A charming cartoon of a child dressed as a reindeer, wearing a hat with antlers
App

Apart Of Me

The Apart of Me app is a game designed to help young people if someone close to them is very ill or has died.

You play through the app, meeting characters and finding locations alongside completing tasks in the ‘real world’ to help you cope during a really difficult time.

Two screenshots from the Apart of Me app. One shows a bird-like character called Foshan telling the player that ‘everyone who comes to this island is going through some difficult stuff’. The other shows the Guide character introducing the player to the cave, saying ‘This place belongs to you now. As you discover stories of loss and love on your journey, you can listen to them here in peace’.

What can you do in the Apart Of Me app?

The app is like a game, so you explore the island and complete ‘quests’ to meet characters and discover new locations and features. This can help it feel more manageable, as you can take things at your own pace.

The first character you meet is a guide who also went to the island after someone important to them died. Through them, you can find more resources to help with grief, including how to get urgent help.

In the app you complete quests, like finding things characters have dropped or lost as they’ve tried to cope with their feelings or find out how different people manage grief. Through this, the characters share ideas and wisdom with you.

The guide gives you quests to complete in your own world, like thinking about happy memories with the person who is ill or has died.

And you’ll discover locations on the island, like a peaceful cave where you can read (or listen to) other people’s stories of love and loss, and a rockpool where you can find peace through breathing exercises.

How does the Apart Of Me app help?

Apart of Me is designed to help young people feel safe and rediscover a sense of calm as they learn to accept their feelings and discover their own strength and wisdom.

It is based on therapeutic techniques like finding meaning, having a safe space to explore feelings, and being able to talk about difficult experiences.

Apart Of Me app: the details

Apart of Me is entirely free to download and use. There are no paid features.

The Apart of Me website says that the game is aimed at young people aged 11 and above, with a core audience of 13 to 16 year olds, but that adults and younger children (who play while accompanied by an adult) also find the game helpful and meaningful.

The App Store gives it a rating of 12+ because it contains infrequent/mild medical and treatment information, and infrequent/mild alcohol, tobacco, or drug use or references.

Google Play gives it a rating of PEGI 3, and says the content of apps with this rating is considered suitable for all age groups.

No. You do not have to put any information in unless you want to – the app tells you you can use a pretend name for yourself and the person who is ill or has died.

A charity called Apart of Me made the app. You can find out more about the charity Apart of Me on its website.

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