Filipe Tomé presents game-based mental health studies at KAMC 2025 in Kyoto and GALA 2025 in Utrecht.
ITI-affiliated researcher Filipe Tomé recently presented two of his game research projects at international conferences in Japan and the Netherlands.
At KAMC 2025 in Kyoto, he presented the paper “Designing Prolonged Grief: Cinematic Storytelling and Interactive Narrative in Eidolon.” The project investigates how video games can explore Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) through a hybrid narrative that combines cinematic aesthetics, digital interaction, and AI-driven memory reconstruction. Eidolon is a first-person psychological thriller inspired by the five stages of grief and films such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Manchester by the Sea. The story follows a protagonist trapped in an AI-generated dream simulation, with visual metaphors, escape-room-inspired puzzles, and time-based tension shaping the gameplay. The game uses Unreal Engine’s MetaHuman framework alongside live-action footage. Preliminary playtesting with 20 participants suggests that players reflected on their own experiences of loss. The paper was authored by Filipe Tomé, Ana Pires, Francisco Vasconcelos, and Pedro F. Campos.
At GALA 2025 in Utrecht, he presented a short pitch and poster on “Excellium: Designing a Psychological Visual Novel to Foster Reflection on University Students’ Mental Health.”
Excellium is a psychological visual novel that addresses issues such as anxiety, burnout, and isolation among university students. The project utilises the concept of “positive discomfort” and draws inspiration from Squid Game to inform its narrative approach. The work explains how mental health research on Portuguese university students informed the development of character and the design of the interactive experience.
The project was authored by Filipe Tomé, Carla Ponte, Carlos Coelho, Pedro Ferreira, Rúben Campos, Ana Pires, and Pedro F. Campos.
These presentations highlight ongoing research on how digital games can engage with mental health themes and create reflective player experiences.
Both Eidolon and Excellium were developed within the scope of the eGames Lab, a national consortium dedicated to advancing research, innovation, and industry capacity in transformational game design, interactive storytelling, and emerging technologies for the videogame sector in Portugal.
