ARCHIVE IX Devblog #1: Operating the inoperable

​​Greetings, fellow survivors of Metropolis! Wait, ummm... Not this time... Greetings, fellow operators of ARCHIVE! 

Today, we are happy to announce to you our second project... ARCHIVE IX. Meanwhile, the artistic work on End of the Living continues. As a personal challenge, we wanted to work on something different. Especially myself, I noticed that after working on a single project for years, I had an unavertable curiosity to work on something new, and prove that it’s not rust but just dust on my skillset. However, this time, the scale is far smaller than End of the Living; however, this doesn't mean the depth of the game is too...

So, what is ARCHIVE IX? Now, I would like you to imagine a scene...

The Green Light

It is the 1980s.

The city is buried under snow when you leave work. Another long day. Another silent walk home. Then, through the frost on a shop window, you see a handwritten sign: 50% DISCOUNT ON PERSONAL COMPUTERS

You remember an article you read recently. Some called personal computers the future. Others called them expensive toys that would never matter.

You step inside anyway.

The second-hand electronics shop smells of dust, warm plastic, and old cardboard. Most of the computers are far beyond what you can afford, sitting proudly beneath polished price tags. But in the corner, half-hidden behind cables and manuals, you notice a dark box marked with a single word: ARCHIVE

It is cheap. Too cheap.

The shopkeeper knows almost nothing about it. Not the manufacturer, not the model, not even where it came from. It powers on, he says. Probably.

That should be enough to stop you.

Instead, you buy it.

On the walk home, the box feels heavier with every step. Your apartment is only a few blocks away, but the streets seem longer than usual. Your heart beats faster beneath your coat, though you cannot explain why. Ten minutes ago, you did not care about owning a computer.
Now you cannot wait to turn it on.

At home, every small task feels like a delay. Dinner. Coat. Window. Desk. At last, you open the box.

The machine inside has no logo, only a small metal plate near the back: ARCHIVE IX

You connect the cables, clear the desk, and press the power button.

For a moment, nothing happens.

Then the machine wakes.

A static hum fills the room. Heat spills from the vents like breath. The screen flickers, and green text appears.

You stare at the screen.

PERSONAL EVALUATION SYSTEM

That is not what the box promised.

This was supposed to be a personal computer. A tool. A toy, maybe. A small glimpse into the future. Not whatever this is.

That makes no sense.

Lines of text flash across the screen. System checks. Memory checks. Diagnostics you do not understand. You tell yourself it is normal.

Then the machine stops.

Operator.

Not user. Not owner.

The word sits there, waiting.

A cold draft touches your arm. You turn and realize the window is open. After shutting it, you return to the desk and try to laugh at yourself. It is just a machine. Old plastic. Wires. Forgotten software.

Your finger hovers over the key.

You select YES.

The screen flickers.

Your mouth goes dry.

Before you can move, another screen appears.

Ninety questions.

So it really is an evaluation.

You lean back from the desk. You should turn it off. Unplug it. Return it to the shop in the morning and forget the whole thing.

But the green light fills the room, painting your hands, your walls, your face.

The question waits.

You look at the clock.

Hours have passed.

That cannot be right.

The machine hums softly.

You answer.

At first, the questions are harmless.

Do you find it easy to make decisions?
Do you feel your preferences clearly reflect who you are?
Do you need to finish things to feel in control?
Do you usually feel like the same person from one day to the next?

Then they begin to change.

And by the time you understand what the machine is really measuring, it is already too late.

Concept

Whoof... I am not the best storywriter you will ever see, but come on. It shouldn't have been that bad...

Anyways, as you may understand, ARCHIVE IX is more of a psychological horror game. You are operating a machine that learns and understands you, until it starts noticing details about you that you might even keep hidden from yourself. I know it sounds quite assertive, but that's the purpose. We don't want to build a game. We want to build a full experience.

From the moment you take your phone into your hands and launch the application, your phone will turn into an old computer, inspired by those of the 1980s. With its humming, processing sounds, and vibrations, as it is a real computer case (in a literal sense), this project aims to be more than a game. Furthermore, with its lack of gamification, it could even be called an anti-game. Hence, ARCHIVE IX might not be for everybody, but if you are looking for something unique to taste, we are making sure to cook well Difficülters. But, don't you think that meaning it is an "anti-game" also means it will be boring? We are building something full of surprises...

Release Plans

Now, for the most speculative part. About its development and release.

Since this is a project with a relatively smaller scale, we are already more than halfway through the game's development phase as we speak. After some more touches, we are aiming to release this game in less than a few months, both on Android and iOS, with a PC release possible later on.

For our Patreons, before the official release, we will be allowing early access to ARCHIVE IX. More information about it will be posted on our social media later on.

​And with that said, that's going to be the words from us for this devblog Difficülters. We are really excited about how ARCHIVE IX is going to turn out and be (in)operated by the hands of its operators...

In addition, any support on Patreon supports our work and drastically helps the process. You can check it out if you would like to have a hand in the game and get access to exclusive posts about our games. Remember to follow us on our social media to keep updated, join our Discord to chat with the rest of the community and us.

- Kerem