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The BELL RINGS and a crowd of students exit the school in a small, worn out city.
A cluster of POSH KIDS exit last, followed by their sleek ANIMATRONIC PETS.
A SAD KID looks at them and sighs.
A pair of TWINS approach the sad kid. Each has a sleek white dome replacing a part of their heads (right on one, left on the other -- the prosthetic accomidations to being born conjoined at the skull.)
The (formerly) sad kid bounces with anticipation at their approach. One twin ("L") presents him with a hodge-podge ROBOT DOG. The kid looks skeptical until the other twin ("R") flips a switch and the dog wags its tail.
The kid makes a "sit" gesture -- the dog sits. The kid makes a "speak" gesture: the dog opens its mouth and makes a monotone "BEEP." The kid jumps for joy. The dog leaps into the kid's arms.
"L" taps the kid on the shoulder and makes a "gimme" gesture. The kid hands her a busted up toaster: a trade.
The kid runs off with his new pet as the twins' phones RING simultaneously in their pockets. They look at each other and [[RUN offscreen->THE WORKSHOP]]. <img src="https://media.indiedb.com/images/games/1/46/45849/garage2.png" width=300>
A WORKSHOP filled with beat up parts and alive with robots. Almost everything moves ambiently. A little radio plays music and dances along.
SADIQ, a tough-looking repair main with a metal leg, is on the phone at the front of the workshop. A WOMAN with a BROKEN CRIB waits nearby.
The twins rush in. Sadiq frowns and hangs up the phone. "L" puts the BROKEN TOASTER down on a pile of broken items.
[BEGIN GAMEPLAY]
This level teaches the player how to interact with the twins and do simple REPAIRS: short puzzles of increasing difficulty which similate repairing a machine.
A "?" appears above L's head. The player then may select one of the boxes that appear on screen: one on their [[backpack]], one on the broken [[crib]], one on the [[register]], one on the broken [[toaster]]. After the player chooses one, another "?" appears above R's head, and the player must choose one of the remaining options for them. Then, the player, as SADIQ, can move around the office.
For any task, the twin will CALL SADIQ after a time, indicated by a speech bubble with Sadiq's face in it. The player must go help the twin before they can finish their task.
When they finish a task, twin will show a "?" again and need to be assigned a new task. Meanwhile, Sadiq can also go to the [[kitchen]] or [[practice]].
Once the twins' activities are done and the customer leaves, Sadiq can [[LOCK UP]] the front door. The sun rises as Sadiq drives the sleepy twins past the school and other buildings, showing us their city. We see the kid from yesterday happilly playing with his robot dog and notice a large FACTORY sillhuetted behind the buildings.
[[THE FACTORY]]<img src="http://martaonthemove.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Marta_on_the_Move_Carrie_Furnace_Homestead12-1.jpg" width=700>
Sadiq and the twins pull up to the factory hinted at before. Abandoned, vandalized, and overgrown, the factory flanks a river which seperates it from the city proper.
Sadiq holds up the letter and aproaches the front door. He pushes aside some vines to reveal a keypad and inputs a code: miraculously, the mechanical doors creak open.
[[first room]]<img src="http://www.thebohemianblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Belgrade-Sugar-Mill-X.jpg" width=700>
The first room is cavernous, disintegrating. There is no obvious way to progress, but the soundscape implies something moving in nearby rooms. There are broken peices of robots and other technology scattered about which can be combined in a way to climb to a doorway several stories up.
As before, you must allocate tasks to the twins to assist you. One element, a small WELDING ROBOT, comes to life as you repair it and follows you to the next room. You continue to accumalate helper robots which allow access to new spaces -- this means you may circle back to the same room twice, but be able to access a new path because you now have a helper you didn't before.
This repeats itself several times before you find:
[[the office]]<img src="https://cdn2.unrealengine.com/Unreal+Engine%2Fdeveloper-interviews%2Fdeveloper-eggnut-highlights-how-they-created-backbone-s-dystopian-noir-2-5d-pixel-art-style%2FDeveloper-Interview_Backbone_BodyImage06-1600x900-95861cab85c01746f93deeeca9e3509438dd9d84.png" width=700>
A strange, dark OFFICE where the player finds ARTIFACTS which begin to peice together the history of the factory. Not a whole picture, but there are TWO MAIN THREADS to be followed. Newpaper clippings, old photos, slides to be inserted into a reperable PROJECTOR...
The visual binary of these paths is also established here. L will draw the player to [[DIG]], while R will draw the player to [[ILLUMINATE]].
Either way, the player will realize they are exploring an old ROBOT FACTORY which has gone out of business, replaced by the sleek new robot brand hinted at by the robotic pets of the kids at the school.
Proceed to the [[gate]]In the next room is a large [[GATE]] and a metal [[HATCH]]. The [[GATE]] matches the ILLUMINATE aesthetic, is it literally hit by a beam of light from a broken window. The [[HATCH]] is reminscent of the DIG option, and was even pictured in one of the DIG artifacts from the previous room.
Above the [[GATE]] is a security camera with a passively blinking RED LIGHT, like a smoke detector. Beside it is a BROKEN KEYPAD which connects to WHITE CABLES. R will pull the player to do a PUZZLE to fix the door.
L will pull the player to force open the [[HATCH]] and proceed that way.The player solves the gate puzzle: repairs which contain the white wires are slightly different, almost surgical in nature, and the gate BEEPS in protest when the player makes a mistake (think Operation.) If the player succeeds, the sound queue suggests the gate is powering up, but --
Instead of the gate openning, the frame of the door peels menacingly off of the wall, creaking, the flashing light burning red. It takes the form of an insect-like robot. It lets out a mechanical (text-style:"rumble")[ROAR].
The player still has time to escape out the [[HATCH]]...
The door itself finally cracks open, allowing the player to [[escape]] that way...The heavy door SLAMS shut behind them. Sadiq and the twins face a long, dark tunnel into the factory. By going this way, the player will learn about the dark secrets of the struggle which took place in this factory years ago. There is always time to make your way [[towards the top->escape]], too.
[[Back to beginning->SCHOOL YARD]]
The selected twin sits down at the table and works on their homework. Both can do this at once. The twin will call Sadiq over and ask Sadiq a math problem of increasing difficulty. There is no consequence for answering wrong.
When they finish a task, twin will show a "?" again and need to be assigned a new task: [[toaster]] -- [[crib]] -- [[register]]
Meanwhile, Sadiq can also go to the [[kitchen]] or [[practice]].
Once the twins' activities are done and the customer leaves, Sadiq can [[LOCK UP]] the front door.
[[Back->THE WORKSHOP]]The twin can work on repairing the crib. The twin calls Sadiq over to solve the a REPAIR PUZZLE. Once fixed, the crib rocks gently and plays a song.
When they finish a task, twin will show a "?" again and need to be assigned a new task: [[toaster]] -- [[backpack]] -- [[register]]
Meanwhile, Sadiq can also go to the [[kitchen]] or [[practice]].
Once the twins' activities are done and the customer leaves, Sadiq can [[LOCK UP]] the front door.
[[Back->THE WORKSHOP]]The twin works the register and the woman comes over to pay. The woman hesitates ("...") and the twin calls Sadiq over. She negotiates the price down and Sadiq agrees.
When they finish a task, twin will show a "?" again and need to be assigned a new task: [[toaster]] -- [[crib]] -- [[backpack]]
Meanwhile, Sadiq can also go to the [[kitchen]] or [[practice]].
Once the twins' activities are done and the customer leaves, Sadiq can [[LOCK UP]] the front door.
[[back->THE WORKSHOP]]The twin can work on fixing the broken toaster. They will also call Sadiq over to help and he will do a PUZZLE.
When they finish a task, twin will show a "?" again and need to be assigned a new task: [[backpack]] -- [[crib]] -- [[register]]
Meanwhile, Sadiq can also go to the [[kitchen]] or [[practice]].
Once the twins' activities are done and the customer leaves, Sadiq can [[LOCK UP]] the front door.
[[back->THE WORKSHOP]]Sadiq approaches the kitchen, requests a random food item, and a robot prepares it. Sadiq can offer the food to the twins or the customer, or eat it himself.
When they finish a task, twin will show a "?" again and need to be assigned a new task: [[toaster]] -- [[crib]] -- [[register]] -- [[backpack]]
Meanwhile, Sadiq can also [[practice]].
Once the twins' activities are done and the customer leaves, Sadiq can [[LOCK UP]] the front door.
[[Back->THE WORKSHOP]]Sadiq can fix random other machines, which are easy versions of the repair puzzles requested by the twins. This may help the player if they get stuck on a repair.
When they finish a task, twin will show a "?" again and need to be assigned a new task: [[toaster]] -- [[crib]] -- [[register]] -- [[backpack]]
Meanwhile, Sadiq can also go to the [[kitchen]].
Once the twins' activities are done and the customer leaves, Sadiq can [[LOCK UP]] the front door.
[[Back->THE WORKSHOP]]The twins retreat upstairs as a letter slides under the door. Sadiq reads it.
[[THE NEXT MORNING]]The player digs through the trash, puts together shredded or burnt materials, take things apart to reveal secrets within. The story which emerges is of an old labor struggle in this factory when leadership passed from the old owner to her daughter, CANDELA, who installed a robotic overseer called THE BELL. At some point, THE BELL seemed to have had a part in the death of an employee, and a strike followed. The strike, and the rise of the new robot brand, led to the demise of the factory.
[[ILLUMINATE]]
[[back->the office]]
[[leave->gate]]The player repairs the projector, lights, and machines, must put the peices together in an unorthodox way. This narrative focuses on the family which owned this factory: a matriarchal lineage, and most recently, a woman named CANDELA who owned the factory when it was shut down. She seemed to live in the shadow of her genius mother, and her young brother died in the factory as a child. The player also finds strange WHITE CABLES which seem out of place in the concrete and metalic factory.
[[DIG]]
[[back->the office]]
[[leave->gate]]
Sadiq and the twins dodge the menacing robots insectoid legs and slip through the gap, too small to accomidate their persuer. They find themselves at the bottom of a tall staircase. This leads up to Candela's office and will teach the player about her family's hidden tragedy. They may even find an unexpected ally in the automaton they just escaped. Or there's always time to [[explore the depths->HATCH]]...
[[Back to beginning->SCHOOL YARD]]