This 300,000 word sci-fi text adventure game is by Kevin Gold. It plays out like one of those classic Choose Your Own Adventure books, where you pick the course of the narrative and see how events unfold.
A highly ambitious concept, Choice of Robots is an impressive work that blends reading with gaming. It’s considered a science fiction masterclass by many gamers and we waded on in to do our usual thing. Bzzt.
Define Your Automated Friend in Choice of Robots
Okay, this is available on Steam/PC at cheap, cheap prices (it’s £5)!
Think of this like an interactive novel, then, one where you guide the decisions and path in life of a 24-year-old Ph.D. graduate. Studying Computer Science in California in the year of 2019, the student sets out to create a robot with a fully functioning AI to make their life more fulfilling.
The sci-fi world Choice of Robots is set in offers a more advanced version of life. Here’s Kevin Gold’s synopsis from the official site.
“Play out thirty years of your life as a brilliant robot maker, from graduate school near the present day to a future in which your robots have changed everything. Depending on your choices, your robots may be independent or obedient, clumsy or graceful, empathic or cold… and you yourself may live to an old age happily married or alone with only robots to comfort you.”
You get to choose whether you’re a man or woman, gay or straight, and then it’s as simple as guiding the story. You read the text, choose one of several prompts, and see how the story develops.
Here’s how it plays out, as voiced by the Calamity x7 YouTube channel below.
As you play/read, you can check the menu for stats on progress on the like. But on the whole, this is basically a book. One that’s very well received by fans who consider it a sci-fi classic.
There’s no music. The graphics are from the text and decision boxes.
Whilst so gamers will be horrified by that news (NO HD GRAPHICS IN 60FPS!?! ARGHHH!!!!), what’s here is an effective story about how AI and robots may change the world. Things also get pretty dramatic, as you’re tasked with instigating or preventing a demented robot uprising. You choose! It’s on you, matey. All of which plays out over 30 years.
Choice of Robots has an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam.
Touring through the 1,000+ Steam reviews left by users, you can see the impact this work has had on them. As user Chewable C++ notes.
“Wow. That was such an unexpectedly wonderful experience.
As this is a CYOA (Choose Your Own Adventure), your experience may vary, but, I say with little hesitation that my own experience with the story is the most meaningful experience I’ve had with a game – ever.
Although wonderful in their own right, choice oriented games like The Walking Dead and Mass Effect don’t even come close to what this game accomplishes.”
And from user Dorothy Haze.
“I have been in multiple psychology and sociology classes.
I have discussed multiple types of technologies and sciences of questionable morality, agreeing with them.
Things like the use of robots in war, and the creation of human AI.
Never have I questioned my morals, in the face of friends, family, colleagues, anyone.This game has actually made me question myself.
I love it.”
On our other blog, Moonshake Books, we’ve been exploring some of the more narrative-driven modern indie game experiences (see Robert Kurvitz & Helen Hindpere: Disco Elysium). When done right, video games do offer a different and intriguing take on storytelling. As opposed to books and films.
We think a lot of games get it wrong, particularly most AAA titles by big developers, but when done right you get Choice of Robots. Granted, it’s more of a book on a screen than a game, but it blends the mediums together and has had a genuine impact on people’s lives.
We found it most enjoyable and well worthy of your time.
