Games Like Cards of Heart

This is the story of a girl who faced her Shadows… who, in the face of darkness, found her light. Amalia is a librarian’s assistant living in the small fantasy town of Respite who’s haunted by Shadows- dark beings born from her negative inner thoughts. But when a wisp named Ljos appears and gives her the ability to create cards of light from her everyday life, Amalia must use this power to face her Shadows and learn how to move forward while acknowledging the pain of her past. Developed in consultation with clinical psychologists and therapists, Amalia's abilities in the game are inspired by real-life therapeutic techniques. Amalia’s journey highlights both the uncomfortable reality of living with mental health challenges like depression and anxiety and the power of finding ways to manage them.

Cards of Heart was developed as a Master’s thesis project at the University of Southern California. Directed by Marielle Brady, the game was made over the course of a year by a team of 30+ students passionate about normalizing stories about mental health challenges and ways to manage them. Content note: Cards of Heart deals with themes of anxiety, depression, loss, and mental health challenges. Please consider whether these topics are right for you. If you need to seek help, there are a number of resources available online.