Unknown Number: A First Person Talker

This game f&#*($ sucks. Don't waste your time.

Enjoyed but many puzzles would be better served by a traditional interface.

Overall: [h1]A delightful puzzle/ARG-lite/escape room-esque game that doesn't overstay its welcome[/h1] Unknown Number is a puzzle-adventure game where you take the part of someone who takes a mysterious phone call message and gets roped into a heist on an oil conglomerate. Your role in this is quite similar to "mission control", acting remotely while the others actually conduct the operation. The story is told through a combination of phone calls and voicemail messages (which are helpfully subtitled). Though you can't directly see what's going on on the other side, the background uses stock footage to suggest various happenings, and in voicemail sequences, a little animated character acts out part of the action. Honestly, this approach is quite charming and engaging. Between messages, you solve puzzles and advance the story through both speaking into your mic, pressing buttons on your virtual phone's keypad, and trawling through a web page. Notably, the phone's interface actually morphs to facilitate puzzle solving, which is a really cool feature; saying how exactly would be spoilers, but I think seeing them is quite a mind-blowing experience. (There's a subtle one in the demo.) The story is interesting, with drama, action, pathos, and liberal use of comic relief throughout, and it's short enough to experience in a single night. Though there don't seem to be multiple endings, I was satisfied with how it ends. Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone who likes escape rooms, real or virtual, and would like to see a new take on the format!