Summer is coming and you may have some time to explore space in game form. One that caught our attention recently was about how an artificial intelligence (AI), solves space problems. We couldn't wait for the launch.The game "Observation", developed by No Code, and published by Devolver Digital was released on a few platforms in 2019. It was then expanded to Microsoft Xbox last. You play the AI as an astronaut and try to save him from a terrible situation on a future space station.As the AI named SAM, your mission is to open doors and turn valves, solve problems, and work with Emma, an astronaut. Emma and you work together in an early tension moment to put out a fire at the station. Emma then asks you to use your sensors and cameras to find the fire source.Related: Space news and the latest gamesObservation for PC Steam: $27.29 Now $9.79 on CDKeysAs he AI Sam In Observation from No Code or Devolver Digital, help Emma to solve problems, survive, and discover what happened to her crew. View the DealAs AI Sam, Emma will need your assistance to open hatches and navigate other systems as you investigate what happened at your space station. Image credit: No Code/DevolverDigitalAfter playing the game for a few hours, you will see why space is so difficult for both astronauts and computers. SAM-Emma simulates the way crews work together on real-time problems at the International Space Station (ISS). We loved the idea of trying different strategies in order to find the best solution. This is very similar to the way astronauts use dynamic situations like spacewalking.You must search the environment and then mash buttons in a specific order to solve problems. This is similar to how gamers solved issues in "Detroit: Become Human", which explored the rights of androids. Fortunately, however, "Observation", which is less forgiving than "Detroit", will often take over if the problem persists.If you like problem solving and linking, the game will suit you. However, if you are looking for quick solutions and action, you might not enjoy it. You may need to take a few minutes to think through the puzzles, play with different angles and ask your crew members for assistance. Be patient and you will reap the rewards.Space.com interviewed Jon McKellan (creative director of No Code) to find out more about the game's development process. This interview has been cut and condensed.Space.com: What inspired "Observation" from Space.com?Jon McKellan: I got the idea from an article years ago. It described a thought experiment that involved taking an antagonist from a film and recontextualizing it with them as a protagonist. It cited the example of the alien in the 1979 movie "Alien". I was just finishing five years of work on the survival horror game "Alien: Isolation", and I was deeply immersed in "Alien." It was fascinating to see the film through the eyes of an alien. It is about an alien creature who is born in hostile conditions with a crew that wants to kill it. All it wants is to eat!I began to think of other films and stories that might go through the same process. I instantly jumped to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and thought about how HAL, the computer that was undergoing the process, might feel. This led me to the seeds of the game.The interior and modules of Observation’s space station have striking similarities to real-life orbital outposts such as the International Space Station. Image credit: No Code/Devolver digitalSpace.com: How is this game different from others you've made?McKellan: After we had pitched, and were about to sign "Observation", we created an adventure game called "Stories Untold" (2017). It took some time to sign! Some of the gameplay concepts for "Observation" were actually road-tested in "Stories Untold." Our main objective has been to tell great interactive stories where the player's agency is in sync with their character's progress. We ask players to play games that are both relevant to the moment and appropriate for their characters. It is also believable in its presentation.It's about science in the case of "Observation". It's not a putting-gems in-a-statues-eye-to uncover-a-secret pathway type of puzzle. The game is more about stabilizing an experimental, miniaturized fusion reactor or dealing with airlock compression among modules. The game is as real and plausible as possible while remaining exciting and unique for the audience.Space.com: Which sci-fi franchises or real-life experiences have you used to create the game?McKellan: Most of the situational problems the player encounters in the game result from our speculation about what might go wrong with the International Space Station and how we might fix it. We spent many months researching the station and the systems that could be used to address the problems.Other than that, the film library from the past five decades was used to inform the tone and atmosphere. We used "Gravity" (2013) to illustrate the dangers that space can pose to Emma, the crewmember. SAM was the player character. He saw more than "Alien" (1979), Event Horizon (1997), and "2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). The game's main feature is the 90% view via the onboard CCTV system. This means that we often have to tell the story from a far. Films like "Blair Witch", (2016) and "Europa Report", (2013) that were "found footage" were very helpful in understanding how to do this, and taking advantage of the perspective."Observation" is a No Code and Devlover Digital program that puts you in space as an AI, SAM. Your mission is to help human astronaut Emma, solve space puzzles and survive. Image credit: No code/Devolver digitalSpace.com: Who, if any experts, did you speak to in order to create the game? What did they tell you?McKellan: Unfortunately, we didn't have much time to talk to many experts. It seems that it is much more difficult to get in touch with a game studio than when you are making films. As time passes, we hope that this will change and there will be more standardised routes of communication between our industries. NASA and the European Space Agency have provided so much valuable material that we can use to build our world and tell our stories.There is obviously more to a supernatural or alien scenario so we worked out what would happen and then went from there. If the ISS were to suddenly land on another planet in the outer Solar System, its solar panels would be much less efficient. This kind of science, and how to deal with it, is weaved into the story and gameplay.Space.com: Why did you decide to tell the story through the eyes of the computer?McKellan: I found it very fascinating that an artificial intelligence could be "awake" at the moment the player takes control. The new consciousness is provided by the player. They bring the uncertainty, human approach to problem solving and empathy, as well as the subjectivity and errors that come with territory. This allowed SAM to develop in perfect sync with the player experience. SAM and the gamer have the same view of the world. With one exception, you will never see SAM do or say something that the player doesn't expect.There is also a layer of player actions that have a direct impact upon the story. As a player, it is logical to turn on a camera and listen to a conversation in a room, or to open doors and explore. This is a very creepy thing to do for the crew! This meant that SAM's innocent actions had a second meaning for the crew, making them think about their roles in the story. This was the driving force behind the entire experience. Without realizing, the player almost plays the game as a role-playing game.Space.com: What do players hope to get from the game?McKellan, We went to great lengths to make the story more detailed, to add background details and to explain the mysterious languages. The best way to think about what an AI would do is to always ask, "What would they do?" While some puzzles are simple, others can require you to shift your perspective. We tend to imagine how we would physically do it if we were asked to set a fire in a game.You play a supporting role here. It's like an AI thinking about how to accomplish it: Connect to the system, enable it and notify the crew. This is how we, the human race, experience and participate in interactive stories. This creates exciting moments that are not possible with a traditional game.Follow Elizabeth Howell @howellspace. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @Spacedotcom
