If you are feeling a little burnt-out as the end of the year draws near, then you’re far from alone. Fortunately, a new study has a surprising relief in mind—dusting off those old Nintendo carts.
Researchers from Imperial College London in the U.K. and Kyushu Sangyo University in Japan found that playing Super Mario Bros. games—and related titles, like the Yoshi series—can spark childlike wonder that helps boost happiness and reduce burnout risk.
“This study suggests that the path to combating burnout in young adults may lie not just in traditional wellness, but also in reclaiming joy,” said paper author and Imperial College London marketing researcher professor Andreas Eisingerich in a statement.
He continued: “Games like Super Mario Bros. and Yoshi may offer a potent antidote to the cynicism and fatigue characteristic of burnout.”
In their study, Eisingerich and colleagues conducted in-depth interviews with 41 university students to investigate why Mario games resonate with players and the feelings they evoke.
Participants described the franchise’s games as uplifting and a “vacation for the mind”—taking players back mentally to a time of childhood carefreeness.
“Playing Yoshi transports me back in time. It’s a bit like time travel. I see myself as this kid again, wondering about the possibilities and beauty of this world. It’s a bit like a fresh new start,” said one interview subject.
Another commented: “Keep collecting those coins of joy. Power-up with little moments of happiness and never stop looking for hidden blocks. That’s what Super Mario taught me more than anything.”
Other subjects reported that the games offered a revitalising break from academic stress and today’s “always-on” digital culture.
A follow-up survey of 336 university students by the team supported the insights from the interviews—with those who felt more “childlike wonder” while playing the game reporting higher levels of overall happiness and, in turn, significantly lower burnout risk.
According to the researchers, the joy sparked by playing Super Mario Bros. and Yoshi games initiate a chain reaction that helps to bolster emotional well-being, with happiness serving as the link between wonder and a reduced risk of burnout.
“Taken together, Super Mario Bros. and Yoshi games provide psychological restoration. The warm aesthetics, cheerful music, and a lack of intense pressure are not draining. They are replenishing,” the researchers wrote in their paper.
“Playing feels like a break for the brain, similar to the effect of a walk in a pleasant park. The charm and kindness inherent in these games make it hard to be cynical,” the researchers added.
“The games offer joyful sounds and enchanting visual feedback that help rebuild a sense of competence and agency in a low-pressure environment, countering the helplessness that fuels burnout.”
The researchers caution, however, that playing video games does not address the systemic causes of burnout—and that excessive escapism into a digital world can also be maladaptive.
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Reference
Tam, W., Hou, C., & Eisingerich, A. B. (2025). Super Mario Bros. and Yoshi Games’ Affordance of Childlike Wonder and Reduced Burnout Risk in Young Adults: In-Depth Mixed Methods Cross-Sectional Study. JMIR Serious Games, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.2196/84219
