd love to play it with my friends, as we all struggle with depression or symptoms of

Heavily underated video

Love this as a educational thing :) Taking in information about depression can be very bad for, at least, my mood, so the thought of doing it together with others via a game seems nice. It's important to be informed, and obviously this doesn't replace therapy or whatever. But when I think back, it took me a sort of a standard questionnare in school to even consider that I might be depressed. I'd convinced myself that "it's not that bad" or "I'm exagerrating". So maybe something like this could allow others to confront the possibility. Also the video itself was quite entertaining. :)

As someone who tried to commit suicide, I think this is awesome. Since the pandemic has caused so many more people to experience depression, more of my family now relate to my experiences which has really helped me, but before then this would have been a really good way to help explain to them how it was impacting me, and let them know what to keep an eye out for. There is a benefit in this in educating those supporting people with mental health illness to in making them aware of the warnings signs so they can help interrupt the cycle. One thing I think you could add is a mechanic a bit like in monopoly if you roll 3 doubles you go to jail - if you have 3 successive sad faces - "someone notices you're feeling low and offers some support". You can't go backwards on your next turn, or 3 happy faces "you experience a manic phase - skip a turn due to burnout". Also I'd love to have a conversation with you at some point about the chemistry of mental health. I did a load of research into it after my attempt a few years ago, and talking with some other people, there is suggestions it could be useful, but I'm not sure quite how to get the information out there in the best way to help others. You seem like the kind of person that could use that information for good. Even if nothing more came of it, trying to give back seems to be my main motivation now to keep trying to get through each day, because I lack much else! Not fearing the consequences of death really changes your perspective on life!

Going through the printable version I actually noticed behaviour I didn't know was connected to my depression. : | Fun! ... and edumacational

If you get rid of the happy cards, you got yourself a Valefisk game

I feel like adding a bit of skill into the game may be a good idea so that it doesn’t leave the idea that you can’t control it. Maybe if you get the happy faces you get a token of sorts that can be used to negate or soften the effects of a sad card. Not only will this improve gameplay (in my opinion Im not at all a professional) it will improve the element of control and understanding. For example, you could keep the token until something personal comes up and that will help the people around you understand. Love your many many videos you’ve uploaded, and am excited for more, you seem like a really nice guy so I hope to see more of YOU.

I would genuinely pay money for this board game. And a suggestion for this channel is to take inspiration maybe from the channel Sexplinations. You could do the same sort of thing, talking about and explaining symptoms, coping mechanisms (beneficial and harmful), and treatment/help options

Coming from tomska video pog

Keep up the good work :D

It does seem like a really interesting take at an educational boardgame and it resonates a bit too closely with me , both ups and downs. Aaaaht eh joys of mental illness lol

I am a teacher, and this year I will be teaching 11 and 12 year old students. I think this will be an excellent way to introduce the mental health curriculum. thank you for this tool.

Hope you would make more videos for our brain to consume!

Best duo in this video

I’m here from toms channel would like to see this sold

I love how he got the socialize card when they were on the same space

1)Your game rises awareness towards mental health, but it has only informative nature (to know). At best to understand (why it works). Next steps would be to utilize (exact exercise), then to form a habit (for example, to perform exercise, then after 3 turns, after 10 turn, next game's 3rd turn etc.). 2)Huge "friction", limited availability&game's presentation. Being digital (Android game) would reduce the "friction", give new tools such as sound effects+easier iteration. P.S. Happy that other people have private initiative to make mental health games.

It's really a shame that this game hasn't been released other than the printable version :(

I don’t know if this could be related to something for the games theme but the idea of a Double Dice mode where you can get up to 8 spaces but also run the risk of getting two sad faces. Sort of a risk reward mode.

I really want this to be made into a game I can buy, also seen people say about anxiety and adhd the game and would like to buy

I would legitimately love to play this game with my family. I have been dealing with depression for quite some time and my parents and siblings try their best to supportive. But they don't really understand why I am the way I am. In fact I feel like a lot of people could benefit from this game, you should see about getting it endorsed by a bigger company like hasbro so that more people have access to it.

it took me 20 whole minutes to realize the green screen exists

I love this game

Very cool game. I would wanna try and play this, Although did you really sold your dog? I would hope not.

Very relatable game. 10/10. One idea I have is maybe including those times when people say stuff like “it’s all in your head.” I feel like that could show the people that say that understand what their words really do to someone with depression.

Wow, a finally a game I'll be good at

I want an ADHD game with Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria sending you back or hyperfixations making you boost forward.

i love the idea of the game but i'd have to make some suggestions the boards while simple do seem a little empty maybe add 1 more type of card to fill up some spaces and make the whole thing more eventful like random events that can lead to a good or bad result

I would like to do a french version on your website. Would this be possible?

if this becomes an actual game part of the money made should go to helping people with mental health issues

Love the Toy Story background

I would pay maybe $40 (American) for this game if it were just a bit more fleshed out. As it stands, it’s just a game of chance (aside from choosing the shortcuts to recovery), but I think this game would be a lot more enjoyable and perhaps educational, if instead of competing to get to the end, it were perhaps a cooperative effort between a group of several players who try to help each other on the road to recovery. Perhaps you draw the card “lashed out” and instead of moving forwards or backwards a few spaces and that being the end of it, the players had to initiate a conversation talking about the incident, why it happened, how everybody feels, and how it can be avoided in the future, but not in a way that guilts the player who lashed out into feeling worse, and depending on whether or not the conversation was helpful or harmful, that player would forwards or backwards. Since I’m well aware that there will be a lot of debate about whether the conversation was helpful or harmful amongst players, especially those who are uneducated on depression or who don’t suffer from it, it might be helpful to include on the back of the card positive and negative points that would be relevant to the conversation and at the end (guilt tripping -2 points, and understanding +1 points), the scores would be tallied up by the player who drew the card at the end of the conversation and the player would move forward or backwards that many spaces. I don’t know if this is a good idea or not, but I do think that forcing more interaction with the game would greatly improve the educational value and enrich the experience overall.

Okay, so, FUNNY idea... Maybe release the game but do it as a thing where any purchase of the game goes to charities that specifically tackle mental health like the National Alliance on Mental Health

14:23 for gameplay

I like this

In all honesty, I feel like the game is way too short to really represent how it actually feels to live with depression. I have played it a few times via tabletop simulator, and after reading the cards a few times I naturally stopped reading the reflections as I had read them so often. Another key point is that it is not all happy and sad, there are a lot of times where you just don't feel much at all, sort of a "meh" kind of situation, and I genuinely feel this needs to be addressed/added. Something like a green space that could do things situationally, e.g. "Same thing different day: take a card from the last face you picked up" There is more, but its difficult to get things into words, I will hopefully figure out another way of getting my thoughts across to you & Tom. Is there a way of contacting you outside of comments?

One thing I feel warrants calling attention to is that cognitive behavioral therapy is not an effective form of therapy for people with CPTSD or autistics such as myself. When applying CBT to autists and/or those with c-PTSD it can actually do more harm than good

Make this game proper! It could be an amazing learning tool for not only loved ones but also to help young people realise that they aren't broken.

It's been a year. I wonder if there has been any progress on it (I literally only watched the boardgame video today I am so sorry Tom and Dr.)

I think this is a great idea Personally I would like an edgier version would be good. I understand the idea of trying to help with conservative parents/people but I feel like leaning more into the dark comedy would work as well. Even just an extension card pack may help this?

In the full game, would there be any way to incorporate faking mental illness? Just an idea, you don't have to think about it

Ps. I'm translating it to Dutch. For my study and my gf, who struggles with depression.

this litteraly is the only video on this chanel XD, this chanel litteraly only exist because of this game

If there will ever be a "social anxiety: the game!", there could be spaces, that when you land on them, you have to roll a number (for example 3 or higher) to overcome a random situation. There could also be a explanation on the card, why this event may cause anxiety or how to cope with situations like this. If I got anything about social anxiety wrong, I am sorry. There also may be some spelling mistakes, English isn't my first language.

There should be a rule that you keep playing until everyone get a cross, so you are always together in this. You can eveb have it that the winner rolls the die and if he gets a happy face the effect of the card translate to the other players.

(sorry for the repeated message) i know this probably won't be seen, but would be alright if i translated the depression game to spanish? i think some of my friends and family could use some of the stuff made into the game too!

Tom I beg of you to make this game a reality

An educational game about Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, etc. is something that would be cool do make tbh

Tom looks like rapper Johnny Test.