The rise of personal computers in the 1980s produced clearly two emotions: fear and romance. Fear of the unknown, that those computers would take over our lives (they did, but we’re fine), fear that we would lose control over them (that came back with the “Y2K Bug”), and so on. But also, oddly enough, romance, love and awe. Strange considering computers back then were even less “human”.
The game Digital: A Love Story perfectly captures those two emotions in a game that emulates the world on dial-up Buletin Board Services (BBS) in 1988. This adventure game not only plays with our nostalgia strings for those that experienced BBS back then, but also plays like an historical artifact for those like me who never experienced the BBS era.
The game involves you using an old personal computer and a modem to connect to servers to exchange emails, download files, and experience a love story with a background of cyber-punk. You don’t actually type emails yourself, but otherwise the simulated computer is used kind of like a real one. There is some pretty good background music, and the puzzle/adventure aspect is quite well made. The game is free and works on Windows, Mac and Linux, so play it today while still in the mood of Valentine’s day.
Published on February 14, 2012 at 16:00 EST
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