Players Like...

❤ The Programmable World

Players can program and modify the game world itself using a scripting language called "Sprak". This allows you to: - Reprogram the behavior of objects and computers, such as unlocking doors or changing prices. - Manipulate the state of the simulated city of Dorisburg, altering character routines and introducing new functionality. - Create custom programs and scripts to automate tasks or introduce novel capabilities. This programming system gives you remarkable agency and creative freedom. Rather than solving predefined puzzles, you can leverage your coding skills to "hack" the simulation in unconventional ways.

❤ Exploration and Discovery

The city of Dorisburg is a large, interconnected environment with many hidden elements to uncover. As you navigate the world, you'll come across computers, objects, and characters that you can interact with and potentially program. This encourages a sense of curiosity and experimentation, as you never know what new capabilities or storyline threads you might uncover by exploring and poking around. The game provides little explicit guidance, leaving it up to you to piece together the narrative and uncover the city's secrets through your own initiative.

❤ Learning the Programming Language

Mastering the Sprak programming language is a key part of the gameplay loop. Initially, the concepts may feel overwhelming, but the game provides a steady introduction to new commands and functionality that you can experiment with. As you become more familiar with Sprak, you can start to chain together more complex programs, unlocking increasingly powerful abilities to manipulate the game world. This sense of progression and growing mastery over the programming system is very rewarding, especially for those with an inclination towards coding and problem-solving. The game does a good job of making the programming feel intuitive and approachable, with simple syntax and in-game documentation to help ease you into the core concepts.

❤ Narrative Integration

The ability to hack the simulation is not just a gameplay gimmick, but a core part of the story and the societal fabric of Dorisburg. As you progress, you'll uncover the backstories and motivations of various factions and characters, many of whom are also skilled hackers and programmers. This helps ground the programming mechanics in a believable context, making your actions feel more meaningful and impactful within the game's world. The narrative also provides a sense of purpose and direction to the open-ended exploration, as you can use your programming skills to uncover and potentially influence the game's central conspiracy.