Inner Ashes and other titles that address social and mental issues are just the beginning of a growing movement to make video games more inclusive and accessible to a diverse audience and to address important mental health topics.
In the last decade, video games have become a powerful tool for raising awareness of social issues and increasing understanding about them. That Dragon Cancer y What Remains of Edith Finch sare examples of games that address sensitive and profound topics and have been recognized for their valuable contributions to video game culture. Other games in this category include Sea of Solitude, which also addresses mental health in general, and Before I Forget, a first-person adventure where the player takes on the role of a woman with dementia struggling to maintain her memories.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1755340/Inner_Ashes/
In particular, Inner Ashes has focused on a disease that affects millions of people worldwide: Alzheimer's, not only to raise awareness about the disease but also to help players understand and empathize with those who suffer from it.
Inner Ashes is a first-person narrative puzzle adventure , that tells the story of Henry, a park ranger diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, who must delve into his mind to find answers about his daughter and his memories. The importance of Alzheimer's in Inner Ashes is not coincidental, as the game's design team had lived with this disease up close. The duality between Henry's real world and subconscious is reflected in the game's artistic section, with dreamlike scenarios representing the different symptoms of the disease.
Since the game's design team had lived with the disease through their family members, the playable challenges are based on real therapy methods for Alzheimer's patients.
Soon we will release a devlog with weekly news about the creation process of Inner Ashes, giving a glimpse into the game's development. Don't forget to add Inner Ashes to your wishlist to stay up to date on the latest game news.
Add Inner Ashes to your Steam, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation wishlist now, coming soon to Xbox.