Over the past few months, after seeing a number of people play Lethal Company, I've become fascinated with the idea of the "Person In The Chair"/"Person On Comms" role that some people assume in the game.
There's something really appealing to me about the idea of reading the aging monitors to collect and communicate information, and using the archaic-futuristic computer to type in urgent commands via keyboard. And more and more I found myself thinking, "Gosh, wouldn't it be cool if someone made a game that was ALL about that?"
Then I remembered, "Oh yeah, someone did."

Duskers is an incredibly atmospheric game that takes place entirely within the interface of a fictionalized computer system. The conceit is that you are adrift in deep space in the far future, alone, and running low of resources. The only thing you have at your disposal is a small collection of remote drones, and the busted-ass interface to use them all. With these drones (which are basically multi-functional roombas) you explore abandoned and derelict spacecraft to recover salvage, and sustain your own existence.
You command your drones through two methods: Command line interface, and direct connection. The CLI allows you to issue multiple commands in sequence, and also execute more elaborate commands. With a ship schematic view at your disposal, you can get a quick view of the entire craft at once. You can type in commands to open or close doors, or issue directions to multiple drones at once. Nothing feels quite so cool as issuing commands from the command line furiously, managing a fleet of drones simultaneously under tense conditions.
The direct connection allows you to control the movement of your drones with keyboard inputs while simultaneously receiving a grainy, static-filled video feed that is prone to malfunctions and interference (There is even a degauss command, which is freaking amazing). Even if you're directly controlling a drone, though, you'll need to use the command line to activate its more elaborate functions.
This all provides an incredibly atmospheric experience to begin with, but of course - You're not alone. Within each ship are a number of different hazards, most of which take the shape of xenomorphic entities and/or rogue cybernetics. These can and will destroy your drones in an instant, and to be blunt, your little roombas are in no way a match for them. So the only way to progress is to move carefully, and to do that you need information.
Duskers is a Rogue-like, and so you start out each game with a random assortment of equipment. The real fun comes in learning how to use what you have on hand to deal with the threats you encounter. Do you have a motion detector? You can assess if a room has a dangerous xenomorph inside scrambling around before you open the door. Do you have a turret attachment? Park your equipped drone in front of the door, arm the guns, and then open the door. Do you have a stealth module? Sneak around the nasties before the power runs out, and you can make it through safe. Don't have ANYTHING that can protect you? Well... The sound design is such that you can park yourself in front of a door for a while and listen really carefully. Maybe you'll be able to tell if it's safe to unseal that door.
The thing is, the information is never perfect. Even a motion detector can give you an inconclusive result. There's always a risk.
The entire game feels incredibly tense, isolated, and immersive. And let me tell you - I've never jumped with genuine fear quite as sincerely as Duskers has made me leap when an alien darted out of a vent, destroyed my active drone I was navigating, and then skittered back into the ventilation system.
At the end of the day when you lose a drone, you're sitting there looking at [CONNECTION LOST] screen or an incredibly scrambled video feed. You, the in-universe player, are never directly in the line of fire. The only thing on the line are your drones. But it's still terrifying, and when it all goes south, you're left in front of your now-disconnected computer, facing the reality that you've lost the only mechanism for your survival.
Duskers eventually does get the slightest bit repetitive once you learn its tricks, but it still provides a unique and engrossing experience.
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