The smartphone app that could bring Brussels together

Can a smartphone game bring Brussels together? That’s what the people behind Think Twice hope. It was released on 22 March, the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks at the airport and metro that left 32 dead.

Sven Van de Perre (pictured), a designer with more than 20 years of experience in the game business and founder of the Brussels-based gaming studio Monkube, developed the free puzzle app with nine communities in Brussels to show a different side to the city.

What is Think Twice?
Think Twice is an abstract puzzle game in which all 90 levels were designed by minority communities in Brussels. Each community also added a one-sentence word puzzle – a message they want to share with the world. Our goal is straightforward: We want to show the world that Brussels is a city full of people who mean well, and full of communities who work together. And not the hellhole some international politicians would like you to believe.

What inspired you to create it?
From a young age, I've been confronted with the prejudice of people from outside Brussels. It always bothered me, but I never felt I had to take action until the Paris attacks. At that point, many of my international friends started asking me weird stuff like: “Are you still able to go outside?” I stated realising that these horrible events led to a whole generation that will shun Brussels if we don't act.

How does it work?
It starts out childishly easy. But without the use of text, and in many cases without the player even noticing, each new level teaches you something. The more you play, the smarter you get. And you’ll need those smarts to successfully complete the level in front of you. It is a very rewarding game to play. As in, it makes you feel smart. Because, hey, you are.

What has been the impact since its launch?
Well, the game is now out on all platforms, and reception has been great. High user ratings all around, which proves that it’s not only seen as a good game, but people are also open to the message it holds. And we hope its message will keep on spreading in the months to come.

Think Twice is available for iOS, Android, Windows, Mac and PC, in 12 languages