Underground

Underground is a game about Suelette Dreyfus's book of the same name, the story of the computer underground in Melbourne and around the world in the late 80s and early 90s. You play Cris, a teenager in October 1987 with a C64, a 1200 baud modem and a note from your mate Gaz telling you how to get onto Pacific Island, a real BBS of the time.

When you sit down at the C64 you are using an actual emulated Commodore 64. You load CCGMS from disk, dial out with Hayes AT commands, and everything on the other end of the line is simulated: the bulletin boards, the people posting on them, and further in, a VAX to poke around in. There is no combat. Your biggest enemy is your mum picking up the phone in the kitchen.

It is an open world, just not the kind you are used to. At night you never leave your bedroom, but the phone line goes everywhere. No quest markers, just phone numbers scribbled on notes, rumours on bulletin boards, and whatever you are brave enough to dial. During the day you can head out into Melbourne and spend your pocket money on better gear.

The first chapter is playable on my iPad. It is a pure passion project and a love letter to a book I have read more times than I would like to admit.