This paper examines the process of designing a breathing mechanic to enhance player-character alignment in video games. Breathing is closely connected to emotional regulation and could therefore potentially impact a players’ emotions in a similar way to the real thing when implemented into a game as a mechanic. Real life breath control is also a common way to alleviate anxiety through the use of breathing exercises. These factors make breathing an attractive action to adopt into game design in the pursuit of aligning the player with the character they are playing. By iterating on a prototype breathing mechanic in our video game, Still, this study observes that breathing as a game mechanic can align player and character through the synchronisation of action in game with action in real life. Players tend to match their real life breath with the in-game breathing mechanic and this suggests player-character alignment.