''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 Emily Short is an interactive fiction (IF) writer. She is perhaps best known for her debut game '' Galatea'' and her use of psychologically complex non-player characters (NPCs). Short has been called "a visionary in the world of text-based gam ...

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 The Interactive Fiction Competition (also known as IFComp) is one of several annual competitions for works of interactive fiction. It has been held since 1995. It is intended for fairly short games, as judges are only allowed to spend two hours pla ...

. ''Floatpoint'' also won 2006

XYZZY Award The XYZZY Awards are the annual awards given to works of interactive fiction, serving a similar role to the Academy Awards for film. The awards were inaugurated in 1997 by Eileen Mullin, the editor of ''XYZZYnews''. Any game released during the year ...

s 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. Settl ...

of Aleheart were originally exiled from

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surf ...

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 ...

. 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