Reviews by Kinetic Mouse Car
MkDocs
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It's not just good, it's good enough (for our [SPOILER], that is), October 20, 2025Explore a website for ConfigurationUploader v0.0.99 software. Find out how to install it, how to use it, and what people have to say about it. But be careful. The software is in a prototype pre-beta stage of development.
Use at your own risk.
Gameplay
Gameplay is simple. You navigate the game's pages as if it were a website. Wait, that's not quite right.
It is a website.
Sort of. This isn’t Twine or a choice-based system made to look like a website. It’s made with MkDocs, a site generator. I love it when authors take such an innovative approach to game creation. I’ll discuss this further in the Visuals section.
You don’t influence the gameplay. The fun lies in reading each section to piece together the story. Site pages can be read in the order they are presented in, or you can visit them out of turn.
Accessing everything only takes a few minutes. However, I found myself browsing through it for much longer to find every detail. There is a page that marks the “end” of the game, but it’s left open-ended.
Story
The SPOILER in my title is supposed to say, (Spoiler - click to show)"imminent extinction."
Okay, it's not really a spoiler since it's revealed early on, but I want players to approach the game with a clean slate, especially since it's so short.
The software was developed by the Experimental Cognition Group at University of New Washington. It’s used for uploading configurations. Seems innocent enough.
ConfigurationUploader is a program written in the Astroglion programming language, and requires Astroglion v4.10 EXACTLY.
No problem.
(Spoiler - click to show)...and has already lead to the death of at least one of the developers.
Wait, what?
The software is for uploading brain configurations.
Humanity is facing a crisis: a gamma ray burst is going to sterilize the Earth. Soon, everyone will die. I’m not sure if this software was created in response to the incoming gamma ray burst or if were a pre-existing project, but either way people are turning to it for salvation.
The website documents the developers’ rush to get the software up and running so people can upload themselves. Unfortunately, this experimental software is rather dangerous for the developers who are working against the clock. (Remember folks, use version 4.10, not 4.9!)
I love the writing because there is a touch of morbid, dry humor as the characters clearly try to cope with their situation:
RRIU7434 is currently in the lab, attempting to respond to the newfound attention to ConfigurationUploader. This is made somewhat more difficult by the presence of the decaying body of Prof. GVDV6233.
The chat messages from @ybjv7623 had a similar attitude.
Thoughts on story
While I wish I could learn more about the story, it stands on its own.
There is replay value in the sense that you see earlier pages with new insight now that you know the full story. The warning on the site’s home page makes a lot more sense.
The game raises some interesting points regarding using technology to (Spoiler - click to show)escape death, especially when said technology is still under development.
(Spoiler - click to show)The main point is: Being uploaded won’t save you from death because the infrastructure to support a digitized existence will no longer be maintained. Unless the infrastructure shares the sophistication and self-sufficiency of the facility in whoami, the fun isn’t going to last.
Plus, do you really trust prototype pre-beta software to upload your brain into a new, fulfilling existence?
@ncne2354: I don't like this. I'd rather be dead. How do I die?
Probably not.
The game also considers the philosophical side of this technology. Even if it were perfect, would a “configurated you” still be you? However, the characters are fully aware that it’s far too late to stop and ponder this.
The configurator software may be flawed, but with the (Spoiler - click to show)looming gamma ray burst, it will have to do.
Characters
The developers are only identified with numbers and letters. Some have their own site page that includes their thoughts on the situation. These also provide updates for the person.
Update as of 835-10-30:
In an attempted upload, GVDV6233's implant was found to be too old to be compatible with the software, and died in what was likely a rather painful manner.
Oh.
It's not all gloom and doom. Look at the update for YBJV7623:
I haven't died. This is the real me, right here.This was an awesome moment. Oh, and YBJV7623’s chat messages are delightfully upbeat and optimistic despite the newly uploaded users panicking.
The developers, at least, seem to have reached a state of acceptance about their incoming demise, even if it’s just to cope and focus on the task at hand.
Visuals
If you skim through the game without paying attention, no one will blame you for thinking it was for a real project by a university. There's a menu section listing the site's pages, a search bar, and even a little "home" icon to take you to its main page! The blue, black, grey, and white colour scheme looks polished and professional.
This all contributed to an immersive experience.
Final thoughts
ConfigurationUploader teaches a harsh lesson: When humanity is (Spoiler - click to show)on the verge of being wiped out, you can't afford to be picky. Sometimes prototype pre-beta is all you have.
I loved this game. Within a few minutes of gameplay, you will find yourself in a creative and unexpected narrative that deepens the more you explore its contents.
The only criticism I have is that I wish it were longer. When I feel this way, it can affect my rating, but this game gets a pass because it was created for Ectocomp's La Petite Mort category, which is for works created under FOUR HOURS.
The fact that a complex, unique game like this could be created in such a short timeframe only makes it even cooler.
Science fiction + Innovative game format + One of my favorite authors = Fantastic game I recommend!
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