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Date: 05/11/2025

Play, Pause & Breathe: How Board Games Help Us Cope with Stress

In the rush of modern life, deadlines, screens, and constant pressure, stress has become part of our daily routine. On World Stress Awareness Day, it’s worth pausing to reflect on what truly helps us unwind, reconnect, and restore balance.

We believe that board games offer more than entertainment. They create a space for connection, focus, and calm — a moment of board game stress relief that helps us breathe and reset. And as research increasingly shows, playing board games may do more for our well-being than we ever imagined.

Three main priorities shape that choice: cost, quality, and sustainability. But while these factors are easy to list, they often conflict in practice. Lower costs may compromise material quality; higher quality may seem at odds with sustainability goals.

The question, then, is not simply which matters most, but how a responsible manufacturer can balance all three without forcing trade-offs.

At Rawstone Games, we’ve spent years refining this balance. Our approach is based on experience across hundreds of projects (from small Modian runs to complex multi-language productions for established publishers) and a clear belief: the right manufacturing partner should align with your values as well as your vision.

What the Research Says

Scientific studies have started to uncover how board games can reduce stress and support emotional wellbeing:

A systematic review of board game interventions found that they can enhance motivation and interpersonal interaction, fostering social and emotional balance. → BMC Psychology, 2019
A study on older adults showed that participants experienced significantly higher wellbeing while playing board games compared to their usual daily activities. → Frontiers in Psychology, 2024
Research at Harrisburg University found that structured play sessions helped reduce anxiety and improve social confidence, especially among adults managing stress and social pressure. → Harrisburg University / The Bodhana Group, 2023

While more research is needed, these findings strongly suggest that playing board games can support both mental wellbeing and everyday resilience.

How Board Games Support Stress Relief

Here are some of the ways board games may help us manage stress more effectively:

Focused distraction: When we play, our attention shifts to the board, the strategy, and the interaction in front of us. This focused engagement provides a mental pause, a small, structured escape from constant digital and emotional overload.
Social connection: Board games bring people together around a shared goal. Laughter, collaboration, and conversation strengthen relationships, which act as one of the strongest natural buffers against stress.
Flow and mastery: Well-designed board games balance challenge and skill, creating a sense of flow: the immersive state where we lose track of time. That feeling of focus and achievement supports relaxation and cognitive recovery.
Emotional safety through play: Many cooperative and storytelling games create a space where players can safely explore emotion, empathy, and teamwork. This not only reduces stress but also helps build confidence and emotional regulation.

Together, these mechanisms explain why “board games stress relief” is more than just a trend — it’s an evidence-based benefit of shared, mindful play.

Why This Matters for Publishers and designers

For professionals in the board game industry, these insights offer both creative and strategic value.

Designing for wellbeing

Games that emphasize collaboration, empathy, and positive social dynamics can deliver genuine mental health benefits, appealing to players who seek meaningful, mindful entertainment.

Positioning and communication

Highlighting the emotional and social benefits of play (without exaggeration) helps brands connect with an audience that values purpose-driven experiences and community.

Global relevance

In many markets — including China — the topic of stress and mental wellbeing is increasingly relevant. Presenting board games as tools for relaxation and connection can resonate deeply across cultures.

As a sustainable manufacturing and licensing partner, Rawstone supports creators and publishers who believe that games can do more: for people, for communities, and for the planet. We produce responsibly to help bring to life experiences that inspire balance, joy, and shared human connection.

Conclusion

On World Stress Awareness Day, let’s remember that play is a form of care.

Board games offer structure, connection, joy, and a genuine sense of board game stress relief that helps us recharge and reconnect.

At Rawstone Games, we’re proud to collaborate with publishers and designers who share this belief: that sustainable play can also be meaningful play. Together, we can keep producing and licensing games that bring people closer — and make life a little lighter, one turn at a time!