Conquer the Unmaze
Longtime developer ARTE delivered some interesting games over the years such as Homo Machina, Vandals, and Type: Rider. Their upcoming mobile game, Unmaze, is inspired by the story of Theseus and the Minotaur in Greek mythology. This interactive novel focuses on a character named Ariadne. He is attempting to help guide both Theseus and Asterion, the Minotaur, safely out of the labyrinth. However, the player can help only one character out of the maze at a time. The more time you spend helping one character, the more lost the other becomes inside the maze. The player must find the perfect balance in helping the two.
An A-Maze-ing Narrative
Players can use multiple dialogue options to communicate with both characters. The player’s ambient light also affects how they will play. For example, you’ll follow Asterion’s story when you are in the dark. When you’re in the light, however, you’ll follow Theseus’s story. The player can turn a lamp on or off for the desired effect in game. Or they can go outside in bright light if it is dark inside. The idea of using light—or lack therof—to determine which storyline players follow is an interesting concept. The story itself is told with no voice-over narration, alternating drawings, and animated scenes. The story also uses dialogues between Ariadne and the character he’s following. Unmaze is expected to be released this summer of 2021 and will offer around three hours of gameplay.