Nevermind: creating an entertaining biofeedback-enhanced game experience to train users in stress management

Nevermind is a PC-based biofeedback-enhanced exploration horror game that challenges the player to go outside of his psychological comfort zone. Players are asked to either bravely face the fear and stress of an unknown ever-changing space (and thus be rewarded with progress) or to retreat, turning their back not only on the source of their fears, but also on their character, other in-game characters, or – more importantly – themselves. While many games already employ this technique to a certain extent, Nevermind’s use of biofeedback technology isolates the problem of fear and stress, making it a concrete, measurable entity that can be identified and addressed on a very direct and personal level. The high entertainment value of the game serves to compel players to push further to find out “what happens next” - and, in turn, the demand to venture into the terrifying unknown and return unscathed (both as a player and as a person) encourages players to push beyond boundaries of fear in their own lives.

《Nevermind》是一款基于PC平台、搭载生物反馈（biofeedback）技术的探索类恐怖游戏，其核心设计旨在挑战玩家突破自身的心理舒适区。玩家既可以选择直面未知且不断变化的空间所带来的恐惧与压力，以此推进游戏进程并获得对应奖励；也可以选择退缩，不仅逃避恐惧的源头，更背弃自身操控的游戏角色、其他游戏内角色，乃至更为重要的自我。尽管已有诸多游戏在不同程度上运用了此类创作手法，但《Nevermind》借助生物反馈技术，将恐惧与压力这类抽象问题具象化为可被精准识别、直接且个性化处理的可测量实体。本作极高的娱乐属性驱使玩家不断深入，探寻接下来会发生什么；而这种既要闯入恐怖未知、又要同时以玩家与个体双重身份全身而退的需求，也促使玩家在现实生活中突破自身恐惧的桎梏。