Desktop Explorer Preview | A Satisfying Pastime
Desktop Explorer is a strange game that immediately brought me back in front of the family computer in the early 2000’s. Rummaging through all the programs and drop down menus on the computer was a normal pastime for me while I was distracting myself from doing errands and homework (which I eventually got done, I promise). Unlike my childhood shenanigans, Desktop Explorer has a strange undertone that made me want to see exactly what was going on.
Within the game of Desktop Explorer, your uncle has given you his old PC for unclear reasons. You begin to explore the files and programs within this decades old computer and find some strange program, named Desktop Explorer, and continue to mess around with the files and attachments. But, as you venture further into the systems, a larger mystery begins to unfold.
The first few puzzles occurred within nestled folders that need passwords to unlock the next folder. However, with each locked folder, there are several other digital files that are provided to offer clues and tells on what the password might be. Some might be explicitly mentioned in the scripted story presented, others could be hidden in the programming notes, or others need to be pieced together through lingering clues. The level of difficulty felt a bit inconsistent for me. One of the earliest puzzles really slowed down the game for me longer than I liked, but then the next four were almost instant. Luckily, there’s an adorable animated notepad hero willing to offer hints for each puzzle (though sometimes the hints themselves made me more confused).
You’re also presented with a program where you can also read your uncle’s digital journey, but only a few chunks at a time. The allure of the mystery was surprisingly quick in capturing my attention and before I knew it, nearly two hours melted away. The overlapping scenarios between uncovering what happened to your uncle, what’s happening to the strange computer, and how the protagonist is processing all this began to feel a bit overwhelming. Luckily, I had a trusty physical notepad by my side to log all the information.
After about two hours of experimenting, solving, and discovering within Desktop Explorer, I was able to complete the demo with a pretty large cliffhanger. The game itself very much reminds me of an interesting mix of Blue Prince, Inscryption, and a dash of Emily is Away <3. I’m very excited to see where the story goes and what other features will be included in the final game. Until then, you can Wishlist Desktop Explorer on Steam here.