I beta tested this game and I had great fun doing it. RotUS is a “Unix tooling” game, meaning that the “game” is a series of folders and files and you progress in the story by searching those directories and (sometimes) manipulating files with unix programs.
You need to start from the README and immediately after HELP: HELP especially will give you an overview of what you will need in your quest and what to expect. Once you do that, it is time to explore the market/
folder for clues (as an example I cat
d everything up in a big stream and ran it through less
).
The search starts relatively easy but soon you will find yourself having to use more specific Unix programs (and with precise invocations!). If you — like me — need hints, read hints.txt
and it will definitely help.
Once you are ready, sea/
awaits you (but make sure you know coordinates and depth or you will lose yourself!).
What to say about RotUS? I had extreme fun playing it, it was really challenging without being frustrating. Descriptions (even of items which are not useful to the quest) are well written and captivating. The genre has one of its most famous incarnations in clmystery
, which I found easier but not as rewarding as RotUS.
Thumbs up!