Talos Machine
Welcome to the year 3142.
The last homo sapiens has died, and as a detective in Ganymede's police department, it is up to you to figure out what happened to her. Since you just transferred here, you'll need to use Omnipedia, the complete encyclopedia, to learn about Ganymede, 3142, and all aspects of this world which might help you solve this case. Who knows ... this might be about more than a single human's demise.
The latest in text adventure technology has given us Talos Machine – an "open website" sci-fi murder mystery. When playing, you have complete freedom to investigate whatever you want. There is no handholding, and it is up to you to form connections and solve the mystery yourself. Don't worry, it's less brutal than it sounds. All you have to do is think like a detective.
Oh, and have fun!
Playing in fullscreen is optional, but recommended. If you can't see the fullscreen button, resize your browser window horizontally and it should appear.
Game created by Aidan Andreasen
Talos Machine is an award winner! Coha-Gunderson Prize in Speculative Futures 2022 -- Winning Undergraduate Project
Comments
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I was fortunate enough to play this game on its original release as a class assignment, but it has made such an impact on me that I return to it months later to sing my praises.
Talos Machine single-handedly (pun unintended) taught me about the theories involving technological singularities, transhumanism, and the Fermi paradox. The concepts introduced in the Omnipedia have a very real basis as relevant topics within science today. Aiden has clearly done the research to make this game as lore-intensive as it is, and every linking passage takes the player further down the rabbit hole of information. The Omnipedia has pages and pages of fictional lore intertwined (pun intended) with historical and current theories about the future and transhumanism.
This game can only give as much as the player explores, though. The actual narrative is simply a short exposition and set of questions asking what you, the player and main character, believe happened in this mystery case. Talos Machine isn't for those who prefer a continuous story. The Omnipedia isn't a plot development within the story timeline, and can be seen as a spatial web of linked passages rather than a branching narrative. Players who choose to skim or skip the Omnipedia have a vastly different and unfulfilling experience than those who've figured out the true ending and solved the mystery. To that end, Talos Machine can only be truly appreciated if a player does a deep dive, either very close to or completely 100%'ed. It can leave players feeling unsatisfied on their first runthrough with a flat ending. The 100% ending is also somewhat rushed narratively. However, the experience of piecing together the mystery makes it worth trying for.
The main constructive criticism I have is that it can be difficult to retrace your steps within the Omnipedia to backtrack to other entries. This game uses Twine's default return mechanic, which interprets going back to parent passages as a choice reset. There isn't an easy way to return to the main chapter index of the Omnipedia without passage reversals which reset links as unread.
Overall, the mystery of this game and the intensive rabbit hole of lore is what makes the game for me. Players who skim the Omnipedia will leave Talos Machine unsatisfied. Players who prefer narratives will not enjoy a plot that has no development. It's a hit or miss for players, but it was definitely an incredible experience for me. Solving the mystery is an intense Eureka! moment. Long after our game development class has ended, I think back to Talos Machine whenever I encounter relevant topics in real life — the concepts I was taught from the Omnipedia.
Holy shit Michel, I'm so glad my game meant so much to you! I had no idea it would impact anybody this deeply, but this is absolutely awesome. Thank you so much for sharing that – I can't say this without it sounding like a platitude, but seriously, it means a ton to me that you enjoyed it this much.
And thanks so much for the in-depth review, too. I agree that the in-game navigation is kind of iffy – that was largely a side effect of my inexperience with Twine. (I originally wanted to integrate a search bar like a real wiki would have, but couldn't figure out how to do that before the assignment was due.) Talos Machine wound up being constrained to pretty much just a choose-your-own-adventure experience because of that. But I'm planning to expand upon this concept in the future (possibly a full release, but no promises!) and if I do, it'll definitely take your critique into account.
Again, thank you so much for this feedback – I can't reiterate that enough – and I hope you're doing well!
-- Aidan
(PS. A game with similar singularity sci-fi themes is Universal Paperclips, if you're interested.)