One of the six games
Emotion Engine
Naming and managing feelings (emotional awareness and regulation)
What the kid practices: Naming what a character is feeling, rating how strong it is, and choosing a coping strategy before the feeling boils over.
Good for: Big reactions · Trouble naming feelings · Anger · Anxiety · Catching early warning signs
Free. Kids never need an account. Therapists and parents can guide from their own screen.
A good match when the kid is working on: big reactions, or trouble naming feelings.
The stories
Each story is about a character the kid's age. Because it is about someone else, a kid can think through a hard situation without having to admit it is theirs.
River: first day at a new school
River just moved to a new school in the middle of the year. It's lunchtime on his first day, and everyone already has their friend groups. He's standing in the cafeteria holding a tray, looking for somewhere to sit.
Sage: a sibling's bigger birthday party
Sage's younger sibling just had a birthday party that was way bigger than his. His parents got a bouncy castle, a DJ, and invited the whole class. Sage's birthday last month was just a small dinner with family.
Quinn: an embarrassing photo sent to the wrong chat
Quinn accidentally shared an embarrassing photo of himself (making a silly face) to the school group chat instead of sending it just to his best friend. 200 people saw it before he could delete it.
Rowan: yelled at in front of the class
Rowan was talking to a friend when the teacher suddenly yelled at him in front of the entire class: 'Rowan! I have told you FIVE TIMES to stop talking! Go sit in the hall!' Everyone turned to stare.
Avery: left out of a sleepover
Avery just found out that all of her closest friends are going to a sleepover this Friday — and she's the only one not invited. She found out because everyone was talking about it excitedly at lunch, right in front of her.
Phoenix: a top score while a best friend failed
Phoenix did really well on a big test — got one of the highest scores in the class. But his best friend, who studied together with him all week, completely failed. Now his friend won't even look at him.
Jasper: big feelings after a father's sudden illness
Jasper's father had a medical incident and is now unable to care for himself. He was previously independent and not only took care of himself, but also participated in taking care of Jasper. Jasper has not talked about how he feels since this happened.