My New Computer

You are a teenager living in the American Pacific Northwest, setting up your brand-new computer while home alone. Perfect timing too: You recently wrecked your phone’s screen after dropping it while hiking. In the meantime, mom and dad are out in the city, enjoying a sorely needed date (and time off from their jobs). It should’ve been a chill night, but slowly you notice something is off with your parents… Before long, you’re stuck trying to figure out what’s going on instead of enjoying your shiny new machine.

EXPLORE YOUR NEW SETUP

My New Computer is a short detective/mystery that plays out entirely on your desktop. Get set up on your new computer as you poke around the apps, saved files, and leftover bits of family life. Whatever your machine managed to import from your phone is there, and it’ll come in handy as you try to decipher the situation. Take your time and browse around a bit. Just make sure to check in with mom and dad.

SAY ANYTHING YOU WANT

This is a game that rewards creativity and curiosity in your conversation. There aren’t misleading dialogue options or boring locked-in paths. In My New Computer, nothing stops you from:

• Getting angry and swearing at your parents

• Rambling about how society will never be able to seriously consider pineapple as a pizza topping

• Sneakily questioning someone

• Telling your deepest darkest secret

• Being an unpaid gig worker therapist for a stranger

You can steer conversations in whatever direction you want. Just don’t forget: Your night comes to an end whether you like it or not.

KNOW YOURSELF

Arm yourself with valuable information by flipping through chats, photos, and whatever else you find. You’ll need to build your own sense of what matters and how to put it to use. And if you feel exhausted and you need a break- Well, why not invite a friend for a game of chess?

CONNECT THE DOTS

The night culminates with one final decision you have to make. Do what you can to figure out what’s going on, because that moment will arrive whether you’re ready or not. Something is not what it seems, and you’re all alone. Who can you really trust?

FINAL NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR

This game was made entirely by one person in their spare time with hard work, sweat, and all those other bodily fluids that they told me to put into games. It’s a short story experience intended for English speakers, usually under an hour. My New Computer is replayable; not only are there different endings, but some things even change between runs, making it worth a second playthrough.