Subserial Network got here out as a part of June’s Humble Bundle, and once more on Itch practically two weeks in the past, however we forgot to inform you and it sounds fascinating so I’m telling you about it now. It’s set in a post-human society that’s hung up on hominids, the place robo-citizens have the means to add their consciousness to the web – however that’s frowned on. By which I imply: the federal government will delete you.
The fronds of the true digital revolution are beginning to poke by nonetheless, and also you’ve been dispatched to manage some algorithmic weed-killer by way of chat rooms. The game is a synthesis of types, bringing in components from Aether Interactive’s earlier AI-murderer Local Host, and Arc Symphony, the place you lurk on a discussion board dedicated to a fictional JRPG. Brendy preferred ’em each.
It’s not typically I hear a few world and immediately go ‘I want to get to the bottom of that’, however now I’m itching to go Subserial. Especially seeing because the thriller solely takes just a few hours to unravel.
Brendy played some of a preview build, and got here again beeping merrily:
“I’ve always enjoyed the meta-fictional cyber-scribbling of Aether’s writers… and they continue to be on form in creating this whirring world and its community of internet-obsessives. Synths dwell in Geocities-style home pages, slow to load and plastered in insulting amounts of comic sans. There’s also a music player of Winamp vintage floating separately from the game’s other windows – one for emails, one for web browsing – and new songs will unlock as you go along (35 minutes of original music, say the devs). Your first decision is telling. You’ve got to send an email of resignation to the synthetic who seems to be your superior, or to delete the draft detailing all your dissatisfaction, unsent and unseen.”
A couple of weeks in the past I got here throughout this excellent piece by Yussef Cole, the place he unpicks a few of the parallels between the world of Subserial Network and our personal. Though I’d learn that later if you wish to go in utterly blind.
I like an excellent post-human society. Not the sort the place individuals take a look at their robo-arms and shriek ‘but are we even HUMAN anymore?’, however the correct form. Where flesh is a distant reminiscence and actuality is perceived by ideas our meatsacks lack the means to entry. Digital consciousness may be extra alien than any extraterrestrial, however to date I’ve solely seen it correctly explored in Greg Egan’s books. If Subserial Network’s premise sounds intriguing, I’d implore you to check out Diaspora. Just don’t attempt to comply with all of the maths.
Subserial Network is avaialble on Itch for $10.
