Codename: ULTRA

Jul 1
2009

Codename: ULTRA is a game concept that I entered into the game design competition at SXSW this year. The game was selected as one of the casual game semifinalists, which means I won a free pass to SXSW Interactive.

I didn’t make it into the final round, but I got to meet the judges at the event and got some good feedback on the game from them.

Here are some screenshots from my presentation:

Codename: ULTRA is a logic puzzle game. You play the role of a secret agent attempting to discover the identities of a group of enemy spies. To complete each mission you must match each of the enemy agents with his or her photo, code name and home country.
The main interface for the game is this view of your desk. On your desk is your message inbox, shortwave radio (which can receive transmissions from the base), and your Mission Kit. The Mission Kit contains all the information you need to decipher the identities of the enemy spies (maps, photos, agent dossiers, and clues).

You play the game by reading the clues from your Mission Kit and using deduction to piece together information about the spies.

You can also get encrypted clues from your short wave radio. You can write down the codes that are being broadcast and decode them using your code sheet.

As you discover bits of information you mark them down on the agent dossiers to keep track of your progress.

As you work through the game the missions will get more difficult (increasing the number of agents involved as well as the number of elements that need to matched with each agent).

The main idea for the game comes from classic logic grid puzzles, but with a more interactive and graphical interface.

Codename: ULTRA is still just a concept at this point. I would like to actually build the game at some point, but it’s a much bigger project than the games I typically make.