DEVICE 6 Review
PROS
- An ingenious re-imagining of the text adventure format.
- Puzzles are clever and unusual.
- Narrative is dark, multi-layered, and engaging throughout.
- Puts player and device at the heart of the story.
CONS
- A little short.
VERDICT
Though its subject matter may be bleak, DEVICE 6's ambitious and intelligent re-invention of the text adventure is a joyous and unique experience.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
In DEVICE 6, words will set you free. As you navigate your way through Year Walk developer Simogo's text-based adventure, you quickly come to realise that the words on screen are your eyes, your ears, your map, your compass, your salvation, and - potentially - your doom.
You assume the role of Anna, a woman who is trying to escape the confines of an unspecified island. Like an '80s adventure book, her story unfolds via blocks of text punctuated by moments of interactivity. These moments usually you inputting numbers or characters into a keypad, activating recorded messages, or simply watching video screens.
However, is not just the content of the text which brings DEVICE 6's bizarre and claustrophobic world to life. As you read, the words onscreen begin to reshape themselves to reflect the locations the describe. When Anna walks down a corridor, the text converts from paragraph formatting into a single snaking sentence. As Anna comes to a corner, the sentence will veer off on a 90-degree angle, forcing you to rotate your iPhone to continue scrolling and reading.
It a simple but ingenious trick, one which constantly forces you to adjust your perspective. The sense of disorientation created by these shifts in perspective echoes Anna's own confusion, drawing you deeper into her strange and often disturbing journey. Sometimes, grey text will flank the main narrative, offering snippets internal monologue that hint at deeper mysteries.
The story is peppered with perverse imagery, strange riddles, and inferred violence. The puzzles are equally inventive and unusual, forcing you to examine every photo and analyse every sound for potential clues. It's a heady combination of theme, form, and function, all working together to impart a haunting tale of isolation and manipulation.
DEVICE 6 not only explores the boundaries of narrative storytelling, it also demonstrates the creative potential of touchscreen gaming. Though its subject matter may be bleak, the game's ambition and intelligence make it a joyous and truly singular experience, one which adventure game fans won't want to miss.
Screenshots
$3.99
