Apart of Me is designed to help young people who have lost a parent or close relative, or have someone important in their life with a terminal illness. The game is aimed at young people aged 11+. Our research shows that our core audience is 13-16 year olds (you can read our evaluation report for more detail). However, we know from feedback that adults and younger children, who play while accompanied by an adult, also find the game helpful and meaningful. We gave the Apart of Me game an age range because some of the stories shared by our guides talk very openly about death in a way that may not be suitable for younger children. These stories are marked with a ⚡ sign within the game. Parents of children younger than 11 should listen to these stories first to decide.

Apart of Me supports iOS and Android phones and tablets.

Apart of Me has been designed by an experienced child psychologist (and former child protection social worker), along with a team of expert advisors. These include the psychological support team at St Joseph’s Hospice and a number of psychotherapists and other health professionals with a special interest in child bereavement. We developed the game based on detailed feedback and focus groups we held with bereaved young people and their families. The game features checkpoints where the young person playing is encouraged to check in with someone if they are feeling particularly low or vulnerable. We also provide links to organisations specialising in helping vulnerable young people. Where possible these have been tailored to the specific location (e.g. Childline in the UK). There is currently no interaction allowed between the player and other people through the game.

There is very little risk in Apart of Me. There is a chance that as users play the game, difficult emotions will be stirred as they are asked to reflect on death and dying, especially on the death of a loved one. However, we have taken a very soft-touch approach and ensured that the player is empowered at every moment. For example, they can throw bottles back into the ocean if the quests inside feel too challenging at that time. We have also kept in mind the reality that, in the age of the internet, young people can and will look up information for themselves if it is not provided by the adults in their life. So, we feel it is better to give them carefully chosen information in a sensitive and meaningful way while they are in a safe and supportive space. Apart of Me is in no way a substitute for professional support where that is required. It can be used on its own where appropriate or as an addition to professional treatment.

Our app detects the language settings which are present on your device. Please check your device settings and set them to your preferred language.

Our app will use your phone’s settings to detect whether you would like it to play sound or not. Please check your device settings and ensure they are not set to ‘silent’ or ‘do not disturb’.

You can find out the version of the game by selecting the home icon in the top left hand corner of the game. From here, select the settings cog in the top right hand corner of the screen. Select ‘About Apart of Me’ and ‘Show Support Features’.

You can find out the version of the game by selecting the home icon in the top left hand corner of the game. From here, select the settings cog in the top right hand corner of the screen. Select ‘About Apart of Me’ and ‘Delete Progress’. NOTE: This action will delete all of your character's progress on Apart of Me.