Games have been a means to explore a variety of situations, whether it’s the thrill of a horror chase sequence or the fluttering feelings of young love. One of the themes that games have tackled over the years has been mental health, like in Silent Hill where guilt manifests itself in different ways, or in Spiritfarer where we can explore the themes of grief. And here we have a game that explores a theme I haven’t seen explored very often: social anxiety.
Social Moth is an adorable 2D platformer game with a cozy art style and a vibrant world filled with loveable critters. In Social Moth, you play as Aletris, a moth who struggles with social anxiety. The entire game is built around this, so much so that there’s a literal manifestation of their anxiety that comes alive if the little indicator for it shows that it’s full. And when the indicator becomes full, Aletris’ world seemingly shrinks in darkness, narrowing your field of vision. It perfectly encapsulates how one feels in a moment of a downward spiral of negative thoughts. The gameplay itself is simple, with it mainly just being jump mechanics and interacting with other characters. You navigate so many parts of Aletris’ life in this short but sweet platformer, from small interactions to choices that will affect their relationships.
It’s a game that can get uncomfortable because it puts you in the driver’s seat of someone who experiences life through that lens, and in some cases, it forces you to rethink how you talk to yourself. You cheer on Aletris as you play, wanting them to see themselves in a better light, and I think that’s a nice thing to take away from the story. As you progress and collect things to remind you of the journey, you also find yourself growing more understanding towards people who face those issues in their day-to-day life.
The voice acting and the music tie in everything here. Aletris’ voice actor captured the anxious self-talk so well. Whenever Aletris was feeling stressed out, I couldn’t help but be swayed by the music and brought along the waves of anxiety that Aletris was feeling. The slow rumbling accompanied by the giant shadowy manifestation of their anxiety made it feel like I was being hunted by a predator. And in some ways, I think that’s how anxiety feels. Despite not having experienced the level of intensity that Aletris’ anxiety can become, I felt for them.
I, myself, struggled a lot with social anxiety, but I’ve grown to know myself more over time, and this game was like revisiting memories from the past, hearing voices I thought I’d never hear again. While this journey was difficult to go through, it is so worthwhile. There’s a certain kind of catharsis unique to games like this where you really feel the love that’s been poured into it by the creators.
Games like these are important; they promote empathy and understanding. There may be some people who don’t understand what someone with social anxiety deals with, the fears that weigh them down. So games like Social Moth help people outside of that sphere see the thought process that would have otherwise remained unknown to them. And at the same time, it may help people with social anxiety out of the thought process that they may have been unknowingly trapped in.
All in all, I think this game is worth a try. You might have to be in the right headspace to play it because it does deal with mental health issues, but it’s a lovely story that deserves to be told and more than deserves an audience. I think those with social anxiety could benefit from the perspectives offered by Aletris, seeing the thoughts laid out as options feels a lot more doable than just having them swimming in your head. It’s like it gives you a sense of control instead of overwhelming you.
