Nevermind

Nevermind is a horror adventure game. The production has been developed as a research project of a group of students at the University of Southern California (USC), led by Erin Reynolds.

We assume the role of an employee of Neurostalgia Institute. The purpose of this organization is to discover the secrets hidden in the depths of consciousness of patients whose traumatic experiences have led to erasure of some memories. This objective can be achieved thanks to the fact that the research facility has the technology allowing to enter people's minds. The player becomes a so-called Neuroprober and sets off to look for information that may help improve the mental state of patient.

The gameplay involves first-person perspective, free exploration of the virtual world, and puzzle solving. Throughout the game we visit minds of agonized people, consequently the entire production has a horror-like atmosphere. Nevermind requires a cardiac monitoring device. It enables us to check our pulse and thus assess the level of our fear, and then modify the gameplay accordingly. The more we are scared, the more difficult it becomes to play. In contrast, when we feel relaxed, the virtual world also becomes more friendly. The aim of the developers was to create a production in which the player must learn to control their own stress. The skills we train this way may prove useful in the “real” life.