ConfigurationUploader

This game unrolls as you read through the documentation of a certain piece of software, digging into its API, its pipelines, its documented users, and, at the end, its chat logs.

The dry format allows for contrast with the futuristic setting and the drama-filled true story.

It's surprising this game was able to be made in less than 4 hours, but less surprising if the author already had experience in creating such documentation. Either way, it's an amazing feat.

Very well done. The format did keep me at a distance emotionally, but the story was effective.

When I saw the game pop up on my feed, I honestly thought Autumn had built a new program and had just uploaded a legit but bare documentation for it. But now, this is an actual IF, pure science fiction (I hope...) bundled up in an unusual format.

The whole gameplay feels like going down a Wikipedia rabbit hole (you know the ones, where you open links on the current page into a new tab to read later, because who knows if you'll find them again, and now your browser is lagging and it is 5h later) mixed with an incomplete and obtuse documentation for a program that doesn't exist (at least here) and doesn't seem to have a clear use (by going from the starting page/game blurb).

As you go deeper into the pages, finding that this program was lead by a university professor and eir students (some of which have left the projects in suspicious ways), it is possible to piece the mystery together (or the big picture at least). The implications of what is afoot is quite frightening, and bleak.

An impressive amount of content for just 4h!

Explore 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.

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.

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.

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!