How did an Australian team make the biggest video game in the world today?

This week, an Australian video game called Hollow Knight: Silksong is the biggest video game in the world. It’s made by a small team out of Adelaide and has already sold millions of copies worldwide. What could this mean for our quietly successful games industry here in Australia? And why do we still have so much trouble seeing video games as a form of art? 

Also, new research is out that says up to a third of all women playing video games feel guilt-ridden about their hobby. While nobody bats an eye about consuming television or film, video games are still stigmatised as something to be ashamed of. What is it about video games that make us feel so unproductive?  

Plus, what if playing a video game could actively improve your mental health? A team out of Oxford University has developed a game with the express purpose of doing just that. Does it work? And what other games are out there that could be achieving the same thing? 

GUESTS:

• Ruby Innes, co-host of Back Pocket 
• Edmond Tran, managing editor of This Week in Video Games 

This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal Land.