The Heartbeat

🎮 What Video Games Really Do at WSEGL

At WSEGL, video games are more than entertainment — they are tools of connection, therapy, safety, and identity.

For the communities we serve — cancer survivors, disabled gamers, 2SLGBTQI+ youth, neurodivergent families, trauma survivors, and those facing medical isolation — games do something extraordinary:

🌈 They Give You Back Your Voice

When your body, diagnosis, or past tries to silence you…
a controller lets you speak again.
Whether it’s customizing an avatar, exploring a new world, or just laughing with others — games help our players reclaim identity and choice.

🤝 They Rebuild Community

Gaming brings people together — not with judgment, but with belonging.
Multiplayer co-op titles, party games, and creative sandbox modes help rebuild trust, foster friendship, and offer low-pressure social re-entry for people who’ve been hurt, isolated, or excluded.

🧠 They Support Mental Health

Many of our guests have lived through:

  • PTSD

  • CRPS and chronic illness or disability

  • Grief

  • Medical trauma

  • Autism-related burnout

  • School bullying

Games let the brain enter safe, predictable flow states — allowing players to feel in control in a world that often isn’t.
Games help regulate emotion, reduce anxiety, and open the door to creative self-expression.

💜 Why We Don’t Use First-Person Shooters, Fighting Games, or M-Rated Content

At WSEGL, we intentionally choose our game library with care.

We don’t feature:

  • First-person shooters

  • Fighting games

  • Games with blood, gore, or heavy violence

  • Mature-rated or overly intense content

Here’s why:

🚫 Violence Isn’t Healing

For our communities — including trauma survivors, medically vulnerable individuals, and grieving families — violence can be triggering, not empowering. We prioritize emotionally safe spaces where joy, not adrenaline, is the goal.

🧠 Cognitive Accessibility

Fast-twitch, sensory-heavy games can overwhelm neurodivergent players.
We design experiences that are gentle, intuitive, and low-stress, especially for those with ADHD, autism, memory challenges, or sensory integration needs.

🧒 Youth-Focused

Many of our events include young children, medically fragile teens, and family units. We curate games that encourage co-play, laughter, storytelling, and wonder — not violence or survivalist tropes.

💬 Conversation > Competition

We believe the best gaming moments happen not with K/D ratios, but in real conversations between real humans.
Our games are hand-picked to build bridges, not scoreboards.

🌟 What We DO Feature:

  • Cozy games like Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, Minecraft, Disney Infinity

  • Accessible multiplayer like Mario Kart, Rocket League (non-violent settings), Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

  • Creative and emotional storytelling like Journey, Gris, Spiritfarer, Unpacking

  • Games for education and connection from the Taming Gaming database

This is Gaming With a Soul.

At WSEGL, we don’t just turn on consoles.
We turn on hope, connection, and healing —one safe, joyful game at a time.