Caroline RobinsonSouth West
University of PlymouthResearchers are exploring the ways board games and tabletop role-playing games could be used in health and social care interventions.
The University of Plymouth said researchers found games such as Dungeons and Dragons and Dixit could lead to improvements in confidence, assertiveness, and real-life social engagement, especially in neurodivergent players.
It received funding alongside Manchester Metropolitan University to host a national workshop for mental health and education professionals being held in Tunbridge Wells in 2026.
The aim of the research is to create a toolkit to enhance people’s wellbeing and lay the groundwork for a large-scale controlled study, the university said.
The initiative has been led by Dr Gray Atherton and Dr Liam Cross, lecturers in the University of Plymouth’s School of Psychology, and funded through the international Game in Lab programme.
Dr Atherton said: “Our research has shown they [board games] can enhance wellbeing, foster inclusion, and support learning, with strong evidence that games improve engagement and social connection for neurodivergent individuals compared to other activities.
“This workshop will hopefully provide the next step in our quest to turn this evidence into action.”
‘Explore identity’
The University said the pair had been working for many years on the impact of gaming on people with autism and similar conditions.
Dr Cross said games made social interactions more predictable, and allowed people to experiment with things like conflict resolution.
He said: “But this new generation of board games has benefits beyond mental health, as their design supports mathematical reasoning, strategic planning, and problem-solving, while rich narrative settings bring history and storytelling to life.”
