Ready to Overcome Your Fears?

If you enjoy horror, suspense, or any psychological thriller, you might want to keep your eyes open for Nevermind. 

Nevermind was created as part of Erin Reynold’s Master of Fine Arts thesis project at the University of South Carolina’s Interactive Media and Games Division. As a player, you assume the role of a “Neuroprober,” where you must uncover the repressed and traumatic memories of patients. In order to do this, players must solve puzzles, find photos as shown in the video below, and face terrifying scenes of patients’ memories. 

Below is a video footage of Nevermind.

 Great, another Horror Game.

Nevermind is a horror game, but it’s not just another horror game. This game is different, because it uses a Garmin cardio chest strap to monitor the players heart rate. With the strap, players will feel more in the game than ever before! If the game detects the player’s heart rate begin to accelerate, the game starts to become more difficult.

As an example, Reynolds describes a section of the game she calls “car maze.” She says that at this scene,

“…players are bombarded with disorienting imagery as they follow a car horn through a twisting labyrinth of wrecked cars. As the player’s stress levels rise, the imagery becomes more distorted until they can’t see.”

Your goal is to overcome your fear as you solve patients’ memories. If you are capable of controlling your anxiety, you are rewarded throughout the game. 

When can I get a hold of this game?

Reynolds is planning a Kickstarter campaign to launch the game in 2014. In the meantime, she and other developers are exploring how the game can potentially be used for therapy. 

Personally, I love my fair share of psychological horror, so this is a game I would love to try! I would also be interested in learning about the results Reynolds uncovers as she and the other developers explore how the game can potentially and successfully be used for therapy.