“WarioWare-Inspired Game Shatters Kickstarter Goal with Enthusiastic Support”

An impressive demonstration can perform marvels, and Mindwave’s taste test was so exceptional that it prompted thousands of frustrated gamers to contribute 11 times its original crowdfunding goal.

Anyone familiar with WarioWare will likely find Mindwave’s nearly exhilarating, reflex-testing mechanics familiar. It comprises a rapid-fire collection of microgames that may move so swiftly that even those with a fleeting attention span may struggle to keep up, challenging you to input numbers into a flip phone, assemble a teddy bear, and then burst bubble wrap in rapid succession.

However, Mindwave differentiates itself from Nintendo’s classic formula by incorporating a more whimsical comic book aesthetic, a far richer and darker universe, and a more intricate narrative.

In this game, you assume the role of Pandora—a woman navigating a futuristic metropolis where individuals can plug USBs directly into a neural adapter on their neck. She possesses a golden mark that grants her access to the massive MindScape tower, which challenges countless contestants to compete against each other in microgames that draw inspiration from the participants’ psychic realms, all for a slim chance of winning a substantial cash prize. It’s a rather bleak premise, but I appreciate how the Psychonauts-style mind-hopping facilitates more cohesive collections of microgames with distinct themes or motifs (the first one focuses heavily on charming, Y2K elements, for instance).

Between levels, you can take a moment to converse with other competitors, and the branching dialogues surprisingly delve deep. I certainly didn’t expect a WarioWare-esque title to feature such rich character interaction or dialogue, yet it proves to be quite effective.

The demo released last month has already garnered over 4,000 ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ reviews on Steam, most of which commend its simple design, emphasis on fun, and the manner it navigates a major pitfall of the genre: complicated controls. Each microgame clearly indicates whether you need to use the mouse, arrow keys, spacebar, the entire keyboard, or a combination before it kicks off, keeping the gameplay straightforward.

With such positive feedback, it’s unsurprising that Mindwave’s Kickstarter campaign obliterated its initial $40,000 goal by 1100% and has since accumulated more than $443,000. Backers have unlocked several stretch goals, meaning the full game will also feature a 1v1 online mode, additional mind, post-launch DLC, support for mods, and gamepad compatibility, potentially paving the way for console adaptations in the future.

Developer Holohammer anticipates that Mindwave could potentially launch on PC in September 2027, stating, “but since game development is unpredictable, this is very much subject to change! Don’t be surprised if it comes out later… or even earlier? We can’t say for sure.”

Mindwave may be years away, so why not fill the void with the exciting upcoming indies of 2025 and beyond?