Tried and tested: A mind-controlled Zombie game from Mindgames

Not so long ago, I wrote a review on a book called Zombie Iceland that follows some Reykjavík youngsters fighting their way through a Zombie Apocalypse. The following day I got a really strange message on Twitter that also involved zombies.

My initial reaction was that someone was probably setting  me  up for a candid camera. I looked them up online and wasn’t completely convinced by their website but out of curiosity I decided to respond – just to see what would happen.

I try to keep a bit of a why not attitude towards strange things that I encounter in life, such as invitations to try out iPhone games controlled by brainwaves, so I decided to take them up on their offer and set a date to come try their game.

 My visit to Mindgames

Mindgames is a Reykjavík based start-up that develops iOS games that you control with your state of mind. Really, I’m not making this stuff up. They’ve released three games so far but the Zombie game that they invited me to try is called 28 Spoons Later.  They were the first company in the world to release a brainwave controlled iPhone app and they are supported by the Icelandic Technical Development Fund. In a typically Icelandic manner, their CEO Deepa also happens to have a husband that works at the same place as the Boyfriend. We are all connected in one way or another.

I think I’ll let Deepa herself explain to you what 28 Spoons Later is all about

Although the gadget that detects your brainwaves didn’t like me at first, I did try the game eventually and it actually works.  You CAN bend spoons with your mind alone! 

The CEO of Mindgames - Deepa Iyengar

I know this doesn’t really have anything to do with visiting Reykjavík per se but there’s just so much more going on in Reykjavík than whale watching and waterfalls. There are dozens of start ups in the building where Mindgames is located and although they may be working on a little less complicated things than brainwaves, they all have an idea they believe in and are willing to take risks to follow them through. I can’t but respect that.  I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Mindgames and wish them all the best with their company. And if you happen to have one of this brainwave gadget things - you should definitely check out 28 Spoons Later.

How this visit came about is also one of the things I love most about Reykjavík, you just never know what is going to happen next.

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