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30 Play Therapy Games That Support Mental Health and Build Skills

By Sarah Earles, MS, LPC, NCC | September 12, 2025 

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We played games in therapy today. “You did what?” The parent might ask the child. “You did what?” A friend or colleague might ask an adult. (Yes, adults play games in therapy, too.) The child might shrug. The adult might shrug. Maybe the client knows why he or she is playing games in mental health therapy. Maybe not. Rest assured that there is intent and purpose on the therapist’s part. Playing games can have great benefits in therapy!

Game play can help create a safe place for clients. Familiar games can help clients feel more comfortable and build rapport between client and therapist (Kids First, 2025). Playing games takes direct focus off a client and his or her direct struggles and can help externalize them instead (Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy, 2017). Playing games is also just fun, and can lower inhibitions and resistance that might detract from therapy (Admin, 2020; Sutton, 2022; Zoe Life Psychiatric Services, n.d.). Playing games can add structure to therapy, making it more predictable to and amenable for clients (Yorke, 2020). Playing games in therapy is good for more reasons than these, though. Playing games can also teach specific skills.

Playing games in therapy is part of what is considered “directive” play therapy for children. In directive play therapy, the therapist plans specific activities, such as playing games, to allow for self-expression, processing, and skill-building (Ohworvoriole, 2024). Children learn best through hands-on experiences, and games give children opportunities do just that (Confident Counselors, n.d.; Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy, 2017; Sutton, 2022). Game playing can have the same benefits for adults, though therapists may use more advanced games, such as tabletop roleplay games for this purpose (Connell, 2024). Video games are another form of play that has benefits in therapy. These games can help individuals work through difficult emotions, build self-esteem, and learn skills to use in “real life” (Video game counseling, n.d.). The question is not really if playing games has benefits for therapy, but what games will provide the greatest benefits for clients.

In the end, almost any game can have therapeutic benefits for clients. There is no “best” game, but rather games most ideal for setting, theory of counseling, and client characteristics (Yorke, 2020). It is the counselor’s job to choose the game most suited to help the client meet his or her goals (Connell, 2024).  Examples of games and potential benefits for clients are:

  1. Battleship to practice observation and communication (Kids First, 2025)
  2. Bingo as a practice in frustration tolerance, patience, and sportsmanship, or as an icebreaker (Chugh, 2024)
  3. Blokus to practice focus and attention (Therapy Fun Zone, May 4).
  4. Catch Phrase to work on self expression (Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy, 2017)
  5. Charades to practice non-verbal communication skills (Garrett Counseling, 2023)
  6. Checkers to develop self-control (Kids First)
  7. Chess to grow planning skills (Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy)
  8. Concentration to build memory (Kids Firs)
  9. Chutes and ladders to practice cause and effect, or to identify highs and lows (Sutton, 2022)
  10. Connect 4 for relationship building and focus (Kids First)
  11. Dice games for decision making (Zoe Life Psychiatric services, n.d.)
  12. The human knot to promote teamwork, solving problems, and communication (Zoe Life Psychiatric services)
  13. Jenga as an ice breaker and a way to practice frustration tolerance (Sutton)
  14. Kerplunk to practice attention and arousal control (Stoffel, 2024)
  15. Mancala to practice regulating and slowing down (Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy)
  16. Mazes to strengthen critical thinking skills (Love Play Grow, n.d.).
  17. Musical chairs to practice the skill of self-control for children, or as an icebreaker for adults in a group setting (Chugh)
  18. Pass the Pigs to work on following rules (Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy)
  19. Pick up Sticks to reduce impulsivity and increase concentration (Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy)
  20. Pictionary to build “transactional communication intelligence” (Garrett Counseling)
  21. Puppets to act out social scenarios and practice using social skills (Love Play Grow).
  22. Rush Hour to work on communication and problem solving (Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy)
  23. Set to work on executive functioning and mental flexibility (Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy)
  24. Scavenger hunts to promote observation, critical thinking, and problem-solving (Zoe Life Psychiatric services)
  25. Skip-Bo to practice organization (Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy)
  26. Tetris to reduce distress related to trauma and trauma processing (Summit Counselling Services, n.d.)
  27. Two truths and a lie as a practice in honesty for children, or as an ice breaker for adults (Chug)
  28. The Ungame to increase emotional fluency and build impulse control (Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy)
  29. Uno to develop communication and sportsmanship skills, or to identify emotions (Sutton).
  30. Would you rather to practice decision making (Zoe Life Psychiatric services)

Should clients and therapists play games in every session? Maybe, maybe not. It really depends and the desires and needs of the client. Could playing benefit the client and therapist, though? Most certainly!

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References

Admin. (2020, October 7). 10 play therapy games you can play. Core Well CEU. https://corewellceu.com/blog/10-play-therapy-games-you-can-play/

Chugh, C. (2024, October 16). Healing and fun: Top therapeutic mental health games for adults. Dr. Chandril Churg. https://drchandrilchugh.com/mental-health/mental-health-games-and-activities-for-adults/

Confident Counselors. (n.d.). Free virtual counseling games and tools. https://confidentcounselors.com/free-games-and-tools-for-virtual-counseling/

Connell, M. A. (2024, March 20). How games can be used in therapy. Psychology today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/applied-gaming/202403/how-games-can-be-used-in-therapy

Garrett Counseling. (2023, February 30). 10 favorite play therapy interventions for adults. https://garrettcounseling.com/10-favorite-play-therapy-interventions-for-adults/

Kids First. (2025, February 28). Interactive therapy games. https://www.kidsfirstservices.com/first-insights/interactive-therapy-games

Love Play Grow. (n.d.). 21 best therapy activities for kids. https://loveplaygrownj.com/therapy-activities-for-kids/

Ohwovoriole, T. (2024, March 25). What is play therapy? Very well mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/play-therapy-definition-types-techniques-5194915

Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy. (2017, November 16). Using popular games therapeutically. https://societyforpsychotherapy.org/using-popular-games-therapeutically/

Stoffel, M. (2024, April 18). Kerplunk. Child(ish) advice. https://childishadvice.com/2024/04/18/kerplunk/

Summit Counselling Services. (n.d.). Tetris therapy: How a classic game helps heal. https://www.summitcs.ca/edmontontherapyblog/tetristraumacounselling

Sutton, J. (2022, November 3). 14 therapy games for kids & adults healing through play. Positive psychology. https://positivepsychology.com/therapy-games/

Therapy Fun Zone. (May 4). Blokus. https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/blokus/

Video game counseling. (n.d.). Healing through play therapy: Video game play therapy. https://videogamecounseling.com/play-therapy/

Yorke, G. (2020, January 17). Twelve effective play therapy & child therapy games. Child therapy toys. https://www.childtherapytoys.com/blogs/news/twelve-effective-play-therapy-child-therapy-games

Zoe Life Psychiatric Services. (n.d.). Therapy games for teens. https://zoelifepsychiatricservices.com/therapy-games-for-teens/