A new game, designed as part of a £35 million UK-wide program focused on youth mental health, aims to help young people learn to deal with adverse childhood experiences

Video games may historically have a bad reputation, but for many, they can be a great way to relax and unwind. According to online gaming statistics 2024, over half of us in the UK (53% of men and 51% of women) consider ourselves to be gamers, with around seven in 10 UK gamers saying playing games “helps them feel happier”. With an overwhelming 83% of 16-24-year-olds playing video games online, it’s undeniable that gaming can have a huge influence. One new video game is looking to help in a new kind of way.

A team of game designers from Cornwall have developed a new video game, Ace of Hearts, to help young people deal with adverse childhood experiences. Tackling big issues affecting young generations, the game includes issues such as parental bereavement, being a young carer, substance abuse, living in poverty, the experience of being neurodivergent, gender dysphoria, and having a physical disability. Early trials suggest that the game may be an effective way of reducing stigma, encouraging self-reflection, and supporting emotional literacy. 

Part of a £35 million UK-wide program focused on youth mental health, developers at the University of Falmouth collaborated with young people to help create the game. The main goal of Ace of Hearts is to help spark conversations about mental health. 

The ATTUNE project

Ace of Hearts is part of the ATTUNE project, which looks to explore young people’s experiences and understanding of mental health and adverse childhood experiences using a variety of arts-based methods. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are negative, potentially traumatic experiences which can have lasting effects on young people’s health and wellbeing. These can include neglect, abuse, violence or substance abuse, and community risks such as poverty or victimisation from peers.

Running between 2021-2025, ATTUNE hopes to address knowledge gaps in neurodiversity, therapeutic approaches, mechanisms and the role of arts/digital arts in interventions of ACEs, psychoeducation and public health, as well as young people’s voice and influence. The project is set to conclude at the end of August 2025.

A multi-disciplinary project, the project looked at the experiences of young people in rural, urban, and coastal communities in England. 74 young people aged 10-24 participated from multiple regions with a range of backgrounds. 

Along with Ace of Hearts, ATTUNE has also led to the creation of Validating Voices, a resource for professionals and young people to work together to enable validation as a helpful experience in settings for young people. Aimed at young people aged 12-14, it includes a set of physical and online support to help professionals and young people explore together how important validating conversations are, and how they could happen more often in public sector settings. 

The ATTUNE project revealed that repeated invalidation is harmful to young people, making their feelings, experiences, needs, identities, and pasts feel invalidated. Many expressed experiencing ‘micro’ moments of often unintentional invalidation when talking with adults, and these signals of being invalidated made them feel like they were wrong, confused, and uncertain of what they needed or how they were coping, reinforcing unhealthy self-beliefs. Research also revealed that when professionals validated how young people were feeling, it had a positive impact, helping build trust in themselves and their self-worth, as well as countering harmful messages from ACEs. 

Adolescence, Mental Health, and Developing Mind Initiative

The ATTUNE project is part of the Adolescence, Mental Health, and Developing Mind project. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the Economic and Social Research Council, and the Medical Research Council, this UK-wide programme is set to run until 2026. It aims to explore how mental health needs emerge in young people, what makes them resilient or more vulnerable than others, and how positive mental health and well-being can be promoted.

Currently, around one in five children and young people are affected by a mental health problem in the UK. In 2024, it was revealed that over 270,000 children and young people were waiting for support after being referred to children and young people’s mental health services, with children seeing an average wait of 35 days to get support.

In a time when so many young people are still waiting for support, projects like Ace of Hearts offer a powerful reminder that help can come in unexpected, innovative forms. By blending creativity, empathy, and technology, this game is not just a tool for healing – it’s a platform for connection, understanding, and hope. As more young people engage with projects like this, there’s a growing sense that change is not only possible – it’s already happening. The future of mental health support looks brighter, more inclusive, and more attuned to the voices that matter most.