It seems we got quite a few questions when we mentioned that we could do a DEVICE 6 Questions and Answers blog post. So here we go: Q&A time!
Is Device 6 based around any factual information or events like Year Walk?
No, but it does comment on some things in our world that we have been thinking quite a bit about.
Is this the nail in the coffin for the Simogo we know for cute, loveable characters?
Who knows what the future holds.
What genre is DEVICE 6, is it like Year Walk?
It doesn’t really fit into a certain genre. But it draws inspiration from a lot of the same games that Year Walk did. So it has elements of adventure games, specifically “escape the room”-type of games. But most inspirations are from TV, films, music and books. Oddly enough, text adventures haven’t been a very big source of inspiration at all!
I really loved how eerie and unique Year Walk was. And while I know it has nothing to do with Year Walk, will it be eerie?
It doesn’t have a horror-vibe like Year Walk. But there are things that might make you feel a little uneasy at times, perhaps.
Will it be scary?
Probably not. No jump scares this time (we promise!).
Will the player be able to explore a world like in Year Walk or is DEVICE 6 based on another way of traveling through space and time?
In contrast to Year Walk, it’s not one big overworld, instead the game is divided up in chapters with secluded areas. In fact, the primary goal in the game is often to find a way to get out from these areas. So that makes the flow and progression is somewhat different from Year Walk, every chapter is in a way a big puzzle that needs to be solved. This also makes DEVICE 6 better suited to play in more than one session.
But to make sure the world feels believable, we’ve internally drawn maps of the island and every place. So we know exactly how all the places on the island are connected. The layout of the words create maps, so every chapter is a certain area of the island, viewed from above. So, when the words are written upside down and you’re scrolling to read them, you are actually walking north (if that makes sense!)
Will this game be linear, or will the players’ decisions have an impact on the outcome of the story?
The story is linear.
Will DEVICE 6 be controllable using a single finger, or does it involve more complicated controls?
No multi-touch bonanza this time! One finger will do just fine.
What art style does this game have?
A rather minimalistic one, inspired by maps, infographics, blueprints, old black and white photographs, and book- and album covers from the 1960s. Some of the designers that have inspired the look are Sam Suliman, S. Neil Fujita and Alex Steinweiss.
In the trailer there’s a part where we can see that the player will need to select an answer to a question. Is the game creating some kind of interpretation of the player to make the story grow?
What the questions are for? That’s a secret.
Is it coming to the iPhone 6, or DEVICE 6? (I’ll show myself out).
Bye!
Do you plan to localize the game in other languages?
Localizing would be impossible without completely redesigning every chapter, so we’re sorry to say that there are no plans for that right now.
Will I be able to enjoy it on my 1st gen iPad?
It is currently running smoothly on a 1st gen iPad.
HOW DOES YOUR BRAIN?
Yes?
Using words as “maps”, will it be feasible for non-native English speakers to enjoy and complete?
You need to be able to read and understand English to fully enjoy and complete it. But the English is not very advanced.
How many developers are working on this game?
We (Gordon and Simon) are developing it, Jonas Tarestad is writing, Daniel Olsén is making the music and Jonathan Eng made on special song for it. And maybe some of your favourite game creators are making cameo appearances as mysterious voices…
What’s the connection between DEVICE 6 and Alfred Hitchcock?
What an odd question!
Will there be a companion app like the one in Year Walk?
Nope.
How long would it be in-terms of content compared to Year Walk?
Hm, hard to say, especially since it’s structured in different way than Year Walk. Some of our testers say that it’s taken a little longer to play through (and it’s not done yet). It probably also depends on how fast you read. We feel it’s probably a little longer than Year Walk, but not that much longer (maybe?)
No question. But please make Device 6 as surprising as Year walk with many incredible secrets!
We are trying!