Mind Scanners

Release Date: May 20, 2021

Adventure, science fiction, RPG elements, dystopia, indie games, simulation elements, singleplayer

7.7

OpenCritic

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Mind Scanners is an indie simulator set in a dystopian world, in which we examine the mental health of its inhabitants using strange devices and make diagnoses. It was developed by The Outer Zone studio.

Plot
Mechanics
Technical aspects

Mind Scanners was developed by a small Danish studio and is an adventure simulator with RPG elements. It tells the story of a man who takes up the profession of the mindscanner. He has to examine the inhabitants and make diagnoses which influence the plot development, but our ultimate goal is to find his daughter. The game is published by the studio Brave At Night, known thanks to the warmly welcomed Yes, Your Grace.

Plot

In this alternate vision of a futuristic world, we are taken to a metropolis called The Structure. It was built inside a crater, after a tragic meteorite fall. People who survived this event learned to control an energy source called Zygnoka and decided to seal themselves off from the rest of the world in this technologically advanced, hermetic metropolis, where order and control are the greatest values. In order to provide the inhabitants with the best possible productivity and to limit the incidents which disturb the order, the mindscanner profession was created - an alternative psychiatrist, who, using a strange apparatus, without medical knowledge but with a bit of empathy, makes diagnoses and tries to help patients. This is what the protagonist of the game decided to do, not for financial reasons, but because it is the only way he can find his daughter.

Mechanics

Mind Scanners is divided into days, during which our task is to help as many potential patients as possible. To do this, we choose on the map where we want to go and in what order we'll do it, because just like in Night Call, each day we have only a certain amount of time and we don't manage to visit everyone, especially if we want to help people from two different parts of the city. So it's up to us whether we want to be more productive and make more money, or learn about the history of much more interesting characters.interesting characters.The game has a progressive difficulty level thanks to which we are gradually introduced to the instruments of work necessary to make the right diagnosis, which we unlock for special currency. In order to make a diagnosis, we use the interview, Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank, the cleaning of negative thoughts and others. We follow the recommendations of the artificial intelligence, which tells us what we should check in the patient, and this is done by completing various short arcade games. Once we handle them, we have to make a final diagnosis, which can be problematic. The game has many dilemmas and difficult moral decisions to make, which affect the further fate of the person in question, but also of society.

Technical aspects

Mind Scanners is a fully 2D pixel-art game with a specific art style and a limited colour palette highlighting the grotesqueness of the story.

Videos and Screens

[0:51] Mind Scanners trailer #1

7.7

OpenCritic Rating

Game is Recomended by 71% of Critics. There are 5 Critic Reviews.

OpenCritic

PC Gamer: 70 / 100 by Andy Kelly

A compelling cyberpunk story told in an imaginative way, and one that will really test your moral compass.

Full Review

RPG Fan: 69 / 100 by Bob Richardson

For dystopian enthusiasts and those who don’t mind getting lost in repetitive minigames, Mind Scanners may be a suitable distraction. I’m sure some people are going to adore everything about this title, but I simply can’t recommend it for most people. It breaks my heart, because I had been keeping an eye on Mind Scanners for a while and had high hopes. After all, I’m a psychologist who loves stories about grim futures, but the execution here just didn’t make the landing. In fact, I might even need a mind scanner myself after binging this one.

Full Review

WhatIfGaming: 8.5 / 10 by Ali Hashmi

Mind Scanners is an emotional ride, full of tough decisions, excellent characters, and a haunting world. The game shines when all its elements are working in harmony, immersing players in its rich, evocative world. The art style is excellent, and its interface-based gameplay is engaging. There’s enough to chew on, and the game doesn’t overstay its welcome.

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