The Real Benefits of Video Games

In some corners of culture, the long-held stereotype of gamers as socially maladjusted loners still persists. And when the social potential of gaming is acknowledged, it’s still brushed off as an inferior substitution to “real” human connection.

“Online games have been historically portrayed as what people in research call pseudo-communities,” said Dr. Rachel Kowert, the research director of the nonprofit Take This, who studies the psychological effects of video games.

“The value of the social connections are assumed to be somehow less than the value of the social connections that we have in face-to-face interactions,” Kowert added. “But if you look at the research, that’s actually not true.”

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Why Recognizing the Benefits of Video Games Is Important

It was once common to think that video games weren’t good for your mental health overall, and this belief can still persist. But that notion is changing too. 

A 2025 paper published in Technology, Mind and Behavior found a link between gaming and improved stress relief, sense of autonomy and belonging as well as social health.

“Video gaming is more than a simple one-dimensional construct,” explained researcher Thomas Hakman to the Oxford Internet Institute. “Any well-being outcomes are not just shaped by whether a person plays games but by the specific dynamics of who, what, when, why, and how much they play.”

Cognitive Benefits of Video Games

If you’ve ever wondered if games like Animal Crossing or Mario Kart can help contribute to cognitive development, the answer is yes. 

Enhances Memory and Attention 

Gaming is good for your brain’s gray matter, the outer layer of brain tissue that contributes to motor skills, memory and emotional response. A study from 2015 compared gamers who had reached expert levels in action-based video games with novice players. The researchers found that expert players had increased volumes of gray matter and greater functional connectivity. Plus, a 2018 study suggests that stimulation of the hippocampus through gaming increases both functional activity and grey matter.

This is further supported by 2022 research, which found that gaming improves attention and increases brain plasticity during in-game sessions. Another study of 2,217 children published in 2022 found that cognitive performance (specifically in tasks related to memory and response inhibition) was better among children who played video games for around 21 hours a week compared to those who didn’t play any video games. 

Improves Problem-Solving Skills and Strategic Thinking

According to a 2013 study, video games can help improve problem-solving skills. This is especially true for open-world, mission-based games structured around completing many smaller tasks and puzzles to achieve a greater goal in the game. A 2024 Pew Research study has reinforced this finding, with 56 percent of teen respondents saying that video games have strengthened their problem-solving skills as well. 

Emotional Benefits of Video Games

Stress Relief and Reduction 

According to a 2023 Entertainment Software Association (ESA) report, some of the top reasons people play video games are to have fun, pass time and de-stress. 

People who regularly play video games may experience decreased levels of stress too. A 2009 study found that casual video gaming created changes in brain activity consistent with improved mood and less avoidant behavior.

The aforementioned 2023 ESA study confirms these findings, revealing that 71 percent of people feel less stressed when playing video games, 61 percent feel less anxious and 58 percent feel less isolated or lonely.

Increases Motivation and Goal-Setting

Video games are designed around progress and achievement, making them natural incubators for motivation and goal-setting. Their structure — with clear objectives, instant feedback, and escalating challenges — aligns with core principles of self-determination theory, which emphasizes competence and autonomy as drivers of motivation. 

2014 research published in Psychological Bulletin by the American Psychological Association confirms that these elements help foster a sense of accomplishment and growth. Completing quests or leveling up reinforces a cycle of effort and reward, teaching players how to break down complex goals into manageable tasks — a framework that mirrors effective personal and professional development strategies.

In a 2023 study, video games were also found to increase optimism, which translated to higher creativity in the workplace and beyond.

Social Benefits of Video Games

Building Friendships and Online Community 

Along with researchers from Edge Hill University and University of York, Kowert studied more than 700 players of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs). The sample ranged from gamers who played as little as one hour per week to those who played 30 or more. The team found that MMO engagement correlated to a stronger sense of social identity, or how people self-identify based on their affiliation to groups, which corresponded with higher self-esteem, more social competence and lower levels of loneliness.

“It seemed to be quite a positive thing for the games we surveyed, which were all online multiplayer gamers,” said Dr. Linda Kaye, a senior lecturer in psychology at Edge Hill who specializes in cyberpsychology and co-authored the study.

It was positive both individually and in terms of a broader social connection. “Gamers often report that that common interest in itself can actually build friendships and relationships — so that common focus can be really important socially,” Kaye said.

Online, game-rooted friendships “are as real as any offline friendships,” Kowert said, “and they shouldn’t be discredited just because they’re mediated through technology.” 

Bridging Social Gaps and Fostering Belonging

There’s a growing body of other relevant research as well. Kowert edited a collection called Video Games and Well-Being: Press Start, in which authors incorporate a variety of academic research to explore the psychological benefits, including connectedness, of gaming.

“When talking about how games can be socially valuable, there is a lot of research that specifically found reductions in loneliness and depression, and that it’s particularly valuable for people who are geographically isolated,” Kowert said.

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Criticisms vs. Benefits to Video Games 

Criticisms and Concerns of Video Games 

Not all digital interactions are created equal. Gaming with others is a shared activity — the sense of a common goal or communal competition — that fosters friendships in a way that scrolling through a newsfeed might not. “Think of it like team sports,” Kowert said. “There’s a difference between playing soccer with friends and having coffee with friends. You’re building camaraderie and close ties.”

That may be a consideration as parents struggle with whether to moderate screen time. Research out of the Oxford Internet Institute has notably cast doubt on several longstanding video-gaming concerns, including the notion of gaming disorder, the idea that violent games promote aggression and the worry that screen time diminishes well-being among young people. There is “little evidence for substantial negative associations between digital-screen engagement ... and adolescent well-being,” researchers wrote.

That study is not without its critics, including psychologist and iGen author Jean Twenge, who found conflicting results using the same data. And the authors themselves admitted “we don’t understand fully the impact of big tech on our society.”

Moderation and Responsible Gaming: Addressing Criticisms of Video Games

 Gaming in a healthy manner comes back to habits, Kaye said, by way of a food analogy. “We don’t talk about eating time or food time, but there are many healthy eating behaviors and many unhealthy behaviors,” she said. “So when we talk about screen time generally, it seems a bit nonsensical to not distinguish between healthy and unhealthy.”

But 2023 research leans more toward the findings of the Oxford Internet Institute. A University of Houston study followed the video game habits of 160 pre-teen students in urban public schools, measuring their performance on a cognitive ability test. The study found that playing video games had no impact on the students’ cognitive abilities, regardless of the type of video game they played and how long they played.

No one is confusing Fortnite with edtech, but online social games would seem to have some leg up. “Anything where you’re actively engaging, preferably with other people in a healthy way, is going to be the healthiest kind of screen time behavior,” Kaye added.

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How to Get Started With Social Online Video Games 

There’s no dou bt that video game usage is surging. But are there any online games that are particularly well suited to maximize social engagement? Do any have particularly welcoming communities? And are there any platforms that don’t require hefty console investments?

Use Online Gaming Platforms and Social Communities

Steam is one to consider, Kowert said. The online gaming platform doesn’t require a console, holds regular flash sales and includes a chat function that players can use to connect even if they’re not immersed in the same gaming universe. “You don’t have to be playing the same games together, but you still have that feeling of connection and communication,” Kowert said.

Play Free-to-Play Games 

“There are many free-to-play games that are also emotionally connecting, games like Words With Friends,” Kowert said. And racing side-scrollers are also a good way to play with either strangers or friends, Kaye said.

Play Multiplayer Games

As for non-mobile games, Kowert points to Minecraft, the beloved, all-ages sandbox bestseller, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. She also recommends Stardew Valley, the indie-phenom farming simulator, which unveiled a co-op feature in 2018. “If you just want to play with someone who maybe lives on the other side of the city, but you can’t see right now, that’s a good option,” Kowert said.

Of course, simply firing up Fortnite won’t instantaneously transform those who might feel lonely into online social butterflies. “Some players can be in social environments and still not interact much with others,” said Kaye, pointing to a 2006 research paper that explored the “alone together” phenomenon in MMOs.

But in extremely online times,  we might as well try all the help we can get. “It’s about finding alternative ways of keeping [face-to-face] connections and conversations going,” Kaye said, “and using more creative virtual ways to do so.” 

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