P2: The Turing Test
Premise:
This game takes place in a world where artificial intelligence models have become near-indistinguishable from human beings. You are a participant in a study for the artificial intelligence company Parallax AI conducting a Turing test for their newest AI model. While it starts as a typical interview, it becomes clear that things may not be as they seem. You must make a decision on which of your conversation partners is an AI and which is a human while navigating increasingly high tensions and learn more about just what kind of company you’re working with. With limited time, limited questions, and at least one human life potentially in the balance, will you be able to distinguish truth from fiction? And does it even matter which is which?
Map:
The entire game will take place within the context of a computer being used to host the chat, as well as the conversational space of branching dialogue choices. However, I plan for a few breaks from the test during which the player has the chance to explore other files on the computer and learn more about their world.
As of now, the general structure/conversational map is as follows:
Introduction -> Overview of the study with a moderator -> Preliminary questions -> Brief break -> Second conversation with moderator -> Further questions -> Individual questions with partner 1 -> Individual questions with partner 2 -> Final question -> Decision
I’d like for the ordering of questions and topics through these phases to change the responses given.
Project Plan:
My tentative timeline is as follows:
Completing premise and mapping: 10/16
Writing the first draft: 10/21
Playtesting, round 1: 10/23
Revisions: 10/28
Playtesting, round 2: 10/28
Final submission: 11/1
As the game is almost solely dialogue, a potential challenge I foresee is writing compelling characters such that the choice between them is difficult and engaging to the audience. This will require a lot of careful attention to character development ahead of writing, as well as revisions after playtesting. Any feedback or advice on how to navigate this would be appreciated!