I should recommend you to try the Rune Factory series, if you're depressed. Think of it like a Harvest Moon with dungeon exploring.

Both.

They are not a solution in and of themselves. Depression is often a medical issue, and you need proper medical help to deal with it. Trying to find solace in videogames is better than finding it in alcohol or drug abuse, but still not great.

On the other hand, they can help by giving you something to enjoy and think about, and a safe hobby certainly isn't a bad thing unless you get too far into it.

While I've never been depressed, per se, after a long week where I don't get much opportunity to sit down, and have a high stress level, etc, I most definitely am soothed a ton after just sitting down and playing a relaxing game.

In a somewhat related manner, while I've only had 2 of them in my entire life, I can get extremely bad migraines (the first one was about 4 years ago, lasted for 3 weeks, and just kept getting worse and worse each day...with a crazy amount of pain meds doing nothing; the second one was about 2 months ago, lasted for a week, and also kept getting worse each day...but this one I wound up going in and getting a shot of nubaine (an opiate) and a couple other things, as well as much better migraine meds). Needless to say, playing games (despite people saying you shouldn't) takes my mind incredibly off of the just pure dullness from a horrible headache. Just sitting around doing nothing makes my headaches worse (with the exception of sleeping tons, which I also do).

But be careful, because if you get too into games, you may get to where you aren't really hanging out with friends outside of the gaming world. This can make it incredibly hard to meet new people and enjoy everything else the world has to offer (which could in turn actually get one depressed)

Words of Wisdom right there. 

^ Yup. Videogames are either the cure or the cause of the problem.

That was a good video. Thanks for sharing.

I learned about how meaningful video-games can be many years ago when I met someone who would end up being my best friend. He had Cystic Fibrosis. Because of his physical problems, he'd spent a lot of time in hospitals as a kid, and later, since he couldn't go to school, he spent almost all of his time alone at home. For him, MMOs were where he could socialize, where he could meet friends and form social groups without his limitations coming into play. He had so many friends, too, across different games, people he talked with over internet-voice programs or instant messaging. It's amazing how someone who rarely left their house could be so popular, but he always had a conversation going with someone.

When I would come online he'd be there waiting, telling me that he'd found a new game to play. Half the time, he'd already made friends there, or joined a guild. He was really good at MMOs, too. His multi-tasking ability was legendary. In one MMO, he had multiple accounts and would often grind with two characters at once.

Gaming was his lifeline. It was more than just a way to kill time, it was a means for him to have fun and build some self-worth, rather than just wasting away in an empty room without human interaction. He died at the age of nineteen but he had so many friends, a staggering amount of people who knew him, or knew of him. He gained a legacy through gaming and I like to think he had a blast doing it. Even all the drama he used to get into from knowing so many people, that was a part of living.

That's why it infuriates me when someone suggests that gaming can't have any benefits. I know for a fact that it can. My friend got two Make-A-Wish grants during his lifetime and for both he asked for a new gaming PC. That's how important and meaningful it was to him.

Because of that, just because of that if nothing else, I am eternally grateful that video-games exist. If someone wants to tell me that video-games have no positive potential in this world then they can bloody well expect a fight.

No. Only music can do that to me.

Persona 4 felt really uplifting at first, but then it began to bum me out after I played it too much. Like Slimebeast said, it can put you in a bubble.

3d sexvilla helped me a lot when I was depressed, but games like league of legends or sc2 made it worst

For serious depression (which I have had) video games were only a distraction. Perhaps it was good to have that distraction, maybe it made things worse. I don't know. But for clinical depression, I would insist upon seeking help, not self-medicating in ANY way, including video games. They won't help you get over it.

For just "feeling down" which happens to everybody, games don't really help me with that. Taking on a creative project and seeing it through to completion is what helps me with that the most.

Games do offer some stress relief and entertainment. Some games also allow me to exercise my creativity (and I prefer those games which allow it), but not to the same degree that other creative pursuits, like music, do for me. I find that games provide only fleeting relief from negative feelings. Music is my feel-good activity, composing a song makes me feel better than anything else can.

Everybody is different, of course. The important thing is to find that which makes you happy, find the activities that alleviate those negative emotions that strike us all from time to time.

And, I can't stress enough, learn the symptoms of depression. You may be surprised what you learn about it. Everybody should be able to identify problems like depression in both themselves and in others.