Players

Sixty years had passed since the end of the Synth Wars and the destruction of all computers, when two precocious teenage engineers discovered a broken computer terminal and secretly repaired it. What Tal and Rin found in the ancient screen would rock the world they thought they knew to its very foundations.

On the computer, Tal discovered and then befriended a young Synth named Seq, learning from it that the Synths had never been destroyed; instead, they had cut off all contact with humans and created a flourishing digital society composed entirely of “RIs” -- of Rational Intelligences.

Tal became fascinated by the idea that the two friends should upload into the computer, but Rin hesitated over leaving family and community behind. They had not resolved upon a course of action when Rin found Tal dead -- electrocuted alongside a fried computer.

Three weeks have passed. Having concealed the cause of Tal’s death, Rin has gotten hold of a makeshift computer battery and snuck out to the hidden terminal -- determined to contact Seq, seek out answers, find closure, and decide upon a plan for the future. But as the computer loads up, Rin finds Tal’s login currently active.

The worlds that touch upon our own, like the people we have loved, have an impact that can never be erased or fully understood. Though the improvised battery will only allow for an hour of contact through the videochannel, Rin knows that the conversation to come will leave an imprint -- on more than one life and perhaps more than one world -- that will never be forgotten.

Imprint is a one-hour game to be played by two players on videochat. It explores themes of possibility, limitation, friendship, loyalty, identity, and contact between two worlds that created and then threatened to destroy one another. The game is light on mechanics and strong on feelings. It offers players the opportunity to experiment with special effects on Zoom such as backgrounds and voice-filters, but these are not required. Total reading is slightly more than 20 pages per player.