PieFedThis New Handheld Aims To Bring Back The Magic Of '80s Text Adventures | Time Extension
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Rediscovering Text Adventures with the Ink Console
A new handheld gaming system, Ink Console, aims to bring back the magic of '80s text adventures. Developed by Daniel "Dana" Puchau from Shanghai, this device features a 7.5-inch e-ink screen capable of displaying an 800 x 480 black & white resolution.
Specifications:*
- Microprocessor: ESP32-D0WDQ6 (dual-core 32-bit)
- Flash Memory: 4MB
- PSRAM: 8 MB
- SRAM: 520 KB
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi 4
- Built-in SD card reader for additional games
Three initial titles are in development:
1. Toto Umbrella
2. The Visit
3. Breath
With the potential to develop more through its SDK in future. The developer says they intend to release the SDK and open-source the project upon completion of crowd-funding campaign.
Puchau remarks:
The idea for Ink Console came from a desire to bring the magic of text adventures, like the 1980s classic Zork I, to a new audience unfamiliar with these games. We also were very inspired by the beloved *Choose Your Own Adventure* series of books. Our hope is that this interactive format makes reading feel like an adventure and helps instill a love for books in young readers.
There's a link in the original article to the Crowdsupply campaign.
What are your favourite text adventure memories?
More interactive than CYOA, more restrictive than traditional text adventures. Kind of point-and-clicky. IDK. I'm intrigued and will keep an eye on it. I hope they release the SDK well in advance of launch at least.