Can a Computer Game Really Improve Your Life?
By Angela Atkinson
Have you heard about Mindbloom? It’s a computer game that’s devoted to helping you grow the life you want. I first heard about it when a client asked me to investigate it for a story about an insurance company which had contracted with the game’s creator in order to offer a special version of Mindbloom to its insured members.
Can playing a computer game lead to personal wellness? Mindbloom thinks it’s possible.
The Life Game Mindbloom created gives each player a tree, on which each branch represents a different area in your life, including health, spirituality, relationships, leisure, lifestyle, finances, creativity and career.
As I understand it, you start out with three leaves of your choice and as you progress, you can add additional leaves. The leaves represent your passions, goals and dreams in regard to each “branch” of your life.
As you meet self-set goals for each leaf, you earn seeds, which allow you to continue to grow your tree. Each time you “level up” with new seeds, Mindbloom says you learn “one of the most important life lessons,” that each of us has the “ability to grow the life we want if we take one small step every day.”
The more you achieve in the game, the more “experience” you get in the game–and that experience helps when you connect with friends and family on the game.
“It’s important to remember that like life itself, the game is not about the end result, but it’s about the journey,” says Mindbloom’s website. “Know that your goals, passions, and dreams will continually change and as long as you are taking small steps everyday and having fun, then you’ve already won!”
Does it work?
I believe it could be very useful to someone who is committed to playing regularly. Just about anyone who can read could play the game as it doesn’t require a lot of technical knowledge and walks you through each step very clearly. Mindbloom even sends you a daily nudge to remind you to meet your goals for the day.
I think Mindbloom has potential, especially for people who might need help sticking to their personal development goals. It’s fun and easy to play, and though I’ve only got one friend on the game so far, I think playing with more friends and family members might make it even better.
What are people saying?
“I love Mindbloom, and I hope to soon have a full tree with TONS of branches and actions, which will help me get my life and my personal relationships back on track!” ~Angie Marion, A Simple Kinda Life
“My days can get buried in so much busyness that these daily reminders help keep me on track with what’s important to me. It is the one e-mail I am excited to get each morning. It’s like having a good friend giving you a little positive poke!” ~Andrea Fellman, Savvy Sassy Moms
“We’ve just skimmed the surface thus far, but already it seems like a great idea for a new kind of social game, paired with a great execution and a nice, clean interface. Here’s hoping it can actually motivate us to lose that extra 15 pounds we’ve been nursing since we graduated college.” ~Kyle Orland, Games Blog
“Mindbloom offers a useful but playful way to set good intentions, stay on top of your commitments, and follow through on your promises. It also helps you identify the parts of your life that need more attention to be paid.” ~Christine Thompson, Musings of a Marketing Maven
So what do you say?
I say give it a shot. What have you got to lose? Mindbloom is free to play and just might be a 21st century way to give your journey to fulfillment the little boost it needs.
Have you played Mindbloom yet? What did you think? If you haven’t tried it, will you? Tell me in the comments!
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