Anyone can become the protagonist of a video game with the ‘Hero Lens’ Keychain. Simply hold it up and the landscape in front of you will be transformed into your own virtual world.

This simple but intriguing idea caught the imaginations of Japanese Twitter users. The creator of the lens @itopoid, shared the design process and actual making of the key chains with his followers, causing excitement before the lenses were even available. He says that with the key chain, people can carry an emotional scene with them wherever they go!

The concept is based on ‘Girl Games’, a genre of video game in which you play as the main character trying to charm one or more beautiful women. The lens' screen depicts the moment just before the girl appears, with some sort of opening line in the dialogue box. Wherever you are, just hold up the lens and a cute girl could appear in the frame at any second!

But depending on the key chain, it could just as easily be used by someone who isn't into women. To a non-Japanese person, these are perhaps more likely to conjure up the image of Japanese video games in general and have the potential to turn our everyday lives into an adventure!

Edit - The Hero Lens is now available as an online application!