Explore Backfirewall_’s philosophical puzzles, shortcut-based gameplay mechanics, and moral choices in this smartphone adventure
Introduction to Backfirewall_
Backfirewall_ represents an innovative comedic puzzle experience from Swiss developer Naraven Games, inviting players into the surprisingly complex digital landscape within our everyday smartphones.
This first-person narrative puzzle adventure from Naraven Games takes gamers on an unforgettable journey through the hidden workings of mobile devices, blending humor with thought-provoking scenarios.
Naraven Games operates as a female-led development studio located in Switzerland, with their debut project Answer Knot launching in 2019. Partnering with publisher All In! Games, the teams have unveiled their latest creation: Backfirewall_.
Scheduled for release this year, Backfirewall_ casts players as a system update program responsible for modernizing a smartphone’s operating software. When the OS turns rebellious and threatens to eliminate the player character, an unlikely alliance forms between the update program and OS9 to ensure mutual survival.
Beyond experiencing a hands-on demo, Dexerto conducted an exclusive interview with Naraven Games’ lead designer Lucie Robert to explore the intricate digital realm concealed within our mobile devices.
Beyond Comedy: The Philosophical Narrative
While Backfirewall_ delivers plenty of comedic moments through witty dialogue and entertaining characters, its storytelling reaches far beyond simple humor. Gamers confront a persistent decision that shadows their entire playthrough experience.
At its foundation, Backfirewall_ presents a survival narrative. Players maintain the option to update the mobile device at any moment, which would significantly improve the phone user’s experience and benefit all system programs.
However, this action would effectively terminate both the player character and OS9, the rebellious operating system you form a bond with early in the game. The journey introduces multiple characters and factions that either support OS9 or completely oppose his existence.
“Players encounter numerous subtle decisions throughout their journey, often without immediately recognizing them as choice points,” explained Robert. “The conclusion reveals how each character developed based on your actions, showing survival outcomes tied to whether you completed specific tasks before or after key story events.”
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These decisions create continuous tension during gameplay, but the ultimate choice revolves around updating the device versus selfishly complicating others’ existence to extend your own survival.
Although the game occurs inside the phone, the device’s user significantly influences both narrative progression and player decisions. What initially appears as a malicious update program can transform into a necessary sacrifice for collective benefit as the story unfolds.
Robert characterized OS9 as a “charmingly difficult personality,” making him a compelling accomplice despite his flaws. The narrative constantly challenges players to identify the true antagonist as they uncover more information about the phone user.
Pro Tip: Pay close attention to environmental details and character dialogues—many seemingly minor interactions actually influence later narrative outcomes and character survival chances.
Exploring the Smartphone Universe
When questioned about inspiration for setting a game inside a phone, Robert answered, “Our initial concept centered on creating a narrative around an object we all use constantly but rarely consider deeply.”
Backfirewall_ investigates smartphone internal operations by giving human characteristics to every element. Applications and system processes become distinct personalities, various phone systems transform into explorable environments, and technical terminology simplifies through physical object representation.
“We aimed to explore potential smartphone internal events when unexpected situations occur, like system updates. We considered what dramatic tension or narrative conflicts such events might generate,” Robert explained.
This central conflict exposes players to virtually every component found in modern smartphones. “Each level corresponds to specific phone hardware elements, including RAM and graphics processing units. Character representations primarily include social media applications or system background processes.”
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don’t assume all characters are immediately friendly—some apps may initially seem hostile but become valuable allies if approached correctly with the right tools and dialogue choices.
Shortcut-Based Puzzle Mechanics
This narrative-driven experience also incorporates substantial puzzle elements, providing players with multiple tools for navigating the phone’s internal landscape. Interestingly, all available tools mirror actual keyboard shortcuts familiar to daily computer users.
The demonstration limited players to the delete function for object removal, but the introduction sequence previews all four tools available throughout the game: delete, color adjustment, copy, and inversion capabilities.
“These tools intentionally recall keyboard shortcuts that computer users regularly employ,” stated Robert. “Progression through the world introduces increasing obstacles since your character operates outside authorized parameters.”
Gamers can utilize these shortcuts to create custom paths through levels or simply enjoy experimenting with environmental manipulation. The satisfaction of deleting objects in initial areas suggests that additional tools will unlock even more entertaining possibilities.
Advanced Strategy: Master tool combinations early—using copy followed by color modification can create duplicate objects with altered properties that solve complex environmental puzzles more efficiently than single-tool approaches.
Final Impressions and Release Details
Backfirewall_ radiates charisma and distinctive personality, positioning itself as a title gamers should anticipate exploring. Naraven’s creation already demonstrates compatibility with celebrated comedic puzzle titles like The Stanley Parable and Portal.
All In! Games confirms Backfirewall_ will launch in 2022 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC through Steam.
Optimization Tip: For the best experience, play with keyboard and mouse to fully appreciate the shortcut-based mechanics, though controller support remains available for console versions.
No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Backfirewall_ Preview: Never updating my phone again Explore Backfirewall_'s philosophical puzzles, shortcut-based gameplay mechanics, and moral choices in this smartphone adventure