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Dystopian Text-Based Puzzler 'Blackbar' Arrives in App Store

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Developer Neven Mrgn, one half of The Incident developer Big Bucket Games, has released his new text-based dystopian sci-fi game, Blackbar.

The game, which was co-developed by James Moore of Panic, has similar traits to old text-based adventure games and interactive fiction. Players will become Vi, deciphering a series of letters from Kenty, an employee of the fictional Department of Communication. Letters are filled with blacked out words that must be filled in to progress through the game, eventually leading to a larger conspiracy.
Blackbar is a text game: a sci-fi story of a dystopian future told through the medium of word puzzles. Reminiscent of text adventures and interactive fiction, it has a unique mechanic centered around the concept of censorship. Censorship is frustrating, but the human spirit can beat that frustration by turning it into a game.

You'll pick up and understand Blackbar instantly; however, its challenges will keep you searching, thinking, and trying for days.
Click to expand...
blackbar.png
Our sister site TouchArcade played Blackbar and thought it was a fun and "incredibly interesting" game:
I'm expecting many more twists and turns throughout the story, all based around deciphering the censorship you're being subjected to. It's incredibly interesting so far. As strange as it sounds, just trying to discover what the censored words are is actually really fun too.
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Blackbar is available for $2.99 for the iPhone and iPad. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Dystopian Text-Based Puzzler 'Blackbar' Arrives in App Store
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/08/24/dystopian-text-based-puzzler-blackbar-arrives-in-app-store/
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Toppa G's

macrumors 6502
Jun 19, 2003
426
2
The exurbs, MN
I thought this game looked fun. I downloaded it and seem to have come to the end within only a couple hours of noncontinuous play...a bit spendy at $2.99 if that's really the end. :confused:
 
iphonehype

iphonehype

macrumors 65816
Sep 14, 2012
1,255
1,044
Anyone help with this?

Stuck!!

Edit: department...solved! Gosh this game is addictive!!
 

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TheManInBlack

macrumors newbie
Aug 24, 2013
5
0
Toppa G's said:
I thought this game looked fun. I downloaded it and seem to have come to the end within only a couple hours of noncontinuous play...a bit spendy at $2.99 if that's really the end. :confused:
Click to expand...

I got to a screen that said "the end" with button to "play again" after about an hour or two. It was fun, but I agree one should be able to get more than an hour or two of gameplay out of the game that's $2.99
 
ArtOfWarfare

ArtOfWarfare

macrumors G3
Nov 26, 2007
9,557
6,058
TheManInBlack said:
I got to a screen that said "the end" with button to "play again" after about an hour or two. It was fun, but I agree one should be able to get more than an hour or two of gameplay out of the game that's $2.99
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If it's good, $2.99 isn't bad for an hour or two of gameplay. At that price, I'd expect it to yield about 5-10% as much gameplay as a console game. Console games normally take 20-50 hours, so I would expect 1-5 hours of (excellent) gameplay for $2.99.

Personally, this doesn't look like my type of game.
 
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batchtaster

macrumors 65816
Mar 3, 2008
1,031
217
The stupidly-capitalized text on the right could be written by any idiot teenager on Facebook.

EDIT: scratch that. Not enough spelling errors.
 
kas23

kas23

macrumors 603
Oct 28, 2007
5,629
288
Man, I can't even get past the word after "silly", where is says "Just _____!"
 
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quantumbyte

macrumors newbie
Jan 20, 2012
4
0
Just a 4 letter word, right?

I've been trying for 24 hours with no success to find one single 4-letter word. I don't want to spoil it for anyone (hence no screenshot), so if you're already there you'll know. I'm on the one with the "correctional levity" and for the life of me I can't find the word that goes into:

"there was nothing but pain for her on this ____ of consciousness."

It's a 4 letter word, anyone feeling charitable?

I even downloaded a list of 4 letter words for scrabble and tried a few dozen (in addition to several dozen I tried before) and then I just came here, looking for friendly advise. :)
 
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TheManInBlack

macrumors newbie
Aug 24, 2013
5
0
quantumbyte said:
I've been trying for 24 hours with no success to find one single 4-letter word. I don't want to spoil it for anyone (hence no screenshot), so if you're already there you'll know. I'm on the one with the "correctional levity" and for the life of me I can't find the word that goes into:

"there was nothing but pain for her on this ____ of consciousness."

It's a 4 letter word, anyone feeling charitable?

I even downloaded a list of 4 letter words for scrabble and tried a few dozen (in addition to several dozen I tried before) and then I just came here, looking for friendly advise. :)
Click to expand...

The word you're looking for starts with the letter 's'.

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kas23 said:
Man, I can't even get past the word after "silly", where is says "Just _____!"
Click to expand...

In a few places in the game there is more than one word that you can enter in the spot that is considered correct. Such as on the first page both the words censored and redacted will work in spot.

I had a little trouble finding the Place where you were talking about because I use the word crazy instead of silly.

The word you're looking for starts with a 'K'.
 
iphonehype

iphonehype

macrumors 65816
Sep 14, 2012
1,255
1,044
Finally game completed. If you needs hints post pics. My brain is seriously damaged after this game so can only refer to pics for help. Sorry lol.
 
adnbek

adnbek

macrumors 68000
Oct 22, 2011
1,581
549
Montreal, Quebec
I wish they had made the font bigger for ipad... such a waste of space.
Now I wish I had started on my phone instead. :p

Stuck here. Any help?
 

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