Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

Where to Find

App Store

Google Play

Screenwise Verdict

This is one of those rare internet spaces where people are actually nice to each other. Kind Words is less a game and more a digital wellness tool—you write anonymous letters about your worries, receive encouraging responses from strangers, and send support to others. The lo-fi soundtrack sets a chill vibe while you're basically doing emotional labor for internet randos, but in the best possible way.

The BAFTA win and 5+ million letters speak to how well this works. The format (letters only, no real-time chat, no images) and the culture have kept it remarkably wholesome. It's therapeutic for anxious teens and adults who need to feel less alone.

The stranger-danger concern is real but mitigated—you're not sharing personal info, and the letter format gives you time to think before responding. Still, this requires emotional maturity. A 12-year-old probably shouldn't be processing strangers' depression. A 16-year-old looking for connection and meaning? This might be exactly what they need.

Age Fit

Best for ages 14+ who have the emotional maturity to engage thoughtfully with strangers' real struggles and respond compassionately. Younger teens might find others' anxiety/depression heavy; older teens and adults will likely find it genuinely meaningful and even therapeutic.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

95

A game built entirely around writing kind, encouraging letters to real strangers. Players express worries and comfort each other in an environment designed for empathy and emotional support. Over 5 million letters exchanged with overwhelmingly positive, supportive tone. Models kindness and emotional vulnerability in healthy ways.

Imaginative

82

Creative premise of anonymous letter-writing in a cozy digital room with lo-fi music. Players express themselves through writing and trade stickers. While the core loop is simple and repetitive, the emotional creativity and personal expression involved in crafting meaningful letters to strangers is genuinely novel. Won a BAFTA, suggesting industry recognition of its innovative approach.

Safe

88

No ads, no aggressive monetization (one-time purchase on Steam). The core mechanic involves unmoderated communication with strangers, which carries inherent risk, but the game's design constrains interactions to letter-writing only (no real-time chat, no voice, no images). The community has maintained remarkably positive tone across 5+ million letters. Some risk of encountering inappropriate content exists, but the format and culture mitigate this significantly. Minor deduction for stranger interaction risk.

Enriching

91

Builds empathy, emotional intelligence, and writing skills. Players practice articulating their own struggles and responding compassionately to others. The act of giving and receiving support creates meaningful human connection. Therapeutic qualities have been widely noted in reviews. Combines emotional growth with practical communication skills in an authentic, non-preachy way.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Builds genuine empathy and emotional intelligence through real exchanges with people sharing actual struggles
BAFTA-winning design that's created over 5 million supportive letters with remarkably positive community culture
Practices writing skills and emotional articulation in low-stakes, meaningful way
Therapeutic qualities for teens/adults dealing with anxiety, loneliness, or just needing to feel connected
No ads, no predatory monetization—just a one-time purchase for a wholesome experience

⚠

What to Watch For

You're writing to and receiving letters from real strangers—while the community is overwhelmingly kind, there's inherent unpredictability
Best for teens/adults who can handle reading about others' real emotional struggles (depression, anxiety, loneliness)
Requires maturity to give thoughtful, appropriate responses to vulnerable strangers
Not really a 'game' in traditional sense—more like a meditative social experience

Conversation Starters

"What kinds of worries do you think people write about? What would you want to share?"
"How does it feel different to be kind to a stranger versus someone you know?"
"Have you ever gotten advice or support from someone you didn't know? Did it help?"
"Why do you think people might find it easier to open up to anonymous strangers?"

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Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write letters to)