Nevermind (2015 video game)

Nevermind is a first-person horror video game developed by Flying Mollusk. It was released for Microsoft Windows and OS X in 2015, and for Xbox One in 2017. The story revolves around the minds of people who have suppressed memories of horrible events.

Nevermind
Developer(s)Flying Mollusk
Publisher(s)Flying Mollusk
Designer(s)Erin Reynolds
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, OS X, Xbox One
Release
  • Microsoft Windows, OS X
  • September 29, 2015[1]
  • Xbox One
  • January 11, 2017[2]
Genre(s)Horror
Mode(s)Single-player

Plot

The players takes over the role of an expert that was recently hired by the Neurostalgia Institute to treat their patients in a mind jacking process known as neuroprobing.[3] Every patient there suffers from a form of repressed mental trauma. In order to help them resolve their issues, the player performs neuroprobing to obtain the recollections of the repressed memories so that the trauma can be cured.[4] By advancing through and being nearer to the goal, things around the player change in hostile ways as their minds fight back.[5]

Gameplay

Nevermind was designed to be played with devices that support biometric feedback (their usage is optional[6]), because the more the player is under stress, the harder the game becomes.[7] If the player gets scared, certain events will occur (for example, the game screen will become foggy and unsteady, making navigation more difficult).[8] The difficulty decreases by calming down.[9] It uses Intel RealSense for the sensors that can track player's pulse in real-time, and Affectiva's Affdex to recognize emotions and translate that into the game's events.[10][11] While being inside of a patient's mind, the objective is to find ten photos per client, each representing the parts of their memories.[12] Resembling Myst, Nevermind has some puzzle adventure elements, which consist of navigating environments and solving the puzzles before any progress can be made.[13]

Development

Erin Reynolds started with the game's development at the media program for graduate studies at the University of Southern California. For a thesis, Reynolds had a year to develop any kind of game of her choice, which became Nevermind.[14] A team that worked on it created one level, and disbanded after graduation. The following year, Reynolds started a company to build a full version of Nevermind.[15] The aim of the project was to recognize and to help solve the player's anxieties.[16] In early 2014, the developers launched a Kickstarter campaign, asking for $250,000.[17] It ended being unsuccessful, earning $129,615.[18] In October 2014, Nevermind was back for another campaign on Kickstarter, being set at a lower goal of $75,000.[19] The funding was successful with $76,525 being pledged by the backers.[20]

References
  1. "Flying Mollusk Launches Biofeedback Horror Game Nevermind for Windows and Mac". Gamasutra. September 29, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  2. "Nevermind". Microsoft. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  3. Mills, Michele (October 20, 2015). "New video game Nevermind knows whether it's stressing you out". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  4. Blakemore, Erin (April 27, 2016). "This innovative video game can sense your emotions and respond accordingly". The Week. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  5. Tekaia, Pascal (October 21, 2015). "Nevermind review". Adventure Gamers. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  6. Martens, Todd (October 24, 2015). "A game made almost entirely of LED lights? It's addictive, and it's at IndieCade". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 25, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  7. Kuchera, Ben (March 3, 2015). "Nevermind is a panic attack disguised as a video game". Polygon. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  8. Miller, Jennifer (December 3, 2013). "This Horrifying Video Game Knows When You're Afraid". Fast Company. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  9. Futter, Mike (February 3, 2014). "In Nevermind, Difficulty Rises With Your Heart Rate". Game Informer. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  10. Murnane, Kevin (March 3, 2016). "Gaming: 'Nevermind' Reads Your Mind And Adapts To Your Emotions". Forbes. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  11. Thirlwell, Edwin (February 3, 2015). "A Horror Game That Heals". Vice. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  12. Starr, Michele (October 27, 2015). "Nevermind review: When your own heartbeat is used against you". CNET. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  13. Hinkle, David (June 2, 2014). "Nevermind: a biofeedback horror game for your mental health". Engadget. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  14. Hansman, Heather (September 28, 2015). "Can a Video Game Teach You to Manage Stress?". Smithsonian. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  15. Takahashi, Dean (August 25, 2015). "Flying Mollusk's Nevermind horror game measures how scared you get". VentureBeat. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  16. Vincent, Brandy (August 26, 2018). "This video game knows when you're scared — and it wants to use that against you". NBC News. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  17. Elise, Abigail (February 20, 2014). "'Nevermind' Game Responds To Players' Fear, Currently Being Funded On Kickstarter". International Business Times. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  18. Reynolds, Erin. "Nevermind: A Biofeedback Horror Adventure Game". Kickstarter. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  19. Hilier, Brena (October 9, 2014). "Biofeedback-based horror Nevermind back on Kickstarter". VG247. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  20. Reynolds, Erin. "Nevermind: Biofeedback Horror Adventure Game". Kickstarter. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
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