1997 Maxis
Platform: PC
The Mindwarp was not your usual Sim game from Maxis, and should have been their first proper foray into the realm of action-based titles back in 1997. It should have also been simply called “Mindwarp”, had it not been for someone at Maxis’ main office accidently appending “The” to the front!
Developed by Maxis’ satellite office in Salt Lake City (originally the Virtual Arts group, which had been acquired by Maxis and turned into Maxis Labs), The Mindwarp was best described as a mixture of Descent and Microcosm, with organic-like structures throughout. One potentially exciting feature at the time was with the tunnels that reconfigured themselves, based on how well you are playing. It had been unclear for some time though about the actual story to the game, and what exactly you were meant to do. The press also seemed confused at the time.
