Technobabylon
A cyberpunk adventure set in a city governed by an autonomous AI.
Technobabylon is a cyberpunk adventure game from Technocrat Games, published by Wadjet Eye Games. It was initially planned as ten free episodic releases, but only three of those were made; the complete game launched on May 21, 2015, for Windows, iOS, Linux, and macOS. Critics generally liked it, especially its story and puzzles.
The gameplay uses a standard point-and-click interface. Players explore environments and interact with objects and characters using the mouse. Each chapter follows one of three protagonists, who must solve puzzles to progress. Right-clicking examines items or people, while left-clicking lets the character take or use objects, or talk to non-player characters. Some puzzles offer choices; most are optional and don't affect the main plot much, but one late-game decision determines which ending the player gets. Collected items go into an inventory, where they can be combined, given to characters, or used on the environment. Examining an item triggers either a text description or a spoken line from the character.
The story takes place in the future city of Newton, run by an autonomous AI called Central. Central manages city systems and enforces laws passed by the civilian government. A police force called Centralized Emergency Logistics (CEL) answers directly to Central. Technology includes nano-mechanical wetware that lets people modify brain functions or mentally connect to computers. One popular system is the Trance, a virtual reality where users socialize through avatars or create content like games and virtual environments.
The plot follows three characters. Latha Sesame is an unemployed shut-in addicted to the Trance. She gets locked in her apartment after being disconnected, manages to escape, and then an explosion rocks the building. Twenty hours earlier, CEL agents Charles Regis and Max Lao investigate murders by a "Mindjacker" who steals information from victims' brains using neural implants, killing them. Following a lead, they find a new victim and corner the suspect, who escapes. Regis later receives an anonymous message from someone who has stolen frozen embryos he created with his late wife Viksha. The blackmailer threatens to destroy them unless Regis cooperates. Regis agrees and is sent to retrieve a memory module from Giel Van der Waal, a man tied to organized crime and the Mindjacker case. When Regis and Lao arrive a
- Developer
- Technocrat Games
- Publisher
- Wadjet Eye Games
- Release Date
- 21 May 2015
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows, iOS, Linux, macOS
- Genre
- Point-and-click adventure
- Number of Chapters
- 10
- Protagonists
- 3
Lore & Background
Technobabylon takes place in the cyberpunk city of Newton, coordinated by a highly advanced AI known as Central. Central maintains the city's systems and enforces laws passed by the civilian government. The police force, Centralized Emergency Logistics (CEL), operates under Central's direct authority. Technology includes nano-mechanical wetware devices that allow brain function modification and mental computer interfacing, as well as a virtual reality system called the Trance, where users socialize via avatars or create content.
Reader's Guide
The game's story covers 10 chapters and focuses on three characters: Latha Sesame, an unemployed Trance addict; Charles Regis, a CEL agent; and Max Lao, another CEL agent. They become entangled in a conspiracy surrounding Central, involving murder and hidden truths about its creation. Gameplay uses a typical point-and-click interface, where players explore environments, interact with objects and NPCs, and solve puzzles. Items are stored in an inventory and can be combined or used. At certain points, the player can choose how to complete puzzles; one choice near the end affects the ending. The game received generally positive reviews for its story and puzzles.
Did You Know?
- Technobabylon was originally intended as a series of 10 free episodic games, of which only three were released before becoming a full game.
- The game's city, Newton, is governed by an autonomous AI administrator called Central.
- The Trance is a virtual reality system in which users can socialize via constructed avatars or create content like games and virtual environments.
- One choice towards the end of the game affects which ending the player can achieve.
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