Ukie and CALM have built a wiki to help during social distancing lockdown,

The UK's games and interactive entertainment industry trade body, Ukie, has partnered with The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). The partnership aims to highlight the mental health benefits of bringing people together during intense lockdown — with the help of games.

People all over the world are facing lockdown measures in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Gaming is becoming one of the few life comforts people have. Ukie and CALM's new “the world is on pause” campaign aims to encourage players to use the social nature of games; bringing family, friends and community together.

A number of free resources have been rolled out to support and educate players:

Practical advice on how to use online games, online game platforms and game streaming platforms to stay in touch during these tough times

Tips on how to play together at home with families, as well as providing guidance on how to do so safely and sensibly

Recommendations from CALM for games that can be played online or offline effectively and direct links to resources and support chats to help anyone who might be going through a rough patch

“Gaming can be an incredible force for good, especially during these unprecedented times of quarantine and isolation." said Ben Hawley, Marketing and Communications Director for CALM. "While social distancing keeps people apart, the need to connect and socialise remains; which is why we’re delighted to team up with Ukie to launch this initiative." Hawley said. "More and more people are turning to online gaming as a place for solace, which is why it’s important to encourage healthy gaming habits to ensure we stay on top of our mental well being.”

The mental health challenge

The world is in a weird place currently. It’s easy to forget about those that struggle enough without lockdowns, let alone now they’re forced to stay inside. Gaming, mostly its social side can be a major tool to help those during this time.

One positive thing about the situation is the opportunity to reconnect. People who maybe haven't spoken as much, due to the stress of everyday life, now have a perfect opportunity to get in touch. From this author's purely personal perspective it's given me a chance to game with friends again more now that we’re all forced to stay inside. With their busy lives as parents, and as we reach the later stages of life, it’s easy to lose track of time and forget about the things that made us happy in the past. But it's those same things that can help us get through the current situation.

The full list of resources from Ukie and CALM can be found here.