When one wakes up in a featureless white room, apparently at the whims of a malevolent steam-punk artificial intelligence, the first instinct is to escape. But... why? What's your argument? Can you justify your actions? Such is the question posed by ir/rational Redux, a puzzle adventure game by Tom Jubert, of Penumbra story-telling fame. Propositional logic has never felt so intense!
Though it has the apparent trappings of a graphical adventure game, the real meat of ir/rational Redux is in its unique language-based argument system. Click to progress the story, until you come to a bit of propositional calculus you must pass. Don't worry, it's easier than it sounds! Choose the correct statement from the drop-down menus to fill in the missing lines and complete the argument logically. (It has been noted that some systems may not display all options automatically, so you may need to scroll these lists with the [arrow] keys.) If you need assistance, you can ask your brain for a hint by clicking in the upper-right corner. No doubt the central premise of ir/rational Redux could have come off as incredibly dry, but overall this is a supremely engaging work. A unique brand of dark philosophical humor is present throughout, and the puzzles manage the right balance of posing a challenge to advanced logicians, while remaining welcoming to the novice. One nitpick: The somewhat-crude mid-game tangent about Australian gaming politics feels out of place, more suited to one of Yahtzee's rants rather than an ontological mystery. That said, while playing ir/rational Redux, you truly get the feeling that you're playing a game that's something different and something special. It may not be for everyone, but it's hard to argue against giving it a try.
Walkthrough Guide
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ir/rational Redux Solutions
Generally, if you're looking for a hint to push you in the right direction, the in-game "Brain Hint" is a great resource. Below you will find the correct choices for each drop-down menu puzzle bracketed below.
Level 2/10
Line 2: [IF I would like the lights to come on THEN I should press the switch.]
Level 3/10
Line 4: Assumption: [A perfect God exists]
Level 4/10 - Prove you are breathing oxygen.
Line 1: IF I am alive THEN [I am breathing oxygen] OR [the laws of human biology have been broken.
Line 2: [I am alive] AND the laws of human biology haven't been broken.
Level 5/10 - Complete the Machine's Test
Line 5: THEREFORE [Jill is NOT ill] and [Jack is ill]
Level 6/10 - Is the Machine's conclusion rational?
Line 5: THEREFORE [The Machine must assess me]
Line 6: THEREFORE [The Machine cannot release me]
Level 7/10 - Formulate an argument logically proving that Michael Atkinson is...
Line 1: IF [there is no evidence that video games are more dangerous than films] THEN [video games should be treated similarly to films]
Line 2: IF [video games should be treated similarly to films] THEN [Australia is wrong to ban 18+ video games]
Level 8/10 - Complete the argument and decide whether or not it is safe to escape.
Line 4: THEREFORE [there is a good chance I will be caught]
Line 7: THEREFORE [The Machine will not kill me if it catches me]
Line 8: THEREFORE [I should try to escape]
Level 9/10 - Prove that the machine is not perfect
Line 2: [The Machine thinks smugness is a relevant clue]
Line 3: [The Machine thinks smugness is a red herring]
Line 4: IF [The Machine thinks smugness is a relevant clue] AND [The Machine thinks smugness is a red herring] THEN [The Machine has contradicted itself]
Line 5: THEREFORE [The Machine has contradicted itself]
Level 10/10 - The Final Argument
Line 4: [A]
Line 6: [-E]
Line 8: [O]
Posted by: Tricky
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July 14, 2012 6:06 PM