''Relax'' is a suite of self-improvement software written by Kelly Jones and Bill Williams for the

Atari 8-bit family The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers introduced by Atari, Inc. in 1979 as the Atari 400 and Atari 800. The series was successively upgraded to Atari 1200XL , Atari 600XL, Atari 800XL, Atari 65XE, Atari 130XE, Atari 800XE ...

and published by

Synapse Software Synapse Software Corporation (marketed as SynSoft in the UK) was an American video game development and publishing company founded in 1981 by Ihor Wolosenko and Ken Grant. It initially focused on the Atari 8-bit family, then later developed for th ...

in 1984. Subtitled "The Stress Reduction System", ''Relax'' uses a headband containing sensors attached to

electromyograph Electromyography (EMG) is a technique for evaluating and recording the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. EMG is performed using an instrument called an electromyograph to produce a record called an electromyogram. An electromyog ...

hardware to provide audio/visual feedback in three interactive programs. It also includes a 25-minute cassette tape of guided relaxation.

Gameplay

''Relax'' is a package of three programs: a continuous graph of the user's level of tension; a program that produces kaleidoscopic patterns and tones that change color; and a game which requires the player to use tension and relaxation by changing the level of tension to win using a headband that monitors the player's muscle tension.

Reception

Roy Wagner reviewed the game for ''

Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American computer game magazine published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 1993. It expanded greatly through t ...

'', and stated that "Next time you've played a stressful game or have too many hours at the joystick, before you shot off your computer, load this program and r-e-l-a-x-x-x-...."

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite web , title=Relax manual, url=http://www.atarimania.com/8bit/files/Relax_Synapse.pdf , website=Atari Mania , publisher=Synapse Software , date=1984 {{cite web , title=Relax , url=http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-relax_4336.html , website=Atari Mania

External links

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'' 1984 video games Atari 8-bit family games Atari 8-bit family-only games Atari 8-bit family software Health video games Non-games Synapse Software games Video games developed in the United States