things is, in roughly equal measure,
very touching and mildly concerning.
Although you can spend as much
time as you’d like chatting with
your colourful chum, Bird Alone is
designed to be dipped into for a few
minutes daily over the course of a
few weeks. You’ll get notifications
when the bird has something it wants
to pick your brains about; because
these interruptions are infrequent
and the episodes endearing, it’s
never a chore to return.
What you might not be ready
for is the game’s emotional impact.
What begins as something akin
to a needy and squawking digital
pet reveals itself as a production
with hidden depths, not least when
the seasons start to change and
everyone grows older.
- Device 6
Price: £3.99
It’s safe to say that Device
6 is unlike any other
adventure game you’ll
play on your iPhone or iPad.
The introductory sequence
has all the swagger and
verve of the sassiest spy
movie, but then it dumps
you in a mystery, not
knowing who you are or
how you got there.
The really clever bit, though, is
how the game is constructed. The
narrative becomes the paths and
corridors along which you walk,
sentences darting around corners,
or taking on the appearance of
stairs and ladders. Dotted about are
clues and brain-bending puzzles. Arm
yourself with a pencil and paper –
you’re going to need it.
The notion of a text-oriented
game might not appeal, but Device
6 is not to be missed. This isn’t your
parent’s (or grandparent’s) adventure- Device 6 is as far from Zork as GTA
is from Pac-Man. It’s an essential,
unconventional gaming experience
like no other, which simply wouldn’t
make any sense on a more traditional
gaming system. In short, buy it.
3.