''Floatpoint'' is a 2006 work of

interactive fiction '' Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, is software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives, either in the ...

written by Emily Short about a

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

sent to an endangered colony to discuss evacuation options and terms of cohabitation. It is written in Inform 7 and won the 2006 annual Interactive Fiction Competition. ''Floatpoint'' also won 2006 XYZZY Awards for Best Settings and Best NPCs. The game was generally praised for its use of multiple endings.

Plot

Through the course of play, the background to the current situation becomes clear. The

colonists A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer. Settle ...

of Aleheart were originally exiled from Earth for engaging in prohibited

genetic engineering Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including t ...

. The colonists heavily engineer plant and animal life. The colony features plants engineered for artistic purpose. The colonists themselves are heavily genetically engineered. However, Aleheart is entering an ice age, which will likely make the planet uninhabitable within a few years. After colonists left Earth, a plague caused massive depopulation on Earth. To help with recovery, the government of Earth wants the colonists to return. The protagonist arrives on Aleheart expecting to be an assistant to the previous ambassador, but learns upon arrival that the previous ambassador has been dismissed and that the protagonist has been given the role. Officially the protagonist's goal is to convince the Aleheart colonists to return to Earth. This is to be done by making a formal gift to the colony's representative. Additional motivations including the colonists' desire to not return, and the reluctance of some Earth citizens to accept them give the protagonist difficult choices to make.

Reception

In the 2006 Interactive Fiction Competition, ''Floatpoint'' had an average score of 8.4. That score is the highest of any Interactive Fiction Competition entry from 1999 through 2007. That score was topped in 2008 by ''Violets score of 8.53. A reviewer at Jay Is Games described ''Floatpoint'' as "a surprisingly detailed world ... with exquisite storytelling" The reviewer also described it as "well-paced" and that it "never feels stale."

Notes

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References

Game entry at Baf's guide

List of works with link to download of Floatpoint
2006 video games 2000s interactive fiction Video games developed in the United Kingdom