Dhukarr for professionals
Dhukarr is a calm walking game set in real Australian places. Some players use it to unwind, and some health, education and support professionals have asked how it might fit alongside their work. This page says plainly what it is, what it is not, and what you can use. Last updated 13 October 2026.
How the game is designed
- No pressure. No timers, no losing, no streaks, no leaderboards, no scores to beat, and no messages asking a player to come back. Resting, sitting and stopping early are always fine.
- Predictable. Before each walk a plan card says how long it is, how much climbing to expect and what the place is like. Walks follow real tracks and streets.
- Player-controlled senses. Sound, music, movement on screen, brightness, contrast, text size, traffic in city walks, a walking companion and read-aloud can all be adjusted, with quick presets such as Quiet world and Minimal motion. A device that asks for reduced motion starts with calmer settings.
- Their own interests. A player chooses what they like to notice (rocks, birds, plants, water, patterns, maps) and the game follows that.
- No strangers. There is no chat, no friends list and no way for another person to contact a player. There are no ads and no purchases to pressure anyone.
Ideas for using it in a session
These are ideas, not tested treatments. Use your own judgement, and let the player lead.
- A calm, shared screen to sit beside and talk about: what can you see, hear, notice?
- A starting point for talking about sensory preferences, using the settings the player has chosen.
- Describing and ordering: telling the story of a walk, first, next, then.
- Talking through what a busy place is like before a real outing. The Melbourne city walks let a player look at a busy street at their own pace, with the sound and traffic turned as low as they like. This is familiarisation to talk about, not exposure treatment, and the game never raises the level on its own.
- A pleasant activity a player can choose between sessions, if they want to.
The walk summary
A player can make a short summary of their walks to print or to share by a private link: how many walks and for how long, week by week, when they like to walk, places, quiet moments, the settings they chose and what they enjoy noticing. They can add their own message, a list of what helps them, and notes they have written. They choose every part, see exactly what you will see, and can stop sharing at any time. It never shows their email address.
- Treat it as something the player is choosing to show you, and a way to start a conversation.
- Please do not ask or expect a player to share it. Saying no is fine.
- Please do not use minutes or numbers of walks as a measure of how someone is going. The game is built so that none of that matters.
- Dhukarr cannot tell whether a player is distressed or unsafe. A message in a summary is seen only by the person they send it to.
- If you recommend it, try it yourself first and offer other options. Nobody should be required to use it.
Privacy
You can play with no account, and everything stays on the player's own device. If a player signs in, we keep their email address, a scrambled passcode, their saved progress and a short record of each finished walk (day, hour, place, minutes). If they write notes or a list of what helps them, those are saved with their progress. There are no ads, no advertising or analytics trackers and no cookies. Sign-in codes are sent by email through Resend. A shared summary is a copy kept on our server until the link ends (1 to 90 days) or the player stops sharing it. Players can delete their account in the game, which deletes the copy we hold and any links. The full details are on the privacy page. If your service needs the exact hosting location for a privacy review, email us and we will tell you.
Accessibility and cost
It plays in a web browser on a phone, tablet or computer, with nothing to install, and it is free to play. Sound, motion, brightness, contrast and text size can be changed, and there is a read-aloud option. We are still improving it and would like to hear what does not work for your clients.
Cultural care
The walks are on the traditional lands of Australia's First Nations peoples. The game names whose Country each place is on and pays respects to Elders past and present. The name Dhukarr is a Yolŋu Matha word, and the About page says plainly how and why it is used here. We are not a First Nations organisation, and we welcome guidance.
Evidence
There is no clinical trial of Dhukarr, and we do not claim any health benefit. Research on calm games and on virtual nature is encouraging but early and mixed. For example, an Oxford Internet Institute study of two popular games found that play time was only modestly linked to wellbeing, and that how players experienced the game (choice, enjoyment, no pressure to play) may matter more. It showed an association, not a cause (Oxford Internet Institute). We would like to find a clinician to plan a small, careful pilot with us.
If someone needs help now
Dhukarr is not a crisis service. In an emergency call 000. Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and Kids Helpline is on 1800 55 1800, any time.
Work with us
We would be glad to hear from clinicians, teachers and support workers who would like to try it, give feedback, or plan a pilot. Email [email protected].