Neuronauts is a free Android game for MindWave Mobile, allowing two players to control the speed and actions of their in-game spaceships with the power of their minds. Developed by Personal Neuro Devices, the company who launched the first brain-controlled Android game, UpCake, and its sequel UpCake 2.0, as well as a meditation app called Transcend, this new retro-looking game is claimed to be the first ever mobile multiplayer game powered by neurofeedback.
Neuronauts has three gameplay modes: Solo, Local Multiplayer and Online Multiplayer. The latter is a mobile gaming first. It allows players to sign in with their Google account and get matched up with the next available opponent. Any two brains from anywhere in the world can compete brain to brain in a two-minute race, vying for the highest score.
As you focus your ship speeds up increasing your score and boosting you to the lead. As you fly you can collect Star Boxes for a fast 100 point boost. Powerups will also appear randomly to provide speed boost by flying over them and blinking. The MindWave Mobile doesn’t just measure your concentration, it can also detect when you blink and uses that feature to allow you to grab powerups and increase your score.
“We are very pleased to collaborate with Personal Neuro Devices to bring Neuronauts to market,” said Stanley Yang, CEO of NeuroSky, the company behind the MindWave headset. “It’s very exciting to be part of this whole new world of online mobile game play.”
Local Multiplayer mode is also available, allowing two players to compete with each other on the same mobile device, using two MindWave headsets – also the first time this capability has ever been available for a neuro app.
In-game neuro-advertising
Neuronauts is free to play and like many other free mobile games, it aims to gain revenue from in-game ads. However there’s a twist here: The game includes PND’s proprietary algorithms that enable in-game neuro-advertising. PND’s neuro-advertising technology allows ads to be tailored to an individual based on mood, emotional state and cognitive analysis. This system allows for information to be displayed to the player that is uniquely relevant to them. Ads appear only on the main menu and never interrupt game play.
The Neuronauts team is already hard at work on the next iterations of the game, which will include obstacles such as asteroids and rogue ships to shoot down, and online leader boards.
You can download Neuronauts for free from Google Play. An iOS version will soon be available, according to the developers.
Source: Personal Neuro Devices Inc.