ArticleJMIR serious games2025
Effects of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Studio Ghibli Films on Young People's Sense of Exploration, Calm, Mastery and Skill, Purpose and Meaning, and Overall Happiness in Life: Exploratory Randomized Controlled Study.
Article in JMIR serious games, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Effect of Lung Cancer Screening, Smoking Cessation, and Cessation Smartphone App to Health-Related Quality of Life Among Heavy Smokers: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Trial
- Efficacy of a Self-Guided Transdiagnostic Intervention for Adults With Anxiety and Depression: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2025Trial
- The Effects of Open-World and Fun, Accessible Games on Perceived Loneliness and Stoicism in Adults: Cross-Sectional Survey Study.JMIR serious games · 2026Article
- Treating Behavioral Addictions With Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality: Scoping Review.Interactive journal of medical research · 2026Review
- Super Mario Bros. and Yoshi Games' Affordance of Childlike Wonder and Reduced Burnout Risk in Young Adults: In-Depth Mixed Methods Cross-Sectional Study.JMIR serious games · 2025Article
- Refining Open-World Game and Nostalgic Film Interventions for Broader and More Reliable Therapeutic Impact.JMIR serious games · 2025Article
- Author's Reply: Refining Open-World Game and Nostalgic Film Interventions for Broader and More Reliable Therapeutic Impact.JMIR serious games · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundYoung people feel increasingly anxious and sad nowadays. Engaging with works of art and entertainment, such as playing open-world games or watching Studio Ghibli films, can be more than just a pastime. However, the extent to which, if at all, open-world games and feelings of nostalgia affect overall happiness in life remains unclear.
objectiveThis study aimed to examine the extent to which open-world games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and nostalgia evoked by Studio Ghibli films, such as Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro or Kiki's Delivery Service, affect postgraduate students' sense of exploration, calm, mastery and skill, purpose and meaning, and, ultimately, happiness in life.
methodsA controlled laboratory experiment was conducted using a 2 (playing an open-world game vs no open-world game) × 2 (nostalgia vs no nostalgia) between-subject design. Study participants (N=518) were randomly assigned to the study's 4 conditions and answered a brief questionnaire, examining their sense of exploration, calm, mastery and skill, purpose and meaning, and, ultimately, happiness in life. As part of the study, we conducted univariate analysis and bootstrapping-based moderated mediation analysis with 5000 resamples.
resultsThe results showed a significant and positive impact of playing an open-world game on overall life happiness (mean [M]
conclusionsThis study shows that playing an open-world game, such as The The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and nostalgia evoked by Studio Ghibli films significantly foster a sense of exploration and calm in life, as well as a feeling of mastery and skill, and purpose and meaning, hence ultimately contributing positively to one's overall happiness in life.
trial registrationISRCTN ISRCTN14757739; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN14757739.
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