How gaming is helping people cope with stress, loneliness, and an overwhelming world.

If you’ve been feeling lonelier and more stressed than ever this year, you’re not alone. The American Psychological Association reported that more than half of Americans attest to feeling a high amount of loneliness. Many Americans, though, are leaving behind the stress and tedium of their daily lives by gathering around a table or console. 

To find out how Americans are beating the blues, we surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults who turn to role-playing games when life feels stressful or overwhelming. The benefits of play don’t stop when you reach adulthood, even if the way you play changes. In an age of digital overstimulation and endless scrolling, games are a healthy way to connect with friends and family. 

Key Takeaways

  • 44% say gaming rivals traditional therapy or mindfulness for mental health — and 1 in 10 rely on it as a more affordable alternative to care.
  • More than 8 in 10 (81%) say gaming helps them explore different sides of themselves — from creativity and confidence to values and gender expression — rising to 90% among Gen Z.
  • 36% say rising costs are driving them to game more, with gaming replacing dining out (37%), travel (27%), concerts (27%), and even dating (18%).
  • 65% of gamers play several days a week or more when life feels overwhelming, using gaming as an emotional reset rather than avoidance — 61% say tabletop gaming spaces feel more respectful or empathetic than the real world.
  • Nearly 2 in 3 (63%) say the gaming community is more respectful and inclusive than everyday life — with more than 1 in 5 experiencing less sexism or bigotry.
  • 65% turn to gaming throughout the work day — resetting focus (38%), reducing stress (23%), and feeling overworked (22%) are the key motivators.
  • 29% say gaming makes them feel less lonely, and 79% say it helps them connect with people from different backgrounds or cultures

Gaming as a Modern Coping Mechanism

Move over, meditation apps: gaming is the hot new self-care strategy. Working together to defeat a high-level monster or playing a few levels at the end of the day can have surprising mental health benefits. Because of this, games have become a stress-buster for more Americans than ever before.

Two-thirds (66%) of respondents said that they turn to games multiple times a week to escape from their everyday stressors. This was more common among younger generations, with 79% of Gen Z and 70% of millennials gaming multiple times a week for stress relief. But older generations are keeping up with their younger cohorts: 55% of both generations game multiple times a week.

These people aren’t using games as a passive distraction, either. Almost half (48%) of respondents said that they deliberately use video or tabletop games as a way to decompress or avoid doomscrolling. In fact, 33% of respondents said that they use games as a way to help limit how much news they read or watch, and 26% of respondents said they avoid the news entirely and escape into games instead. 

This is creating tangible benefits for gamers, as well: 44% of respondents said that gaming was as helpful as talk therapy and mindfulness techniques. Another 10% said that gaming helps them cope emotionally when they cannot afford traditional mental health care. While gaming is not a replacement for professional mental health therapy, it’s an excellent supplement to a self-care routine. 

Teammates and Party Members: How Gaming Connects People 

Whether it’s meeting up for a 12 hour game of Twilight Imperium or an online Dungeons & Dragons session, gaming has become a meaningful social outlet for many Americans. When gamers aren’t planning a siege or emoting in the lobby, they’re talking through their real-life stressors and finding new ways to relate to each other. To many, their online friends are just as valuable as their IRL ones and sometimes, even more so.

Overall, the majority of respondents said that gaming had benefitted their social lives: 73% said gaming has helped them feel less lonely, open up about real-life struggles, or express parts of themselves they usually hide. Gen Z was most likely to be vulnerable with their gaming buddies; 27% of Zoomers said they’ve talked about personal struggles with people they met through video games. While this might indicate that some are using gaming friends as a substitute for real-world connections, our data didn’t support that: 51% said they have equally meaningful conversations with gamers and non-gamers.

Even for those who didn’t pour their heart out on voice chat, gaming brought out a new side of themselves. Nearly one in four (24%) respondents said that gaming made them feel more comfortable showing a part of themselves that they usually hide, like creativity, confidence, or vulnerability. A smaller percentage (7%) said that the conversations they had in gaming spaces felt more real and intimate than those they had in the real world.

People didn’t just stay in their comfort zone, either; 79% of respondents said that gaming helped them connect with people from different backgrounds, perspectives, or cultures. With social division being one of the top stressors for Americans, according to the APA, gaming could be a way to bring us all together again. 

IRL Character Creator: How Gaming Helps Build Identity

Figuring yourself out in the real world can be a long and emotional process. But being able to try out new identities and new personalities in the gaming world can help solidify your sense of self. Virtual identities can be changed with a few clicks, but being able to explore new sides of yourself within a game can have lifelong effects. 

The majority of respondents (81%) said that gaming has helped them explore a different side of themselves, whether that be their moral values, their creative side, their confidence, or gender expression. This is especially true for Gen Z, 90% of whom have learned more about themselves through games. Gen Z was also the most likely to explore their gender or sexuality through games at 14%. As a generation of digital natives, Zoomers are using all the tools available to know themselves on a deeper level. 

This exploration doesn’t stop when you log off or box up a board game, though. Over half (64%) of respondents said that gaming has influenced how they see themselves — including their confidence, self-awareness, or identity — to some degree. One in five (20%) said that gaming has directly made them feel more confident in their real lives. That rush you feel when you roll a nat 20 can carry over into the rest of your life. 

Logging Off: Comparing Fantasy Lands To The Real World

With all this talk about games as an escape from real-life stressors, it can become easy to worry that people are spending too much time in fantasy worlds. After all, the average adult spends nearly seven hours a day on a screen, and if the game world makes them feel more confident and self-assured, why go back to the real world? In practice, however, we found that most gamers draw clear lines between fantasy and reality, keeping a foot firmly planted in their real world. 

The largest share of respondents (38%) said that they know their real world and fantasy worlds are separate, and serve separate purposes. One in four (25%) said that their fantasy worlds and real worlds are equally enjoyable. One in five (20%) said that their fantasy worlds were more enjoyable, but who hasn’t wished to see a real-life dragon flying over their neighborhood? Another 16% maintained that the real world was more fulfilling or rewarding than their fantasy spaces. No matter how fun the DnD campaign ends up being, most gamers are equally happy to go back to their regular lives. 

Gaming as an Affordable Alternative to Going Out

We’ve all read the headlines about how everything is getting more expensive. Even though gaming isn’t exactly a free hobby — you still have to buy the gaming system or board game set — more people are replacing traditional social excursions with gaming instead. People are also using new sites and apps like StartPlaying to find online games and Game Masters to meet up with. Gamers are finding much more value in playing together or putting together a potluck game night than splurging on big activities. 

Over a third of respondents (36%) said that they are actively choosing gaming over other activities to save money. This sentiment is most common among millennials, with 40% of them choosing gaming as a cheap way to have fun. Of the traditional activities people are giving up, dining and entertainment took the most casualties: 37% of respondents had cut back on dining out or going to bars, 27% eliminated going to the movies or paying for subscriptions, and 27% stopped spending money on concerts, sports, or other live entertainment. These excursions are more expensive than ever: 

Baby boomers were the least likely to use gaming to replace real-life socialization, and the least likely to cut back on travelling, dating, or eating out. Younger Americans are making gaming a part of their social routine, while older generations are sticking to tradition. Zoomers and millennials are more likely to see structured gaming time as the same as real-life interaction, and they’re reaping the social benefits all the same. 

 Mobile Gaming at Work — Burnout, Focus, and Quiet Resistance

We’ve all played a little Wordle to start our day, or done the NYT crossword puzzle after our lunch break. But gaming during work hours is becoming much more common. With the popularity of remote work and hybrid schedules, more Americans are able to finish a few levels between emails. We asked our respondents how likely they are to game during work hours, and it’s more common than you may think. 

Gen Z is much more likely to game on the clock than older generations, with 79% of Zoomer respondents admitting to it. They’re closely followed by millennials, 70% of whom have used work hours to game. Nearly half of Gen X (49%) and 45% of boomers also said that they’ve played games during work. This could indicate the likelihood for each generation to pursue remote or hybrid jobs that allow them access to their consoles during the day. 

People aren’t gaming on the clock because they’re slackers; it often serves a practical purpose. Of those who play games during work hours, 38% said they use it as a “brain break” between tasks. Nearly one in four (23%) use gaming to prevent burnout or avoid stress, which could be a powerful tool for the 66% of Americans who report job-related burnout. 

Similarly, over one in five respondents (22%) game on the clock because they feel overworked in their roles, and gaming gives them a semblance of control over their workday. Smaller cohorts reported that they gamed due to being underpaid (9%), unsure about job security (8%), or because AI tools freed up their time (7%). Next time your coworker takes an hour to answer your email, check their Steam profile! 

Playing With Bots On Purpose: How Gamers Use AI 

AI has been part of games for a long time — after all, what do you think powers all the NPC racers in Mario Kart? But nowadays, AI can do more than just toss blue shells at you when you’re three feet from the finish line. Similarly to how many gamers use their play time to explore their identities, many are integrating AI into their gaming sessions to become familiar with the new technology. Even tabletop gamers are trying out AI, with digital Game Masters and character sheet generators gaining popularity. 

Despite the growing conversation around AI in gaming, player behavior suggests a clear reluctance to embrace it as a core part of the experience. While 80% of respondents say they have either encountered AI in gaming or are merely curious about it, curiosity does not translate to preference or trust. In fact, one-third of those surveyed have not used AI at all, despite being aware of it. 

More tellingly, gamers continue to value human interaction far more than AI-driven alternatives. Only 12% prefer AI as a game partner, while the majority actively favor playing with real people. Another 15% limit AI use to creative or experimental functions rather than gameplay, and 11% say they have no plans to use AI whatsoever. Overall, the data indicates that while AI may be unavoidable in the broader industry, most gamers remain cautious and firmly place human connection at the center of meaningful gameplay experiences.

Tier-Ranking Coping Mechanisms In A Stressful World

Most people have multiple ways of blowing off steam or managing the neverending news cycle of dread. Even the most avid gamers turn to mindfulness techniques, exercise, and other more traditional coping methods. Here’s how modern Americans are destressing and decompressing. ‍

Gaming is still an S-Tier stressbuster. Nearly half of respondents turn to games when they’re stressed or overwhelmed, either virtually or around a table. This was most common among millennials, with 54% of millennial respondents gaming for their mental health. Many people also specifically used gaming to replace other activities, with 33% gaming instead of doomscrolling, 15% gaming instead of going out with friends, and 14% gaming to avoid work. Other common methods included:

  • Scrolling social media or watching TV (36%);
  • Talking to friends or family (33%) ;
  • “Touching grass,” journaling, or meditating (26%).

Gen X was the most likely to talk to family and friends, with 44% turning to interpersonal support. Meanwhile, despite being the most online generation, Gen Z was the most likely to use journaling, mindfulness techniques, or outdoor time (30%). However, they were also the most likely to cancel plans to stay in and game (20%). Because gaming offers spaces that are respectful, empathetic, and fun, they’re becoming a new path to mental wellness. 

Gaming as a Kinder Alternative to Everyday Life

As we mentioned earlier, social division is a top stressor for most Americans right now. Online comment sections are toxic, the news is stressful, and people seem more divided than ever. But games offer a place that’s softer and more gentle than the real world feels. People who feel out of place or excluded in the real world have found havens in RPGs and online communities. 

Nearly two in three (63%) say that gaming feels more positive, respectful, and inclusive than everyday life. This rises to 73% among Zoomers and 63% among millennials. Tabletop gaming spaces, especially, have a good reputation: 40% said the tabletop community felt more respectful and inclusive than the outside world. 

That said, for every lovely local game store, there’s also a toxic MMORPG lobby. Almost a third (31%) said that the toxicity in their online video gaming world felt equal to the real world, and 6% overall said their video game spaces were more toxic than the rest of the world. This number was doubled among boomers, with 12% saying they felt gaming spaces were more bigoted than the outside world. This may point to an element of ageism in gaming space. However, this largely reflected attitudes toward online gaming rather than real-life interactions. 

But on the whole, virtual and real-life gaming spaces are filling an important niche: becoming a place where people can be themselves without fear of judgment. A friendly Game Master or fun and casual Discord chat gives people a home when the real world says they’re no longer welcome. 

What Gaming Shows About Our Modern Survival

Across generations, players are turning to games on purpose, using them to calm down, reset their brains, and feel a sense of control when everything else feels chaotic. In these games, people build confidence, try on different versions of themselves, and open up in ways that don’t always feel safe or welcome elsewhere. Those experiences don’t stay locked inside the game, either—they shape how people show up in their real lives.

What all this points to is a bigger shift in how people cope when traditional supports fall short. Therapy is expensive, and social spaces feel hostile or overwhelming, so people are building their own support systems through play. Game tables, digital worlds, and shared stories become places to rest, reconnect, and regroup. When our traditional support systems fail us, we build new communities and play together along the way. 

Methodology

We surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults in December 2025 who turn to role-playing games at least occasionally when life feels stressful or overwhelming. Stratified results, segmented by age and gender.

About StartPlaying

StartPlaying is an online platform that connects players with professional Game Masters for tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and other TTRPGs. The platform makes it easy to discover, book, and join games that foster creativity, connection, and meaningful shared experiences—both online and in person.

Fair Use Statement

You may use the information contained in this article for non-commercial purposes only, and any reuse or sharing must include proper attribution with a link back to StartPlaying.

Posted 
Jan 29, 2026
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Devon Chulick

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