Augmented Reality (AR) firm metaio has teamed with Universal Pictures to create a virtual and AR mobile app to promote the thriller, The Thing, which made its debut last weekend.

The free app features a 360-degree flamethrower game in which players must use their weapons to survive attacks from invasive creatures that come at them from all sides. Players can also ‘infect’ themselves, using the app’s facial recognition capabilities to show what it looks like when invaded by The Thing. Users can then upload the photos and share the results with their friends.

The app, which was created using metaio’s Mobile SDK, can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store and Android Market. “We’re very pleased to partner with Universal on building a game that is not only fun to play, but also places the player amidst a similar horrific and suspenseful environment as the film,” says metaio senior business development manager, Lisa Murphy. “Our Mobile SDK allows us to create rich, interactive mobile applications that truly immerse the user in the experience.”