You Can't Judge A Blog Post By Its Title. Unless, Of Course, You Can.

Something else I found out this week is that Ben Miller (of The Armstrong and Miller Show and looking-like-Rob-Brydon fame) was one of the co-writers behind the excellent and hilarious puzzle game MindGym for the PC.

MindGym may have been the second or third PC game I ever really played, and from what I can remember the main part consisted of solving abstract puzzles while being alternatively encouraged and mocked by the narrator, who sounds a bit like Jim Carrey* but is known only as the Personal Trainer. The most effective comparison can probably be drawn with the Nintendo DS let's-make-homework-fun-fest that is Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training. Except if Dr. Kawashima was less distantly polite and more open to smoking pot.

What I'm trying to say is this: the main object of MindGym was to develop different parts of the brain than ordinary puzzle games in a fun and innovative way, a feat that has not been accomplished with an equal degree of humour and originality before or since. Incidentally, it was also the first game ever to win the BAFTA for Interactive Entertainment back in 1998 (beating Douglas Adams) and deservedly so. The puzzles are amusing and challenging, and the graphics and animation is simply beautiful considering the game was made eleven years ago. Bear this in mind when you look at some of the screenshots here.

Sadly there don't seem to be any plans to release an updated version, or a version that will run on something more recent than Windows 98, but I thought this eulogy would ensure that, among a small group of people on the internet, this mini-masterpiece will not be forgotten.

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*Do not let this put you off, it's a lot less annoying when you don't have to look at a rubbery, gurning face.