Memory Laboratory: Scents and Games as Carriers of the Past

Memory is amazing: sometimes just one subtle scent or a short episode from a favorite game is enough to instantly transport you to the distant past. The smell of hot bread can take you back to your grandmother’s kitchen, and an old video game can revive the emotions of your first school summer. These memory anchors work so deeply and accurately that they have long been a subject of interest for neurobiologists, marketers, and game developers.

Today, brands are increasingly using such “emotional triggers” — scents and interaction mechanics — to evoke strong associations and a sense of nostalgia in consumers. In this article, we will examine in detail why scents and gameplay are so powerful in capturing memories, how they form emotional attachment, and how businesses use these features of the brain to their advantage.

How Smell Becomes a Storehouse of Memories

Smells are directly linked to the limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for emotions and memory. Unlike visual and auditory stimuli, olfactory signals reach the brain virtually unfiltered. That’s why a single scent can instantly trigger a kaleidoscope of memories.

The aroma of freshly cut grass, for example, can remind you of summer holidays in the countryside. And the smell of a certain perfume can bring you back to an important person. These associations are so strong that they often last a lifetime.

Brands are increasingly turning to scent marketing, using scents as a tool for emotional engagement. This is especially noticeable in:

●     premium boutiques (unique “signatures” of fragrances),

●     hotels (the smell of cleanliness and comfort),

●     car dealerships (new car smell).

Creating a unique scent has become a new form of branding – a signature scent can evoke the right mood, win over the client and remain in the memory even more than a logo.

Neuropsychology of Games: Why Gameplay Is Memorable

Games are not just entertainment, but a complex experience that actively involves attention, emotions and motor skills. All this together enhances the effect of memorization. Memory loves participation: when we do something ourselves, not just observe it, it is remembered better.

The gaming experience is often accompanied by:

●     emotional outbursts (the joy of victory, the fear of defeat),

●     by repeated actions,

●     sounds, music and visual images.

All of these elements come together to form a single memory. For example, the music from Tetris or the sound from Super Mario instantly evokes recognition—and even a physical reaction.

Gaming nostalgia is no longer just a trend, but a separate cultural layer. Returning to old games has become a way to feel like you are in another time and experience “that” comfort. Brands are not missing out on this wave: retro collections are created, old games are recreated, pixel fonts and even controls from the 90s are used.

Fragrance as part of a brand: examples from business

Fragrances have become part of brand recognition, almost like logos or slogans. Their task is not only to attract, but also to remain in the memory, forming stable associations.

Good examples can be found in the hospitality and retail industries:

●     The Westin hotel chain uses its signature White Tea scent,

●     Abercrombie & Fitch stores fill the air with recognizable masculine notes,

●     In Zara Home you can often catch the scent of vanilla and sandalwood – coziness and warmth.

It is important that the scent is not just “pleasant” – it is functional: it is selected for the target audience, the product, and even the desired customer behavior (for example, to stay in the store longer).

Creating your own scent requires:

●     research into audience preferences,

●     tests for compatibility with the interior and the product,

●     working with professional perfumers.

Today, brands are increasingly investing in creating tactile, olfactory and even gustatory environments – because memory lives in the details.

Games as a Time Machine: How Game Design Recreates the Past

Game designers have long learned to evoke a sense of nostalgia in players not only through graphics or music, but also through the structure of the game. Recreating game mechanics from childhood is like returning a familiar rhythm to the body and mind.

Evocative elements:

●     pixel graphics and simple interfaces,

●     limited controls (2 buttons, like on the old gamepad),

●     familiar sounds (8-bit music, loading noise).

Games like Stardew Valley and Undertale use visual and narrative cues familiar to gamers of the ’80s and ’90s to evoke the same emotions. But it’s not just indie developers who get it — the big guys are in on the action, too: Nintendo regularly remasters classics with a modern twist.

Nostalgia in games works as a soft bridge between generations. Young people discover old formats, and older people feel like kids again. This is not just a marketing ploy – it is the creation of an emotional connection that makes the product personal.

How the Brain Encodes Nostalgia

Nostalgia is not just a memory, but a memory tinged with emotion. When a smell or gameplay takes us back to the past, the brain activates not only memory, but also the dopamine system — the system of pleasure and motivation.

What happens is this:

●     a scent or sound evokes a vivid memory,

●     emotional centers are activated,

●     the feeling of a “warm past” is intensified.

Interestingly, nostalgia can even reduce stress, boost confidence, and help combat loneliness. It’s no wonder that brands are using it not only to sell but also to build loyalty.

Nostalgia triggers are especially effective when:

●     a person is going through a transitional period (moving, growing up),

●     experiencing stress or uncertainty,

●     faces a choice – and searches for anchors of the past.

This makes nostalgia a powerful tool not only in marketing, but also in psychology, therapy, and art.

How Brands Combine Scents and Gaming Elements

The future of emotional marketing is in synthesis: when smells and gamification are used simultaneously, the effect is doubled. This is no longer a theory, but an active practice in areas from retail to exhibitions.

Examples of such approaches:

●     brand exhibitions with game quests and aromatic accompaniment,

●     applications with elements of gamification and spraying of scents through connected devices,

●     VR games with scent cartridges (for example, scents of the forest, sea, coffee).

This is especially actively used in:

●     luxury segment (creating a complete sensory immersion),

●     food industry (interactive tastings with gamification),

●     museums and branding showrooms.

Play and smell become not only a means of conveying emotions, but also a form of memorable content. This is not just marketing – it is the creation of a cultural experience that stays with a person for a long time.

Scents and games are more than just stimuli. They are entry points into human memory that work more precisely than any slogan. They evoke emotions, connect the past with the present, and make the consumer experience personal. Today, when attention is becoming an increasingly expensive resource, it is these deep anchors that are becoming real gold for brands.

We live in a time when technology and emotion increasingly go hand in hand. And the more accurately a business understands how our memory works, the smarter it can interact with it — creating products that don’t just sell, but stay in the heart.

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