Videogames Minus the Video: Audio Text Adventures Coming to iPhone

There are some who think the iPhone could 'kill' the Nintendo DS. It's got a high-res screen, motion-sensitive accelerometers, a powerful CPU and geo-location on its side. But despite all of the bells and whistles, the biggest thing going for it is a wildly creative developer base. Take Soul Trapper, for example. It doesn't even have graphics.

Soul Trapper is simultaneously a completely new genre of videogame crossed an extraordinarily retro medium — old-time radio plays. The game is the first in a series of what developer Realtime Associates calls 'audio text adventures.' David Warhol, president of Realtime Associates, explains:

Realtime has taken a distinct approach to App Store game development. Instead of gameplay being strictly visual, the player must listen to follow along with the story to discover information and unlock clues that drive the story. It's an audio adventure game rather than a standard video game.

From the game's website:

Soul Trapper follows the turbulent life of Kane Pryce, a 27 year-old drifter who possesses a mysterious device known as the Soul Trap. This is a supernaturally charged object that allows him to hunt down, capture, and send ghosts from the earthly realm to the afterlife. It's your job to listen carefully to the chilling adventure story and help Kane unlock the mysteries surrounding a haunted church, while navigating a maze of gangsters, dames, ghosts, and demons.

Soul Trapper is built from more than three hours of audio. A sample from the game is available here. The first of a series of interactive radio plays planned by Realtime Associates, Soul Trapper's nostalgic noir adventure will be availalble in the AppStore later this month.

[via Pocket Gamer]