Hellblade: Psychosis, Myth, and the Labyrinth of the Mind
Authored by The Academy · May 27, 2026
The syllabus
A syllabus for the Fellow who wishes to understand how a video game became the most widely praised representation of psychosis in interactive media — and what that representation owes to Norse mythology, mental health consultation, and the ancient symbolism of the labyrinth. The reading moves from the development process through the critical analysis to the measurable impact.
Reading order
Ninja Theory, 2014–2017
Begin with the development diary. The thirty-part video series documents the collaboration with neuroscientists, psychiatrists, and people with lived experience of psychosis. The ethics of the representation are inseparable from the process that produced it.
DiVA Portal (Swedish institutional repository), 2020
The academic analysis. Examines the game's consultation process, its binaural audio design, and its accessibility limitations — a necessary corrective to uncritical praise.
Societies (MDPI), Vol. 14, No. 9, 2024
The peer-reviewed study on disability and mental illness. Places Hellblade in the broader context of how interactive media represents psychological conditions, and what Norse mythology contributes as a metaphorical framework.
OKRE (formerly Wellcome Trust Public Engagement), 2018
End with the impact. The OKRE case study documents the awards, the charity fundraising, and the scholarship — the measurable consequences of purposeful play in the real world.
Discussion
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