Lagos Life, Lagos Run and your mental health

If your timeline has been full of danfo drivers, virtual landlords and screenshots of people becoming billionaires overnight, you are not alone. In the past few weeks, a wave of Nigerian-made browser games has taken over. You don't need to download anything: you tap a link and you're in. Millions of people have joined in, and many of them play for hours a day.

Games can be genuinely good for your mental health. They can also quietly take over. Here's a look at what everyone is playing, why it feels so good, and how to keep it healthy.

The browser games Nigeria is playing right now

• Lagos Life. A life simulation, a bit like The Sims, set in a shared online Lagos. You create a character, get a job, pay rent, buy food, manage your energy and hang out with other players at places that look a lot like the real city. It launched on 1 October and drew millions of players within days. It has since added Abuja and Port Harcourt.
• Lagos Run. You drive a yellow danfo through Lagos traffic, picking up passengers, dodging obstacles and earning fares to upgrade your bus. Some people call it the danfo game. It went viral in late September and helped start this whole wave.
• Monkey Post. A browser version of the street football many of us grew up playing, with slippers or stones for goalposts and no referee. It launched on 6 October, and thousands of people played it on its first day, mostly on their phones.
• Crowd Said. A guessing game in the style of Family Feud, where you try to guess what most people would say instead of looking for one "correct" answer.

Alongside these, Nigerian-made phone games such as Whot, Ayo and Boju Boju are also getting new attention. It is a great moment for local creators, and it is easy to see why people love games that look and sound like home.

Why these games feel so good

Gaming meets real needs, and that isn't a bad thing:

• A break from pressure. When rent, fuel prices and bills feel heavy, a game gives your mind somewhere else to rest for a while. One Lagos Life player told TechCabal: "In the game I can hit restart. In real life, no reset button."
• A sense of control and progress. You earn, upgrade and level up in clear steps. That can feel good when real life is moving slowly.
• Connection. Playing with friends, comparing scores and laughing together on social media is real connection, especially if you feel isolated.
• Nostalgia and joy. Monkey Post and the danfo game bring back childhood memories and familiar places, and that kind of play is good for us.

When escape turns into avoidance

A game becomes a problem when it stops being a break from life and starts replacing it. Some people who play Lagos Life every day have said themselves that it "can be very addictive" and that "you can spend a whole day on it." Watch for signs like these:

• You play late into the night and feel exhausted the next day.
• You keep promising yourself "one more round," and it turns into hours.
• Work, school, meals or people you care about are being pushed aside.
• You feel irritable, low or anxious when you can't play.
• You use the game mainly to avoid feelings or problems you don't want to face.
• Your virtual life feels better than your real one, and that makes you feel worse when you log off.

If several of these sound familiar, the game may not be the real issue. Constant escape is often a sign that something underneath, such as stress, loneliness or low mood, needs attention.

Gaming that's good for your mind

• Decide before you start. Pick a time limit or a number of rounds, and set an alarm if it helps.
• Protect your sleep. Try to stop playing at least an hour before bed. Late-night gaming is one of the quickest ways to feel worse the next day.
• Play with people. Games shared with friends tend to lift your mood more than hours spent alone.
• Keep virtual money virtual. In-game naira isn't real. If a "game" asks you to put in real money for a chance to win more, that is gambling, not gaming, and it can do serious harm to your finances and your mental health.
• Notice how you feel afterwards. Refreshed and happy is a good sign. Drained, guilty or low is worth paying attention to.
• Make room for the offline world too. A walk, a real game of street football, or a chat with a friend all help. Our small daily habits for hard days are a good place to start.

If the game is covering something deeper

If you notice you are playing to avoid how you feel, or a game is the only thing that makes you feel okay, it might be time to talk to someone. That isn't weakness. It means you are paying attention to yourself.

ZeroDepression's volunteer counsellors are free, anonymous and judgement-free. Call 0800 1100 2200 or chat with a counsellor without giving your name. If you ever feel unsafe or are thinking about harming yourself, call 112 or go to the nearest hospital.

Enjoy the games. Laugh at the danfo crashes, buy that virtual mansion, and score the winning goal. Just make sure the real you is being looked after too.