For decades, video games have often been viewed with suspicion by parents, educators, and clinicians, who sometimes link them to negative behaviors or distractions in children. However, recent research and innovative interventions are reshaping that narrative. A growing body of evidence suggests that video games can actually provide meaningful emotional and behavioral benefits when thoughtfully designed and applied. One such example is Mightier, a Boston-based platform that uses the concept of video game therapy for kids to help children develop better emotional regulation and manage behavioral challenges through interactive gameplay.
The Science Behind Video Game Therapy for Kids
Mightier was founded in 2016 by Jason Kahn and a team of clinicians from Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Their goal was to harness the natural motivational power of video games to engage children who face difficulties with emotional control, particularly those ages 6 to 12. This age group often struggles with behaviors such as tantrums, anger outbursts, and frustration intolerance—symptoms frequently associated with conditions like ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, and autism spectrum disorder.
Jason Kahn explains that games are a microcosm of life, presenting natural challenges and frustrations that require perseverance and self-control. He says, “Games are great, because games are a microcosm of life. Games naturally frustrate you. Games are naturally challenging and kids are hyper-motivated to play games.” This intrinsic motivation makes games a unique and effective medium for therapeutic intervention. Video game therapy for kids taps into this engagement to create teachable moments within a familiar and enjoyable context.
How Mightier Uses Video Game Therapy for Kids
What sets Mightier apart is its integration of biometric feedback to support emotional regulation. Children who use the platform wear a heart rate monitor during gameplay. This device continuously tracks their physiological signs of emotional arousal. When the system detects an increase in heart rate—a signal that the child might be becoming frustrated or stressed—the game’s difficulty level rises automatically. This feedback loop encourages children to practice calming strategies to lower their heart rate and succeed in the game.
The Mightier platform includes over 25 games spanning various genres. Popular titles include “Race The Sun,” a fast-paced racing game; “Mini Metro,” a subway system-building puzzle; and “Hibachi Hero,” which challenges players to prepare food efficiently. Other games simulate sports like air hockey, soccer, and billiards, providing diverse options that appeal to a wide range of interests and abilities.
This interactive, real-time adjustment of game difficulty creates a unique environment where children learn to manage their emotions in a safe, fun, and supportive way. This process reflects the core goal of video game therapy for kids—helping children develop emotional resilience by practicing regulation skills repeatedly within the engaging framework of gameplay.
Proven Results Supporting Video Game Therapy for Kids
The clinical roots of Mightier are strong. Early research conducted by Kahn and his team at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School demonstrated that video games designed to regulate emotional responses could significantly reduce stress and improve behaviors in children. Building on this evidence, Mightier transitioned from a clinical research project into a commercial platform to make the benefits available to more families.
Today, Mightier has helped over 50,000 families, with data showing impressive improvements in behavior and family dynamics. For example, parental stress has been reduced by nearly 20%, oppositional behaviors have decreased by 40%, and the frequency and severity of child outbursts have dropped by over 60%. Remarkably, 87% of families report positive changes in their child’s emotional regulation and behavior within just 90 days of regular use.
These results illustrate how video game therapy for kids can be a scalable and effective intervention, particularly for families seeking accessible behavioral health solutions.
Accessibility and User Experience
Mightier is available as a subscription service, with pricing options including $40 per month, $204 for six months, and $334 annually. The platform is accessible through major app stores such as Google Play, Apple’s App Store, and Amazon, making it widely available for families.
To ensure the games are appropriate for different ages and sensitivities, Mightier uses a rating system similar to those seen in mainstream video games. Ratings indicate skill level requirements, from novice to expert, and note content elements such as sensory stimulation or cartoon violence. This helps parents select the best games for their child’s individual needs.
Jason Kahn highlights that Mightier excels in tracking externalizing symptoms—visible behaviors like acting out or frustration—that are often the most disruptive for families and schools. By monitoring these symptoms through gameplay, Mightier provides caregivers and clinicians with valuable insights into a child’s emotional state over time, supporting more informed care decisions.
Strategic Partnerships and Future Growth
Mightier’s innovative approach has attracted significant investment and partnerships. In December 2023, the company announced a $17 million Series B funding round led by DigiTx Partners, with Sony’s venture capital fund among the investors. This funding, part of over $29 million raised to date, is fueling plans to expand the team and scale services.
The company has also partnered with Magellan Health in a pilot program designed to integrate Mightier’s platform into broader behavioral health care efforts. Looking forward, Mightier aims to bring its video game therapy for kids directly into school systems, recognizing schools’ vital role in supporting children’s emotional and behavioral development.
Jason Kahn envisions collaborations with mainstream game developers to create products that blend entertainment with behavioral health benefits. This would enable Mightier to reach children in the games and digital worlds they already enjoy, tapping into the enormous $86 billion domestic video game market.
“We want to exist in kids’ worlds,” Kahn says. “That means going to the places they are, that also means being in the games that they already love.”
Why Video Game Therapy for Kids Matters More Than Ever
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted access to in-person behavioral health services and school-based supports for many children. Increased stress, isolation, and routine changes contributed to a rise in behavioral challenges nationwide.
In this context, digital tools like Mightier have become more important. Kahn stresses the need to provide effective therapeutic tools where children are spending their time: at home and in digital environments. “What we need to do is we need to find digital tools like Mightier and put them in the house, because that’s where these kids are,” he says.
Video game therapy for kids offers an engaging, accessible way for children to practice emotional regulation skills daily, even when traditional services are limited. This approach can help mitigate some of the pandemic’s long-term impacts on children’s mental and behavioral health.
Conclusion: A New Frontier in Behavioral Health
Mightier’s video game therapy for kids is reshaping the way we think about both gaming and behavioral health treatment. By combining engaging gameplay with real-time biometric feedback and clinical research, Mightier provides children and families with a practical, enjoyable way to develop emotional regulation skills that carry over into everyday life.
As digital behavioral health solutions continue to evolve, video game therapy for kids like Mightier’s platform could become a standard part of treatment plans, complementing traditional therapy and school supports. In an increasingly digital world, such tools offer hope for more accessible, effective, and fun interventions that help children build resilience and thrive emotionally.
