Playing video games can get your heart going, especially if you’re playing some kind of horror game. But what if the game’s difficulty were to increase when it detects that you are afraid? Well that’s what the game “Nevermind” is trying to accomplish. By strapping players with a Garmin cardio chest strap, similar to those worn by athletes who want to measure their heart rate, and attached to an ANT+ USB stick, the sensor will transmit the data to the game and when it detects your elevated heart rate, the game’s difficulty will increase similarly as well. The goal is to try and manage your anxiety while playing the game at the same time.

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The game, developed by Erin Reynolds and her team, will not resort to cheap tricks to scare you, such as monsters popping out of nowhere, but instead will rely on rather creepy scenarios and will build up the fear and anticipation. The premise of the game is where you take on the role of a Neruroprober who has the ability to enter the minds of patients and discover the root cause of their troubles. We can only imagine this is what Inception would have been like if someone like Stephen King had decided to write it instead.

Throughout the game, the sensor will continuously measure the player’s vitals, with all parts of the game designed to push the player’s buttons. As the player’s fear rises, the game’s visuals will become more distorted, thus making it harder for the player to complete the task at hand. The game was developed as part of a Masters of Fine Arts thesis project at the University of Southern California and exists as a proof of concept, rather than a full-fledged game.

Regardless it’s still a pretty cool idea and if you’d like to learn more, check out the video above or hit up the game’s website for the details!

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