Step into a life, perhaps not unlike your own, perhaps very different, and uncover something somehow so often overlooked, yourself and your own needs. Treat Yourself is a game about the importance of selfcare in a busy lifestyle while recognizing ones own limitations. In our busy, modern lives full of work, stress, and distractions, it becomes very easy to focus too much on one facet of life without giving ourselves the time of day to rest and reenergize. At the same time, it is necessary to recognize we cannot spend all of our time “treating ourselves” and not giving any attention to things that need it, least we drown ourselves in quiet worry. A balance must be maintained. 

There is no one right way to approach this game. Some people have more energy, some less, but either way we must adapt. Throughout the game, players are able to create their own narratives on what the circumstances the game has given them means for them. It is very intentional that some playthroughs may be easier than others, just because you rolled a higher energy or pulled a better job card. In this way, the game hopefully speaks to many different experiences and becomes a helpful tool in allowing people to put themselves into others’ shoes. 

Players should walk away from a playthrough thinking about how they manage their time to give themselves the space they need to perform selfcare and what forms that selfcare might be taking. 

While this game would be targetted towards a general audience, I feel most strongly that it would be a useful tool for families in teaching their children the values of selfcare and energy/time management.