Buy Choice of Robots

Wow. That was such an unexpectedly wonderful experience.

As this is a CYOA (Choose Your Own Adventure), your experience may vary, but, I say with little hesitation that my own experience with the story is the most meaningful experience I've had with a game - ever.

Although wonderful in their own right, choice oriented games like The Walking Dead and Mass Effect don't even come close to what this game accomplishes.


CoR gives you choices.

CoR gives you lots of choices that make the story feel like your own, fostering immersion in a way that traditional literature cannot.

CoR gives you lots of difficult choices that may have you thinking hard and agonizing about the potential consequences. The game has no save function. While that could simply be developer laziness, it does tend to discourage sloppy decision making.

CoR gives you lots of difficult choices that have a real impact. Something that is uniquely possible when the creator is unconstrained by the need to create full art assets for every possibility.


This "game" has no graphics at all except for the cover image, which is exactly akin to a book cover illustration. Is it a game or a book? I say it is most certainly a game. Graphics is not a requirement of a game. Interactivity is. A series of choices that impact the experience do a game comprise.

CoR's language is competent, but not "literary". It reads like a matter-of-fact narrative of events that might actually happen in your life if the stars align in just the right way. Initially, I got an "amateur" vibe from the writing, but later realized that the experience may actually benefit from the simple, contemporary writing style. As the story progressed and sucked me in deeper, I became much too busy thinking about what was going on to criticize the writing style.

CoR is (mostly) accessible. Although the fact that it was written by somebody with a Ph.D. in Computer Science does show. Having a CS degree myself, I certainly appreciated that perspective. Although lots of artistic license is taken for the sake of plot, there is lots of grounding in contemporary technology.

The story makes mostly "reasonable" extrapolations starting from the near future forward several decades. Like all good science (or 'speculative', if you prefer) fiction, the story poignantly references the present while writing about the future, framing the timeless human condition in extrapolated contexts.

To elaborate about why I put "reasonable" in quotation marks above, the story explores the future in ways that could, for the most part, conceivably happen, and many futurists would even claim that CoR's extrapolation towards the Singularity doesn't go far enough. However, the author is not afraid to explore fantastic scenarios that probably won't happen, at least not soon, and in some cases, hopefully never.

The scope of the story is indeed quite epic, following the main decades of a lifetime of the character you control. I do have to object to the game description's categorization of this as a "novel", though, as it is not nearly long enough to count as one. At best, it is the length of a (very) short story (a single playthrough takes a matter of hours). On the other hand, the sheer amount of content of all possible branches easily exceed the length of a long novel (50% longer than Moby ♥♥♥♥). It's quite an accomplishment.

And, if you are worried about this being a boring, technical slog, don't be. Despite the apparently sterile subject matter of robots, there is plenty of emotion in this game - or, at least, there can be, depending on your choices.


I've only explored one of the many, distinct branches of CoR. I will probably be going back to explore the others.

I heartily recommend CoR to anyone who can read English, especially those with an interest in technology and/or science fiction.

Note that there is also a free demo where you can play through the first 2 chapters (out of 7), either via Steam, or on the developer's web site.


Having now explored a few other branches and having made more "optimal" choices, I feel that choosing less optimally for the first playthrough does make for a better experience.

My first playthrough involved an above average number of failures and tragedies, which amounted to a much more poignant experience than when everything basically goes well.

I do suggest playing the game "organically". Perhaps it is unlikely to play optimally the first time around anyway. Certainly I would discourage any attempts to "cheat" by looking up optimal choices beforehand. That would truly ruin the experience. You can always go back later and "fix mistakes" on subsequent playthroughs.

I recently finished playing "Choice of Robots". My first time through I lost badly.I'm still trying to wrap my head around how my own personal choices were deemed inferior. But since it was MY story, I'll have to accept my failings, though I have to expect the creator/writer of EVERY choice I made to be willing to share those flaws.
I've played many text games. When I began playing there wasn't much else, unless you wanted to play Pong. Zork, which I played in 1985, is still perhaps my favorite computer gaming experience. Some of the WONDERFUL Infocom games, such as "Suspended: A Cryogenic Nightmare" actually benefited from being purely text.
I've read many pages of science fiction. Between my two favorite catagories, science fiction and fantasy, the pages literally number well over a million, so there aren't many speculative fiction concepts I've not encountered.
But we're here to discuss "Choice of Robots". First off, on the basis of cost/hour this is among the MOST expensive, shortest computer games I have ever played. True, it was less than $3 (on sale), but lasted under 2 hours (even with starting over on PC #2), most of the time spent in thought. There was nothing new in this game, beyond perhaps some of the more recent concepts not devised yet when I was doing the bulk of my reading. As far as robotics, Asimov has already said pretty much everything encountered in this story, better. While Dr. Gold has allowed the reader/gamer to create his own character, or explore themselves (however briefly), a writer as good as Asimov (or numerous others) creates a world so real you believe yourself a part of it. As far as feelings of reality, I prefer the latter.
I began it a second time, but only a few pages, so I'm not sure if I "achieved" further. I'd presume I received around 1/10th of the achievements. This presumably means one of two things: 1) either the story branched so often that, even with substantial overlap in story, there were perhaps in excess of 20 endings (seemingly too many to consider equally), or 2) the story was far more fleshed out for a prefered reader/gamer type, and I was not among them. (I don't understand the purpose behind having achievements in this game, except as a selling tool. Why create a "loser" scenario (OR winner) in a game marketed as being an individualistic world? "Personal choice"="wrong choice"?)
This felt less to me a story OR game, and more like a personality test, perhaps as component of a thesis. I admit, by far the majority of the time I spent was in contemplation of what the character I created might actually do if he were real. While the other characters I was given were extremely superficial, I still felt a strong obligation to create as real, AND as good, a world as possible for them to participate in. But despite MY agonizing over choices, I felt the writer rapidly lost interest in my character as I made less "literary" choices. He simply ended the story with no resolution of any kind, leaving the lead character to complete his participation several short paragraphs after life-extending, life-affirming choices. While I anticipated fighting for life using robotics as tool/metaphor, the majority of the story remaining as life choices are considered/corrected, instead I was reading the last paragraph on the final page. The overwhelming feeling was one of abandonment, much like Mary Shelley wrote of Dr. Frankenstein feeling for his creation. Except that the abandonment was of OUR jointly created world.
Quite possibly this game/story simply wasn't written for me. Perhaps if I were educated or intelligent, or imagined greatness, there might have been some AMAZING stories in this game. Instead I'm just a regular guy with personal dreams of home, hearth and health (albeit, while dealing with greatness would be for me, a GREAT story to create, or better still, to participate in.) I've read those other people's accounts lived out THOUSANDS of times in other stories. This time I wanted it to be my story. Perhaps there are choices that would have made it longer or more interesting, but then it would not have been MY story. And after all, wasn't that the whole point?
(f JV)

They really went all out on this one. 72 achievements, 300k words and hundred or so different small and big plot twists and possible outcomes.

Its a good piece of a sci-fi novel even though some parts seemed simplistic. Its nothing like Asimov of course but still good enough to entertain you for several hours, especially if you want to collect every achievement.

What these game desperately need is an ability to create proper save games or even better - view and change your decisions so you could actually read all the possible plots without going through random click-fest over and over again. It is kinda annoying at this point and not at all interesting to guess what you need to select to read about your robots going to the moon or conquering the planet, especially when you trying it for 50eth time.

Perhaps they should start including novels themselves along with the game.

Other than that - its a good game for those of us who like reading and sci-fi.

Probably my most favorite 'Choice of Games' game yet, right beside Choice of the Deathless . To be honest, I started the game off not too into it, disliking how the game opened up and unsure of what to expect and whether I'd enjoy the story. After a few pages into it, I fell in love with it, and consequently my little robot child.

As other reviewers have said already said, it's hard not to give away any story spoilers while discussing PROs and CONs, but I'll give it a shot.

The game does a great job of giving you several ways to navigate throughout the story, while making each story "branch" or "path" just as detailed as the others you passed over. While some of these CYOA games feel like choosing one option over the other is only to gain/change some stat, with little variance in the rest of the story, Choice of Robots does not do this. It's also incredibly written, with just enough detail to help you envision the story, while giving your brain the freedom to "fill in the holes" to your desire on how something/someone looks. For example, you design a robot specifically pick out certain components/aspects of it that give you a general basis of how it looks. However, someone else may have picked the same exact makeup of their robot but imagine it differntly in their head because the writing leaves things purposefuly open for you to imagine.


In short, if you really enjoy scifi writing and the idea of advanced robots in the near future, you'll absolutely love this game. Even if you don't, like me, you'll probably still end up enjoying it and admire it for the plot and detailed writing.
If you hate CYOA games, which is totally fine, .... yeah you probably won't enjoy it. But you wouldn't be reading this review if you absolutely hated them would you? I don't know. I'm done.

I have finished the game just now, and i can easily say that i was touched by the story.
I read a lot of books and that type of game is just so perfect, it is also a pretty basic english, so everyone can play it.
I recomend it at 100% ! BUY THIS GAME :)

Charming little text adventure. Like it says on the tin, it involves robots and the choices you make concerning them.

Unlike other games that use the idea of choosing what you want to do, these choices feel like I'm actually causing some sort of impact on the story/world.

You can blur the lines of what it means to be human, build a family, or straight up cause the Robot Uprising.

Definate snap buy when it's on sale.

I'm not at all a "book person" but I really LOVE this game, 9/10. I think I'll be playing this for a long while just to see all of the endings.

I would give it 10/10 but the lack of a save and load feature annoys me slightly, other than that I have no complaints.

Remus Attel lived for 57 glorious years after revolutionizing the robotics industry and making us question where exactaly we draw the line between human and robot. We found there never was a line, robots not only became sentient, they developed their own racial identity. He died in the arms of his beloved Min whom he had married afte canada legalised human robot marriage. Before his death the forefather of modern robotics created a robotic clone of himself. He watched from his early retirement as he changed the world ever more.



11/10 would bang a robot again

I don't know if I can recommend this "game" enough. It has a certain charm to it and it felt nice to actually have my choices impact the "game" in a big way. Definitely worth giving it a go again and again for different experiments and outcomes! My only gripe would be no save button (but it's a relatively short "game" so it's a very minor gripe). Do buy it and encourage the author to make more. 10/10

I'm a sucker for good interactive fiction and this fits the bill - even if it is more of a CYOA. This was a wonderful story with solid (but not spectacular) writing which provoked a bit of introspection and a deep attachment to the characters, all of it assited by the number of choices you can make and the consequences that result from them. It has shades of Photopia, Alter Ego and Galatea, all great games. I wholeheartedly recommend this game, although I wasn't a fan of Choice of the Deathless - but Robots has given me an idea to go look through the other stories they have on offer!

edit: 29/12 - and, on another playthrough, I just found out that the game directly references Photopia, Alter Ego and Galatea! Amazing!

So I've not played this game for long, but it's unlike anything else out there i've played before. I love it, I absolutely love it. It's brilliantly simple and needs no further explanation, it's so well written and you never know what knock on effect any action you have will do in the future. I taught my robot the meaning of human emotion and was fired for it, but I found wealth and fame through an indie reporter for example.

Just, seriously buy this game. You won't be disappointed.

Yes! All my yes. This was a beautiful story (probably because I spent time trying to focus on Empathy and Autonomy, two traits you can up in your robots through choices you make).

There was one page that seemed out of place, maybe a muddled up flag or something, but it made sense enough that I could gloss over it and continue flowing with the story. I completed it all in one run as I was so invested in my robots.

Another positive about the game is the unexpected consequences of your actions on not only your robots but the world around you. I was genuinely horrified a couple of times at the turn out of what I thought was the best choice at the time.

I'm not ashamed to say I cried at the end.

Anybody who likes a good story will find enjoyment in this CYOA.

Enjoyed this game much more than I expected to. Really hit me in the feels.

I spent my trillions take over Alaska and make it into a perfect robot government. 10/10

Buy this.
It's 5 euros.
Buy this game.
Support the author.
This -no, these stories are too amazing to be left alone.
I played this game.
I cried.
Not out of sadness, but because the story I got was too beautiful.
Buy this game. Please.

I turned a pickle in to a light bulb and got an achievement.

11/10 Would Read Again.

Luv these queer characters
"I want to have maternal feelings for a sweet robot child who becomes the new-world's god"

I am on chapter 3 and loving it.

Buy this game. Support this writer. Please.

Make more! I will buy them ALL, provided they're what I want to read about, mayhaps.

Edit:

I DID NOT REALIZE THERE WAS NO SAVE IN EACH CHAPTER. I DIED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Note to the dev: Please add auto saves at LEAST for each chapter. :| If not, then manual saving. Something.

Please do not lie to me.
You and I both know that the future is kissing robots and maybe also being a robot who kisses robots.

In this interactive story you can do these things and be these things.

This game has interesting choices and paths. Very nice story telling. If you like robots, scifi and to read books, this is a great game or book to try out. You do not complete this art piece with one run, there are so many other ways to go.