by Text in video games is often reserved for lazy exposition or repetitive dialogue from animatronic townsfolk and shopkeepers. In Device 6, a new work of spy-themed interactive fiction from Simogo (Year Walk, Beat Sneak Bandit), however, text is used with verve and clarity, as sharp prose maps out protagonist Anna’s journey around a mysterious island.
It’s not just that Device 6 is text-based – it’s that the text dances around the iPhone or iPad screen. As Anna turns down a hallway, the words also bank at a hard right angle; when she climbs a spiral staircase, her story and your device screen spin with her. If you could zoom out far enough, you’d see invisible bridges, secret research labs, and ancient graveyards, all built out of words.
The story of Device 6 unfurls as you drag a finger across the screen, scooting the text along. It’s a striking effect, and the interaction amplifies Device 6’s spooky ambiance and surrealist mystery; as your finger moves, Anna’s footsteps ring out, and distant voices become clearer and louder. Device 6 isn’t a horror game, but its tactile approach to storytelling – complemented by videos, images, and audio cues – contains enough tension to keep players on edge.
A series of puzzles punctuates Anna’s exploration, all revolving around cryptic hints. With one frustrating exception, these puzzles are well tuned and exist more to support the narrative and atmosphere than to keep players stumped for too long. Espionage, reel-to-reel audiotapes, and code breaking are the order of the day in Device 6, which keeps with the game’s slick evocation of Cold War conspiracy and post-war MI6.
Mid-century spy thrillers were appealing, in part, because the high-tech gadgets used by Sean Connery and George Lazenby were extraordinary, yet seemingly within reach. By playing to the strengths of today’s most versatile and popular gadgets, Simogo provides a modern take on this idea. Not only is Device 6 a wonderful game – it’s a wonderful game that could only exist on a touch screen.
