An atmospheric audio game in which players interact with their environments, other people in their surroundings and progress by making choices via a phone dialog system.

The player calls a certain number to start the game. Everything else is handled by an automated telephone call. The game leads the player to certain public places where a (thematically localised) fictitious discrimination scenario including possibilities for intervention is presented. Players are asked to choose an intervention, which is then brought back into the public space as a small action (e.g. addressing victims in the scenario will address people in the public space).

Willkommen zurück im Spiel für Menschen! Ihre Game hosts Celi und Ruma – das sind wir – freuen uns, Sie für weitere intergalaktische Messungen Ihres menschlichen Moralzentrums begrüßen zu dürfen. (Krachen) Moment, das war wieder unrichtig! Haha. Dies ist ein Spiel für Menschen! Und kein hochwissenschaftliches Tool, das die Löschung des Planeten Erde optimiert. Hahaha! Um sicher zu stellen, dass Sie menschlich sind, lösen Sie bitte folgende Aufgabe. Wieviel ist 7 minus 6? Wählen Sie die richtige Zahl auf Ihrem primitiven Mensch-zu-Mensch-Kommunikationsgerät. 

Um diese Nachricht nochmals zu hören, drücken Sie die Sterntaste. Sie können im Laufe des Spiels jederzeit die Sterntaste drücken.

– Auszug aus „A Game for Humans“

Story
Aliens from the BiGoDs galaxy want to destroy planet Earth. But by their own standards, they can only destroy planets populated by unsocial, vicious, and unjust species. Humanity therefore seems ideal!

However, the BiGoDs need even more data to be able to statistically prove the inferiority of human beings to have their plans approved by the intergalactic ethics board.Through initial research, the BiGoDs have already found that the preferred “gaming platform” of humanity is the telephone dialogue system. They will shamelessly use this info to lure as many unexpecting callers into their highly scientific traps as possible. Under the ingenious nickname A game for humans, the BiGoDs carry out social experiments which will provide more proof that the human race is morally debased and can safely be eliminated.

The player finds herself in these social experiments and can save the world from being destroyed by the aliens by acting courageously in the scenarios.

Game Design & Writing: Sabine Harrer, Clara Hirschmanner
in Kooperation und für CITY GAMES im Zuge von CATRINA