Lens of Mood Alignment

Consumers often choose media not just based on the media's projected mood, but also based on how that mood relates to their own moods at the moment. In Mood Management Theory, this mood alignment is referred to as semantic affinity, which describes the similarity between the consumer's current mood and the mood projected by the consumed media. Mood alteration is most effective when mood alignment is low, while mood preservation is supported by high semantic affinity, although the effect may not be as intense.

From Source

Focusing Questions

What overall mood does your game project.
At any point in the game what mood is it projecting.
Do characters in your game exhibit a mood similar to one you're game is meant to repair in the player? How could this be reconciled?
How could your game maximize the projection of a mood similar to that produced by the experience you are attempting to simulate.