You Must Build a Boat joins Mightier

On the heels of the WHO's addition of "gaming disorder" to its International Classification of Diseases, developer EightyEight Games wants to show off the power of games in promoting good health. To that end, it has added You Must Build a Boat to Mightier.

Mightier is a platform created by Neuromotion Labs out of the Boston Children's Hospital, which launched in 2017. The purpose is to help children between the ages of six and 14 learn to manage emotions, handle stress and anxiety, and develop skills in self-control and calming techniques. The program, which costs $249 to start and $19 per month to maintain, includes an app, a heart rate monitor, and parent coaching to help children apply the skills they learn in everyday life.

You Must Build a Boat joins 14 other games on Mightier, where it will be used in tandem with the heart-rate monitor to detect when children become stressed out by the game. As heart-rate increases, so does difficulty, encouraging players to calm down and continue or learn to take breaks where needed.

"The lighthearted tone and wacky graphics make You Must Build a Boat a family friendly game well-suited for inclusion in Mightier's growing library of games," said VP of technology at Mightier Trevor Sticker. "It has the perfect combination of simple mechanics that kids can keep up with under pressure and depth of gameplay to keep them engaged long enough to become empowered with the skills they need to cope with daily life."