Study Shows Playing Tetris Reduces Flashbacks. What Other Video Games Help with PTSD?

A few are incredibly fun and offer challenges without the intensity.

With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, flashbacks come with the territory. And while medication and therapy are the recommended treatments, new research suggests a more fun alternative, one that will leave you smiling, gritting your teeth, and seeing a reduction in intrusive memories.

You guessed it. The activity, playing Tetris, is now linked to reduced flashbacks in people living with PTSD. The study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, utilizes a digital imagery-competing task intervention (ICTI) to determine if the activity would reduce intrusive memories in adults living with PTSD. The results, according to the study, will leave gamers feeling delighted. The mostly middle-aged adults who participated in the study reported fewer flashbacks starting at week 4 of the research.

Now, it’s worth exploring the study further, and determining what other video games are suitable to help with managing PTSD.

It’s worth pointing out that the effects didn’t become immediately evident until week 4 of the study, and before the research was completed in 2024. Exactly 99 participants were involved in the research. The study delivered a digital version of ICTI to intensive care unit health care workers who experienced work-related trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic. After four weeks of participation, members reported that the number of flashbacks they experienced dropped from 14 per week to one per week.

For people with PTSD, the improvement is substantial. Intrusive memories inhibit daily functioning. They interfere with work and create friction in relationships. A reduction in the number of times adults experience these memories will likely improve their mood, relationships, and ability to manage day-to-day. Such improvements then give people with PTSD more time to set aside for gaming, if not simply for distraction, then to keep the number of flashbacks they experience down to a minimum.

The study also points out the benefits of playing video games within hours after witnessing a traumatic event. The research shows these individuals experienced relief at an even greater capacity than those who play video games at random times.

But what exactly does the research mean for people with PTSD?

Understanding the broader benefits begins with knowing how challenging it is for people with PTSD to get to and from a therapist’s office. You must also consider the dramatic difference between living with frequent flashbacks, and suddenly seeing those experiences slowly come to a halt.

Research shows that psychotherapy and medication are the best options for treating PTSD. Therapists help individuals learn to cope with the trauma they experienced while also helping people learn how to alleviate the pain that the disorder causes. Medication can reduce symptoms of PTSD, often cutting down on anxiety, panic, and depression associated with intrusive memories.

But people with PTSD are sensitive to a wide range of stimuli, including loud noises, heavy traffic, and environments that trigger flashbacks or remind them of the trauma they experience. According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, they may experience tinnitus, a condition that causes ringing in the ears, and tolerance deficiencies, meaning their ability to function normally around heightened sounds is impaired. The Department also identifies auditory processing issues as a problem associated with PTSD. For this reason, a challenge emerges: getting to and from the therapist’s office without encountering flashbacks.

In severe cases, treatment at a psychiatric facility might be helpful. However, people with PTSD are more likely to power through their symptoms and arrive at therapy for treatment, especially given that the therapist’s office is such an ideal place to discuss recent traumatic experiences.

But having an option to help with coping away from therapy can be almost as beneficial as having the therapist come to you. Adults can play video games anywhere they go, either at home with their TV and console, or on the go with their mobile device. Having the flexibility to ease flashbacks at any time of day is likely to improve mood and promote well-being, while keeping the individual with PTSD stable and healthy.

A game like Tetris that’s known for its exciting, high-speed puzzles is an excellent choice for people looking for relief from PTSD. Whether the game comes handy in the early morning after breakfast or sometime in the middle of the day when weariness sets in, adults with PTSD will likely see themselves feeling more active while having an easier time concentrating and living.

Only 15-30 minutes is needed to play this game and reap the psychological benefits. This means that people with PTSD can find relief quickly, with less effort, and without the risks associated with travel and exposure to traumatic stimuli.

According to the 2025 Power of Play report, 58% of gamers surveyed reported playing games for stress relief and relaxation. Given the significance of the research, adults with PTSD may wish to immediately partake in gaming if they haven’t done so already. Many great video games can be accessed for free at reduced costs or downloaded via a subscription and enjoyed anywhere the Internet is available. Adults with PTSD should know which games are proven to help with their symptoms. They should then keep one or two of these games readily available should symptoms arise.

Individuals with PTSD may find some games, particularly Tetris, more helpful than others. In this case, sharing the benefits of playing these games is likely to enhance the positive psychological effects of participation. During therapy, adults with PTSD can explore the reasons for playing a game and explore their approach for getting the most mental health benefits of said game. Over time, they can dismiss games that lack value and pay more attention to those that help them feel relieved.

Many video games have been proven to help improve mental health, and some are known to help specifically with PTSD. These games offer a wide range of benefits, including a full dose of escapism, as well as a gentle approach for lowering stress. People with PTSD looking to reduce intrusive memories should examine these games for their ability to enhance well-being and stability.

A game known for its virtual social simulation gameplay is said to help gamers with PTSD relax and have fun. Its open-ended gameplay puts players in a community setting that matches real-world seasons and events and allows them to customize their homes and build a community on a deserted island. Players immerse themselves in social interaction, completing tasks like gathering and crafting items while inhabiting their customizable island with animals depicted as humans, known as anthropomorphic animals.

The game helps with PTSD in several ways. Players focus on casual yet stimulating activities that provide a distraction should PTSD symptoms arise. The more players progress in the game, the greater the feeling of empowerment; players are in control, their sense of safety and routine restored. The real-world gameplay coincides with night and day, which allows players with PTSD the chance to feel a strong sense of accomplishment and predictability

Overall, the game is pleasant and admiringly simple, and without being demanding or mentally overwhelming—perfect for those with PTSD who need a relaxed environment in which to feel immersed.

World news network BBC explained that the games’ mental health benefits come from cozy gameplay, adorable characters, and vivid, socially stimulating online chatter, which helps with stress reduction and has even been reported to help reduce hyperactivity and tension.

Action and adventure are two aspects of life that people with PTSD enjoy regularly. In this exciting game featuring battles and dungeons, players control an ambitious character named Link who has been tasked with rescuing a princess named Zelda. The game’s low-ley swordplay and sequences filled with items and weapons searching often induces flow state in gamers, allowing adults with PTSD to lose track of time for hours. A rich, cinematic storyline and a memorable quest will keep video game enthusiasts from feeling the effects of stress and anxiety and will likely reduce mental health problems altogether.

The Legend of Zelda has a replay value that extends flow state and continues to challenge gamers worldwide. Should players beat the game’s initial enemies, a more difficult “Second Quest” begins that will see them face fresh levels while uncovering new secrets, a process that transforms the experience from habitual to meaningful. Nostalgia, the emotion that refers to the sensation that comes when returning to the old, is highly relevant, which is important, since studies show the feeling is linked to increased positivity, meaning people with PTSD will be less likely to feel anxious or dwell on negative thoughts.

A classic, wildly popular augmented reality-styled mobile game has been easing gamers’ stress and helping them relax and have fun for years. Players are thrust into a real-world experience where they can battle enemy Pokémon characters while walking, exploring, and taking all forms of transportation around their communities. Pokémon Go immediately weighs in on the escapism factor by allowing players to interact with real people and play a game that works in tandem with their mobile device’s GPS.

A major part of managing PTSD is being active. That means getting out of your head, into the community, and out and about living with passion. For adults with PTSD, the key benefits of playing Pokémon Go come from physical exercise and social interaction, both which stimulate the mind, redirecting negative thoughts. Players travel through bus stops, restaurants, neighborhoods, and hidden locations to attract rare Pokémon characters and engage in battle. The game can be played at any time of day, creating endless opportunities for players to escape intrusive memories.

Much of the game’s social characteristics come from building friendships with other gamers, then battling, trading, and cooperating with other players to defeat enemy bosses. Over time, any player is likely to build an extensive list of social contacts, which serves as a protective factor for gamers with PTSD. Studies show social support (which can occur after players invite others into the game), further improves the quality of treatment. This means players with PTSD don’t have to rely solely on therapy to reduce their symptoms. Rather, they can reap the psychological rewards of social engagement through regular contact with other gamers. Room for giving and receiving support soon materializes.

Pokémon Go is a game that reduces the power of trauma, giving gamers control of their mood and ability to manage stress.

When you introduce a friendly puzzle-oriented game and integrate fun, fruity flavors, you get Candy Crush Saga, a game that tasks players with creating rows or columns of three or more color-matched candies. The game gets intense but still delivers a calm effect as players collect power-ups that keep the puzzles going. Gameplay gets more challenging as gamers progress with the goal of completing over a thousand levels. It’s free to play, which is a critical aspect that gamers with PTSD will like most, as nonstop playtime means an abundance of enjoyment—plenty of distractions and a focused, happier mindset.

Every level offers a unique challenge, which grounds gamers in the present and forces them to strategize. Players who feel anxious or overwhelmed by traumatic memories will feel relieved as the game progresses and they begin to feel a sense of accomplishment. While some levels may be difficult, the sense of loss one gets after failing to complete a level is minimal. This means gamers with PTSD can focus on a pleasant-looking (and sounding) game without the discomfort of being overburdened by its intensity, even in later stages of the game.

For adults with PTSD, few activities are more helpful than video games. Gaming provides distraction, escape, and adventure, requiring concentration to complete, but without the difficulty factor that aggressive games offer. While gamers soak in fun colors, calming sounds, and meaningful but relaxed gameplay, the tension that comes from intrusive memories fades. In its place there is positivity and calm, both which protect adults who experience flashbacks.

For more information and support for PTSD, visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD website.