10 One-Of-A-Kind Video Game Mechanics

9. Biometric Feedback - Nevermind

in silence
Flying Mollusk

Imagining a video game that can sense your feelings still sounds like science fiction. No one expects to see stuff like Ready Player One or Sword Art Online in real life anytime soon. Still, you might be surprised to learn that there are games taking baby steps in that direction, and Nevermind does it with terrifying skill.

This title is a bio-feedback game that pits your emotions against you. It's an anxiety-ridden horror experience that increases the difficulty whenever you get too scared. That's right, the only way through this nightmare is to (like Batman) conquer your fear.

The game measures your stress levels and alters accordingly, triggering creepy events whenever you display negative emotions. How does it work exactly? Well, let's talk tech.

Nevermind is powered by Affectiva's Affdex technology, which analyses your facial expressions via webcam, identifies your emotions, and translates them into the game. It also has a (nonessential) physiological feedback option that measures your pulse. You can use devices like Intel RealSense or Wild Divine to support this.

Yes, tech is our friend, but as you can see, it can be used against us. Let's just hope the AI overlords of the future don't catch wind.

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Michael is my name, overanalysing comedy is my game! Anime, wrestling, TV, movies and video games all live in my head rent free!