Cadence Ford

One in every three young people will have an unhealthy relationship before they become adults. Interpersonal violence remains the third leading cause of teen death, contributing to one in every five teen suicides. There is a clear need for more awareness-building and preventive interventions that support teens in living safe and healthy lives.

Cadence Ford, a single-player, text-based strategy video game, responds to that need with a safe, playful space for teens to familiarize themselves with unhealthy behaviors that may surface in relationships. As players interact with each story in the game, they must figure out how to talk with their friends about uncomfortable issues and offer assistance in their unique circumstances. Meaningful gameplay supports meaningful learning as players practice having difficult conversations. The game, developed with teen mental health and social and emotional learning experts at iThrive Games, builds on the One Love Foundation's mission to bring life-saving prevention education to young people and expands on their honoring of Yeardley Love—a daughter, friend, and student-athlete whose life was tragically and brutally cut short by an ex-boyfriend in 2010 three weeks shy of graduating from the University in Virginia. Cadence Ford helps young people learn to love better and be with partners who practice healthy love, ensuring Yeardley's legacy of joy lives on.