Minecraft, Call of Duty and Animal Crossing: New Horizons have all been named as the unsung heroes of the coronavirus lockdown, according to a study.
A new study conducted by Audley Villages has examined multiple categories while consulting with a number of psychologists and health experts to reveal the top things we're engaging in during lockdown.
Audley Villages notes that all activities were chosen based on popular activities that people have been searching for during the last 30 days in the UK and US. The research was then collected by looking at the literature and research available that was conducted by psychologists and health experts in the field.
It was easy to anticipate but a lot of people have turned to gaming as an escape from a troubling reality.
To gather the research, Audley spoke to avid gamers to see where they were turning their attention to amid the uncertainty of the coronavirus.
Popular simulation games, including Minecraft and Animal Crossing especially, were ranked among the best science-backed video games for virtual travel and socialisation.
The research found that Minecraft is one of the most popular lockdown games with 685,000 monthly searches according, to Google Trends.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which was first released in March, is the top family-friendly game for all ages with Google searches increasing by 1566 per-cent over the last three months in the UK alone.
Further to this, seeing as how all real-world football games have been cancelled, virtual Fifa matches are still ongoing with 30,000 monthly searches.
Positive psychologist, Ruth Cooper-Dickson, said: “There is a very social aspect of gaming and connecting with others around the world, helping to alleviate loneliness”.
Animal Crossing
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Animal Crossing has skyrocketed in popularity in recent months and is a wholesome substitute for pleasant social interaction.
One gamer they spoke to for the study, Nikita Dawson, said "[Animal Crossing] is also incredibly relaxing. Getting to build up your own tropical island and meeting the game's adorable characters is an easy way to spend a couple of hours a day, not to mention fishing, bug catching, and growing rare flowers".
Minecraft
In the case of Minecraft, it's easy to see why it is so popular with people who are stuck inside.
There's little to no stress involved, with the only goal to be as creative as possible. Mix in some downright soul-relaxing music and you've got a potent cocktail for escapism.
Gamer Nathan Ralls comments that you can “bring your imagination alive by building whatever you want with friends or by yourself. The charm that comes with the colours and simplistic graphics and creative freedom makes it a game perfect for young gamers getting into the scene".
Call of Duty
The Call of Duty collection of games allows for social interaction with its online play, and according to the study, it provides an excellent outlet for people who are stuck inside.
More often than not, however, talking to strangers through online games can be... insulting, to say the least.
People who played games online as early as the original Xbox will no doubt remember having torrents of abuse hurled at them while playing.
Tragically, this sort of thing might've weakened over time but it is still very much present in gaming today, especially when it comes to women playing video games.
In an ideal world, however, it can be a great way to engage in teamwork with fellow gamers and to chat with friends.
Positive Psychologist, Ruth Cooper-Dickson said: "Certain video games have been shown to assist in learning and developing skills in communication and adaptability. There is more research emerging on using gaming theory on decision making and willpower."
Of course, gaming is not for everyone and what is soothing and relieving for one is stressful and confounding to another.
The research goes on to explore even more activities – outside of gaming – from people's favourite thing bake to the instrument that is being learned the most during lockdown.
You can read their full study and results here.
