We give you opportunity
About Our Network
The Game Therapy Network is a platform that’s connects individuals with practitioners, organisations, and businesses who provide therapeutic support in the form of positive, inclusive and therapeutic gaming.
Game Therapists join recreational therapy and art therapy to benefit people in all stages of life with community integration and social support as the goal.
For a list of our services (and legal requirements) and how best to contact a Game Therapist who suits you, follow this link: Game Therapy Services.
Click the Games On Offer tab for a complete listing of games from Game Therapists in this network, or click on a Game Therapists Name to see the games they have access to.
The Game Therapy directory lists the board games, table top games, card games, role-playing games and games in general that the Game Therapists involved in this network have access to: and on short notice can play with you (no matter your circumstance.)
Each page in The Game Therapy Directory lists the game and the rules in both written and video form. To come will be tutorials on how to play and what to watch out for when learning the games when you are both player and instructor.
We can even organise group-play to build your network of game playing friends.
To further this end The Game Spaces Directory uses a geo-location function to find inclusive game stores, hobby stores, public places and therapeutic gaming practitioners near you.
Please note : We are not an organisation, association, or company in our own right.
Working with :
Mable (formerly Better Caring)
Aspergers Victoria
Banyule Council
Austin Health
Department of Health and Human Services
Carinya Society
The Victorian State Education Department
And more!
Game Spaces
Games on Offer
Numbers League
A Superhero themed math based standalone card game for ages 8 and up. Villains lurk in the streets of Infinity City and the only hope is the Numbers League. Assemble…
Portobello Market
London, 1901. At the world famous Portobello Market, the goal in the morning is to secure the best places to build stalls. Try to place your stalls in the most lucrative…
Pirates of the 7 Seas
Pirates of the 7 Seas is an innovative, fast and competitive board game full of events from everyday pirate life: plundering, old maps, and horrible gigantic krakens. Adventures, new ports…
Otys
Mid-22nd century, after 300 years of unconsciousness, the water rising engulfs the last emerged lands. Fighting for their lives, the survivor’s settlements must remain above the sea level. You live…
Odin’s Ravens
Every morning Odin sends his ravens, Huginn and Muninn, across the entire world to bring back news of what life is like on Earth. Naturally, after thousands of years, they’ve…
Relevant Posts
Down Syndrome is a genetic difference causing intellectual disability and some developmental delays.
People with Down Syndrome have unique strengths, personalities, and learning styles. Story based games encourage everyone to contribute. Rules can be customized, and stories tailored to suit learning preferences. There…
Spotlight on applied game master, Peter Lyon.
This is Doyle. It’s not his real name, but it’s the name that everyone knows him by. I spent a whole year being his dungeon master assistant at Aspergers Victoria…
Isn’t it fantastic that registrations are open for ASD Female & Non-binary Over 18 Dungeons and Dragons groups run by a national autism organisation in Australia?
Hi, I’m Michael, your local Recreation Therapist – as well as counselling work based around TTRPG and leisure interests – I run a DND group for under 18 school refusers…
Psychotherapy and recreational therapy differ in their focus and approach to treatment.
#Psychotherapy primarily addresses #mentalhealthissues#emotionalchallenges and #psychologicaldisorders through #talkbasedinterventions exploring #thoughts#feelings and #behaviours to promote #insight and #healing. #Recreational#therapy on the other hand, focuses on utilising leisure activities to improve #physical#emotional#cognitive…
An older adult recovering from a heart attack (myocardial infarction) often faces lifestyle changes, psychosocial stress, physical fatigue and the need to build new social routines.
Heart Attack Recovery & Social Strategy Gaming Diversional therapists emphasise recreation that promotes connection, reflection and paced activity. Tabletop strategy games and online gaming communities are under-used supports in cardiac…
Short Sessions, Big Gains: Adapting Games for Cognitive Fatigue
Teens recovering from stroke may have limited stamina or divided attention; short, goal-oriented game formats work best. I recommend micro-sessions (30–45 minutes) with games that have clear, discrete turns and…
You Are Not Alone
Photos taken at Conquest Gaming Convention, Coburg Town Hall, 2024 from the Aspergers Victoria social programs booth.
Come join our Autumn School Holidays Dungeons n Dragons program!
We are running three groups during the upcoming school holidays for those aged 10-17 years old that are interested in joining the magical fantasy world of Dungeons and Dragons. Of…
Diversional Therapy versus Recreation Therapy
Diversional therapy offers enjoyable activities to divert attention and promote relaxation, often in healthcare or residential settings Recreational therapy, on the other hand, is a broader approach that utilizes leisure…
Aspergers Victoria booth at Conquest Melbourne
@conquestconmelb is a #tabletopgaming convention held annually in #Melbourne , #Australia . It is a smaller convention compared to #PAX , but that allows it to focus on #local#gamedesigners and…
Diversional Therapy
#Diversionaltherapy is a form of #therapy that focuses on providing #meaningful and enjoyable activities to individuals, particularly those in #healthcare or residential settings, to improve their overall #wellbeing and #qualityoflife….
Recreational Therapy: What is it?
Recreational therapy, also known as #therapeuticrecreation, is a #holistic approach to improving individuals’ #physical, #emotional, #cognitive, and #social#wellbeingthrough #leisure activities. These activities are #tailored to meet the specific #needs and…
The use of humor in therapeuticaly applied roleplayinggames serves several functional purposes.
Humor lightens the #mood during #gameplay, fostering a #positive and enjoyable #atmosphere conducive to therapeutic objectives. It facilitates #socialinteraction and #bonding among participants, promoting a #sense of camaraderie and #teamwork….
Loneliness hits across the lifespan; roleplaying games can help.
Organizing #dnd or other #rpg sessions allows participants to #engage in #social#interaction and #build#connections with others who share similar interests. This fosters a #sense of #community and #belonging, especially for…
Dungeons and Dragons is used in healthcare settings by recreational and diversional therapists for its therapeutic benefits.
Recreational therapy employs tailored leisure activities, including #DnD, to enhance physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being. D&D fosters socialization, cognitive stimulation, and emotional expression, aiding in skill development and stress reduction….
Noo! Eberron is my favourite DND setting! I really hope the participants in my School Can’t DND group can save it! (Warriors of the Deep Speech Dragons, Season 2).
“Invisible to the inhabitants of Eberron below, tendrils of translucent gelatin extend like ethereal bridges from a colossal, unseen force above. These pseudopods stretch up from the continents, anchoring a…
After a stroke, rebuilding language, movement, and memory can take time and patience.
Stroke recovery is a journey—sometimes tough, sometimes rewarding. Tabletop games can stimulate recollection and conversation. Stories prompt speech, while dice and tokens gently challenge dexterity and logic without pressure. Online…
Stroke Recovery & Hybrid Gaming Circles
After a stroke, older adults often face mobility limitations, fatigue, fine motor or cognitive-processing changes. Recreational therapy emphasises meaningful leisure to rebuild social participation, sense of agency and connection. Tabletop…
Mixed groups (neurodivergent teens alongside neurotypical peers) can be mutually enriching when sessions are intentionally designed.
Recreational therapists emphasise person-centred adaptations: communication preferences, sensory plans, and clear behavioural expectations. Games that emphasize teamwork and role differentiation (e.g., Betrayal at House on the Hill, cooperative RPG modules)…
Origami Dragon or Dragon Puppet? You decide!
Voting is crucial because it allows individuals to have a voice in shaping the policies and leadership that directly impact their lives and communities. https://www.instagram.com/p/C31l5r3BFgf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
In person DND game in Doreen
UPDATE: Just looking for at least 1 more player to get this started. If you’ve got kids in the Doreen/Mernda area – I’ve got a 14 year old client looking…
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a response to trauma, bringing flashbacks, anxiety, and a struggle to trust others.
When one suffers from PTSD, social spaces can be hard to navigate. Roleplaying games give structure and control. Storytelling allows for rehearsal of coping skills and safe exposure to imaginary…
When an older adult is living with Parkinson’s disease, movement, coordination and social isolation can be real challenges.
Parkinson’s Disease: Movement, Strategy & Social Play As diversional therapists we see that recreational game-play can help with purposeful movement (fine motor, gross motor), cognitive strategy, and social engagement. Online…
Eberron is a fantastic, creative and organic setting
#Locked i#nterdimensional #portals between #limbo and #eberron #gametherapy#rectherapy#asd#adhd#schoolcant#aspergersvictoria#dungeonsanddragons#socialskills#support#dnd#rpg#green#ooze#slime#instagood#instagame#goodgame
Measuring Success: Recreation Goals and Boardgame Interventions
As a recreational therapist I translate leisure interest into clinical goals: increased social participation, improved self-efficacy, and community inclusion. Board games and TTRPGs are excellent vehicles for those aims —…
Ko-Fi
You can now support my clients directly Www.ko-fi.com/gametherapy Donationa go to material costs and a set of dice for each of clients (who I haven’t already given dice to). Ko-Fi…
terrain making in recreational therapy
#Mondays , I run a #terrain #making program at a #disability #day centre for #senior #intellectually #disabled. I use the terrain the guys make to “help kids and sick people”….
Registration open for Autistic school refusers(school can’t) DND group run by a counsellor.
https://aspergersvic.org.au/event-5536706 I run a daytime Dungeons and Dragons group that focuses on autistic homeschoolers and school refusers (school can’t) between the ages of 10-17 for Aspergers Victoria. “It’s so much…
My Time in Warrandyte
Free Support Group for parents and carers who have children under 18 years of age with disability, chronic medical condition or other additional needs including developmental delay
Expressions of Interest are open for ASD Female & Non-binary Under 18 Dungeons and Dragons groups run by a national autism organisation in Australia.
Hi, This will be long and fun. I’m Michael, your local Recreation Therapist – as well as counselling work based around TTRPG and leisure interests – I run a DND…