What are your thoughts on this video? Myself, I'm at peace when playing games.

I can testify first hand that gaming is hugely beneficial to my mental health.

It has helped support me through some very dark times including battles with cancer and depression. 

When I am having a shit day, coming home and playing an hour or so of a good game is the best antidepressant there is.

Wow.

Learning that Bakeru is being localised and comes out in three weeks and finding a demo available to download made be happy.
It’s basically the return of the mystical ninja Goemon.

I’ve found it goes both ways. I’m not generally a depressive guy, but I do get depressed when I feel I’m wasting a lot of time.
I find learning games, experiencing stories/adventures through games, and simple social experiences through local multiplayer to be mentally rewarding.
However, on the flip side, I find most online games to be somewhat depressing because of the wasted time. The core of it is that I don’t find the experiences rewarding, just time killing. This goes beyond regular single player games that don’t really go anywhere because I feel less compulsion to continue playing them longer than my interest in them. With online games, I feel obligated to push on way longer and way further than my interest in the game. When I stop playing online games, all I can think of is what I could have achieved with that time.

I’m depressed regardless of what I do, been that way for over 25 years now.

I agree it is good for mental health generally, so long as it don't become an addiction which it thankfully never did for me. I've had periods of depression myself and gaming gave me something to look forward, a purpose of sorts and even though it took my mind off how I felt at the time, that actually helped me deal with my feelings and work through them, so distractions in moderation are a good thing. I built entire cities from scratch in Minecraft and Cities Skylines as for some reason depression made me extra creative. I also appreciated games like Flower, Powerwash Simulator and even those silly indies you see on Game Pass like Kill it with Fire and Pupperazzi. Really enjoying What the Golf?! right now as it's just so silly!

But in general, never thought I would post on here again, last time I was on this website was 3 years ago, I was grieving a close family member I lost then just as I got better I lost my pet and it was a very dark place, only gaming and random trips on the bus or train got me through it and now I am on the other side doing fine again. Games that are fun and/or have a good story can be life changing and that is powerful if you've ever been there! Don't think the same could be said of all these free to play games with loot boxes which are designed to waste time that exist now, the best games have a sense of adventure and journey to them and they can shape our lives in ways other entertainment just cannot.

The video raises excellent questions that I've been asking myself a lot throughout the years.

Up to my early 20s Gaming was my go-to to spend all my free time, I was raised on a farm/tree nursery so was used to working hard and I felt like gaming, even though I gamed a lot, was somewhat balanced. But after I earned a degree and started working in software engineering my view of gaming shifted and so did the enjoyment I got from it.

The question I kept asking myself was, what would I get from playing game X, couldn't I better spend my time with another thing? I mostly asked myself this after sinking in hundreds of hours with early versions of Minecraft.

One of the last games I spent 500-600 hours on was Diablo 3 and ever since I mostly avoid games without an end in sight especially competitive ones, not because I cannot get good but because getting good at them feels like an investment that brings nothing outside of the game itself (improving skill for that game). And even if that could be worth it in some instances the ultimate value of the investment always ends up being nothing as I lose interest in the title or another one replaces it and the community shifts toward it. Worst the journey to get good is not relaxing at all.

After Diablo 3 the only game I remember investing a lot of time in is Stardew Valley, there's no ultimate rewards but the journey is relaxing and there's no I must play to get good a it mentality.
Other than that I seek mostly games that I know I won't get to invested in. Games like a great storyteller, innovative gameplay, or nostalgia (like every year I complete a playthrough of SM64).

It's all about having balance in like and self-awareness. You have to look at yourself and ask if games (or any other fun pleasurable activity) are taking you away from your life goals and dreams. Why are you spending so much time? Are you simply an "addict"? Are you trying to sabotage yourself? Do you need more substantial things in life? I dunno, but there are also a lot of other highly productive people on this board, so they aren't necessarily something that can derail your life. My take is play some so that you have a release from your hard day at work. Finally, have other interests besides gaming in order to be a well-balanced person.

Absolutely. As will everything, moderation is key. Doing too much of it can have its own negative effects.