Zachtronics are so identified for puzzle games about constructing or programming machines, games like Opus Magnum and Shenzhen I/O, that they lend their identify to the entire style: Zachlikes. (And after I say lend I imply I yoinked their identify to coin a style they usually kinda rolled with it.) Their subsequent game isn’t a Zachlike in any respect, although it maybe does dovetail properly for example penalties of all these gizmos they’ve had us construct and program. Today they introduced Eliza, a visible novel about an AI counsellor app and its affect upon individuals, for good and dangerous. Huh! Watch the primary trailer beneath.
Eliza is the eponymous AI counselling bot who generates the phrases for our character, Evelyn Ishino-Aubrey, to say. We’re little greater than a pleasant face and voice for Eliza’s data-driven remedy. And… perhaps that’s good, making remedy extra accessible. And perhaps that’s dangerous, giving machines even bigger roles in our lives and companies much more intimate information. Or each. Or… look, the game will grapple with all that, in addition to Eliza’s previous as she returns to Seattle after years away.
So no, we’re not optimising empathy algorithms or creating new expression subroutines, but it surely nonetheless sounds grounded within the Zachtronics oeuvre. Their different games have comparable tales effervescent within the background, relating social and moral points round all the pieces we’ve been making. Numerous that’s all the way down to Matthew Seiji Burns, who’s been writing and composing music for Zachtronics games for a couple of years now.
Burns explains he’d been kicking the thought for Eliza round independently, then talked about it to Zactrhonics founder Zach Barth.
“Zach was interested in the idea and decided it was time to try something new,” Burns explains. “He offered to produce the game as a Zachtronics title, combining my original concept, writing, and music with art from the studio’s art team and the resources to record performances from some of the industry’s best voice talents.”
Colour me curious.
Eliza is coming to Windows, Mac, and Linux on August 12th. It’ll price $15 on Steam.
