New study reveals most stressful video games

The world of video games is not what it used to be a few decades ago.

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Now, just like the movies, you can find a game from any genre that suits your vibe.

There is something for everyone, from cosy games to horror, multiplayer to simulator.

But if you are familiar with boss battles, racing against time, Victory Royales and sharp shooting, then you might be accustomed to games that fall on the more stressful side of the spectrum.

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This might include Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, Fortnite, or FIFA.

While gaming is supposed to be a relaxing pastime and a way to unwind, it can often have the opposite effect.

Have you ever wondered how stressful it is and what physical effects it can have on you?

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Experts at BonusFinder.com sourced 14 active games and decided to find out for themselves.

These gamers average at least 15 hours of gaming per week and were already familiar with the games on the shortlist.

The researchers decided to track the heart rates of these players while they played the following games:

• Mario Kart
• FIFA 20
• Call of Duty (Modern Warfare)
• Dark Souls III
• Fortnite
• DOOM
• Fall Guys
• Battlefield V
• Street Fighter
• Among Us
• Grand Theft Auto
• UNO!
• The Sims
• Animal Crossing
• Minecraft
• Skyrim

Each gamer wore a heart rate monitor that tracked their heart rates over a set amount of time, 30 minutes of gaming, during which the data was collected.

As a baseline, they recorded the resting heart rates to compare with the gaming heart rates.

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The gaming data was averaged to ensure no anomalies or outliers skewed the results.

Here are the results, and they might shock you.

According to these findings, 'Mario Kart' is the most stressful game by average group beats per minute  BPM (beats per minute) increase.

While playing, their heart rates elevated by an average of 21 BPM, representing an increase of 32,81% on the group average resting heart rate of 64 BPM.

This is the equivalent of going for a gentle walk.

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'Mario Kart is closely followed by 'FIFA 20', with participants' heart rates increasing by an average of 20 BPM (31,25%).

'Call of Duty Modern Warfare' (PS4), 'Dark Souls III' and 'Fortnite' are the top five.

Certain moments within games can induce stress more than others, so the researchers also tracked the peak BPM increases to measure which games provide the most stressful moments.

The most stressful game by peak BPM increase is 'Dark Souls III'. 

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More specifically, the moment in the game that causes heart rates to spike is when coming up against the boss, 'Darkeater Midir'.

During this encounter, participants' heart rates peaked as high as 127 BPM, a 98.44% increase from the group's resting heart rate of 64 BPM.

While the stress induced by 'Dark Souls III' isn't too surprising, what shocked researchers was that 'Fall Guys' took second place.

This viral indie game is based on shows such as 'Total Wipeout' and 'Takeshi's Castle', but seems harmless enough.

While playing 'Fall Guys', players' heart rates soared to almost double their resting heart rates, increasing by 95,31%.

The most relaxing titles were 'Animal Crossing', 'The Sims' and 'Skyrim', which helped lower participants' heart rates during play by as much as 5%.

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Main image courtesy of iStock