Welcome back to the Ideas to Impact podcast, powered by Techscaler, where we bring you unfiltered conversations with founders and ecosystem leaders reshaping the future of work, tech, and entrepreneurship.
In our sixth episode, we sit down with Maxwell Scott-Slade, co-founder of GLITCHERS, the studio behind the “Fitbit for your brain.” Maxwell shares how games like Sea Hero Quest reached millions of players while generating groundbreaking scientific data. From global traction to founder resilience, this conversation explores what it takes to scale creativity, science, and impact from Scotland to the world.
In this episode of Ideas to Impact, Ruth Oliver, Head of Client Accounts at CodeBase, speaks with Maxwell Scott-Slade, founder of GLITCHERS, a games studio building health-focused games in partnership with scientists. Maxwell shares how his journey from entertainment games to neuroscience collaborations shaped GLITCHERS’ mission to become the “Fitbit for your brain.” He discusses projects on Alzheimer’s, mental health, and environmental issues, alongside the challenges of scaling, securing funding, and growing internationally.
“Games can help people understand complex issues — from Alzheimer’s to climate change.
Maxwell Scott-Slade, Founder of GLITCHERS
Maxwell Scott-Slade is the co-founder of GLITCHERS, a London-based games studio creating titles at the intersection of entertainment, science, and health. Starting in independent game development, Maxwell worked on viral hits before pivoting to “games with purpose.” His projects now span neuroscience, dementia, and mental health, combining engaging gameplay with robust scientific research.
He co-created Sea Hero Quest, a mobile game that generated the world’s largest dataset on spatial navigation, aiding Alzheimer’s research globally. Maxwell’s vision is to make GLITCHERS the Fitbit for your brain — empowering individuals to monitor cognitive health through interactive technology.
Beyond brain health, Maxwell’s work also extends to environmental sustainability games and cross-disciplinary projects with leading institutions like UCL and the University of Stirling. A frequent speaker and advocate for games as a force for good, Maxwell continues to push the boundaries of what gaming can achieve for science and society.
This conversation dives deep into the world of games with purpose, where creativity meets science to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges.
Maxwell Scott-Slade, founder of GLITCHERS, began his career making quirky flash games, but a personal family crisis shifted his perspective on what games could do. What started with playful educational titles like The Great Sperm Race evolved into collaborations with neuroscientists on games that collect critical datasets, including one of the largest spatial navigation datasets ever created, a vital marker for Alzheimer’s research.
In the episode, Maxwell recounts how his brother’s diagnosis with paranoid schizophrenia became a turning point, highlighting the urgent need for tools that help people understand mental health before a crisis hits. This experience inspired Glitchers’ broader mission: to use games not only for entertainment, but as interventions for brain health and wellbeing.
At the heart of the company lies an ambitious vision: to become the Fitbit for your brain, giving individuals the ability to monitor cognitive health and take action before problems reach a crisis point. Achieving this goal, however, requires more than great ideas — it demands the building of complex interdisciplinary teams capable of bridging the worlds of gaming, neuroscience, and healthcare.
Maxwell also reflects on the realities of international growth, from pitching in Japan to preparing for the global stage at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco. Along the way, he shares candid insights into the highs and lows of startup life, including securing £75,000 through Scottish Edge and the continuous effort to attract US investment. None of this, he explains, would be possible without strong partnerships: GLITCHERS works closely with leading institutions such as UCL, CNRS, and the University of Stirling, ensuring that their games are not only engaging but also scientifically credible.
Beyond brain health, GLITCHERS is also developing environmental simulation games that let players explore trade-offs in ecological systems — bringing a fresh, engaging perspective to pressing global issues.
Maxwell offers candid insights into entrepreneurship, resilience, and the power of play as a tool for science, health, and societal change.
Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe to stay updated on future conversations with founders and exciting guests.
Connect with Maxwell Scott-Slade on Linkedin and through their website.
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