Technobabylon

The game operates on a typical point-and-click interface used in several adventures, in which players use their mouse to explore and interact with the various environments their characters move through. Each chapter sees the player using one of the game's three protagonists, to solve puzzles within a chapter. While right-clicking objects/NPCs allows them to examine them, left-clicking allows the character to interact with it, either by taking an object or using it and talking to NPCs. At certain points in the game, the player can choose how to complete puzzles and situations; while most are optional, and have little impact on the main story, one choice towards the end affects the ending that players can achieve upon completing the game.

Any objects picked up by the player are stored in an inventory, and can be combined with other objects in the inventory, given to NPCs, or used on objects in an environment. Items that are examined are done either through a text-box, or a vocal description by the character.

Technobabylon takes place in the cyberpunk city of Newton. Newton is coordinated by a highly advanced AI known as Central which maintains the city's various systems and enforces the laws passed by the civilian government. Centralized Emergency Logistics (CEL) acts as a police force under Central's direct authority. Technology has advanced greatly, with nano-mechanical wetware devices allowing people to modify their brain functions or mentally interface with computers. One such innovation is a virtual reality system called the Trance, in which users can socialize with others via constructed avatars or create content like games and virtual environments.

Latha Sesame, an unemployed shut-in addict to the Trance, finds herself locked inside her apartment after being disconnected. Worried, she manages to bypass the door controls and escape. Moments later, there is an explosion in the building.

James Dearden initially began working on Technobabylon in 2010 using Adventure Game Studio, as a practice project. Dearden decided on an episodic structure out of concerns of losing interest or energy in the project and leaving the game unfinished. Over the course of the year Dearden released the first two episodes, in October and December respectively. After the room escape first episode, Dearden experimented with more worldbuilding in the second episode.

The positive response led to Dearden deciding then to begin working out a full plot. In April 2011, the third episode was released. After the third episode, the game "kind of stalled" for four years, where Dearden became trapped in a cycle of his art improving or changing, remaking the earlier episodes, and then having his art change once more.

Technobabylon received generally positive reviews by video game critics, and holds a weighted average rating of 82 from 26 reviews on Metacritic.

The game's story was commended. PC Gamer's Andy Kelly called the game's story "fantastic". Leif Johnson of GameSpot said the game had an "enjoyable story and well-crafted world", praising the use of different perspectives and small moments of humor. Johnson found that Technobabylon's world felt "real" and avoided being "heavy-handed" when tackling issues.