The Turing Test

[h1]More Than Just a "Portal" Clone in Space[/h1] [b]It is incredibly difficult to release a first-person puzzle game where you shoot energy balls out of a specialized gun without the gaming community immediately pointing, yelling "Portal clone!", and moving on. That unavoidable comparison is largely why Bulkhead Interactive and Square Enix’s 2016 sci-fi title, The Turing Test, never quite reached the massive popularity it deserved. But dismissing this game as a simple imitation is a massive disservice. While the inspiration is obvious, The Turing Test strips away the dark, sarcastic comedy of Valve’s masterpiece and replaces it with a serious, deeply introspective space-opera. It is a game that asks heavy questions about consciousness, morality, and the very nature of human intuition.[/b] https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3726089113 [h1]Logic vs. Intuition: Puzzles with a Purpose[/h1] [b]The game explores the philosophy of Alan Turing's famous benchmark for machine intelligence, and it does something incredibly clever, it aligns the mechanics of its puzzles perfectly with its narrative themes. In Portal, the world is brilliantly clean and well-defined. You place a box on a button, a door opens, and you walk through. It is strict, undeniable logic. The Turing Test lulls you into this exact same rhythm using an Energy Manipulation Tool to transfer power between circuits. But as the story deepens, the game intentionally breaks its own rules. You will encounter rooms where, if you try to follow strict, machine-like logical steps, the puzzle is completely unsolvable. You have to think laterally, cheat the system, and rely on human intuition to progress. It’s a brilliant way to make you actually feel the difference between how a human mind and an AI process problems.[/b] https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3727598390 [h1]Deep Space Isolation and "Alien" Vibes[/h1] [b]You step into the boots of Ava Turing, an engineer awakened from cryo-sleep to investigate the disappearance of a ground crew on Jupiter's moon, Europa. Guided only by the station's AI, T.O.M., the descent to the planet and the exploration of the abandoned, sterile research base drip with incredible atmosphere. It gives off distinct, classic Alien vibes. There is a haunting, creeping sense of isolation as you uncover what the crew was actually doing down there. Because it stays incredibly focused on this core mystery, the pacing is fantastic. It is a pure, story-driven single-player experience, no tedious scavenger hunts for hundreds of pointless collectibles, and thankfully, no shoehorned multiplayer modes to dilute the tension. It’s just you, an AI, and the cold reality of deep space.[/b] https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3726691330 [h1]Pros:[/h1] [list] [*][u]Thematic Brilliance[/u]: The way the puzzle design naturally weaves into the philosophical questions about human vs. machine intelligence is masterfully done. [*][u]Thick Sci-Fi Atmosphere[/u]: The moody, isolating environment of Europa feels genuinely lonely and tense. [*][u]Focused Narrative[/u]: A tight, gripping story that respects your time without padding the runtime with unnecessary bloat. [*][u]Runs Like a Dream[/u]: It is incredibly well-optimized, making it a fantastic title to run at high frame rates on a strong PC or lounge with on a Steam Deck. [/list] [h1]Cons:[/h1] [list] [*][u]The "Clone" Stigma[/u]: It takes a few chapters to shed the feeling that you're just playing a knock-off, which might cause impatient players to bounce off early. [*][u]Visual Repetition[/u]: Because you are in a research facility, a lot of the puzzle chambers share the same sterile, modular aesthetic, lacking the visual decay or variety of its peers. [*][u]Low Replayability[/u]: Once you know the twist and the puzzle solutions, there isn't much mechanical reason to return, though the story is worth reflecting on. [/list] [h1]Conclusion[/h1] [b]The Turing Test is a deeply underrated gem for anyone who values a strong narrative as much as a good brain-teaser. It uses the framework of a puzzle game not just to challenge your reflexes, but to challenge your philosophy. If you love a good, isolated sci-fi mystery and appreciate games that prioritize a cohesive single-player vision, this trip to Europa is absolutely worth your time. Just don't expect the AI to offer you any cake.[/b]

Surprisingly good Portal-like, I would go as far as say it's one of the better ones. Don't even remember where i got it (probably a humble bundle) but I'm very happy i played it. Instead of portals you have a gun that shoots or collects balls of energy that can power various machines in certain ways (some with constant power, some that goes off on a timer and so on). You are on a research base on Europa (the moon) and like portal you progress through various rooms with different puzzles that use the mechanics in increasingly complex ways, and with a overarching narrative between you and the base AI as you traverse throug the base looking for the scientists. More philosophical than humorous and while It starts out fairly straight forward, then half way through it throws you a curve ball and not the one I was expecting. Well played game. Completion is just playing the game and doing the optional puzzle rooms. There are a chapter selection so, you can save them for last if you want (but apart from one that you kind of need a bit of competer logic knowledge) they are not especially hard. The weird thing is that the first of these puzzle room can't really be done when you first find it since brute forcing it would take too much time realisticly. It's only later that you find the solution in a later chapter (unless i missed something), a little weird game design since everything else in a contained puzzle where you don't need (and can't even) bring something from a previous room.

The Turing Test - головоломка от малоизвестной студии Bulkhead Interactive хоть и издавалась силами Square Enix, какой либо известности или признания так и не получила, и очень жаль, что такая прекрасная игра прошла мимо большей части игроков. Перед нами головоломка от первого лица с полным отсутствием противников и какого либо экшена, на протяжении 70 тестовых комнат игроку предстоит решить разнообразные задачки используя местный аналог портальной пушки из Portal, только местное приспособление может захватывать в себя до трех энергетических шаров и в последствии выстреливать ими в ячейки питающие замки на дверях, гигантские магниты, всевозможные мосты, пластины реагирующие на нажатия и тд и тп. По моему описанию это выглядит достаточно примитивно, но как по мне у игры отличная кривая сложности, она плавно разгоняется, постепенно переходя к все более сложным головоломкам, добавляя постоянно какие то новые приспособления и нестандартные задачки. При этом хочу отметить что общий уровень головоломок тут относительно щадящий и в итоге я прошел игру полностью ни разу не воспользовавшись гайдами, чего не могу сказать о Portal и The Talos Principle. В каждой из глав есть по одной необязательной головоломке, и пожалуй некоторые из них я бы назвал самыми сложными, в награду за их прохождение игрок получает расширенные сведения о лоре игры. Кстати о лоре и сюжете - сразу могу сказать, что если геймплеем The Turing Test явно напоминает Portal, то вот при написании сюжета разработчики явно вдохновлялись моей любимой The Talos Principle, как по мне получилось все же послабее, но тоже крайне достойно. Под нашим управлением Эва Тьюринг - инженер международного космического агентства, находящийся на исследовательской станции на Европе - спутнике Юпитера. С помощью искусственного интеллекта по имени "Том" главная героиня должна посетить научный комплекс и выяснить причину пропажи группы исследователей. В ходе расследования мы натыкаемся на разнообразные записки и другие предметы раскрывающие сюжетную линию. В ходе сюжета поднимаются философские вопросы затрагивающие темы искусственного интеллекта, ценности жизни и неоднозначных моральных поступков. Опять таки, как я уже говорил ранее, многое из этого есть в The Talos Principle, только там это сделано намного глубже, The Turing Test же не хватает раскрытия темы, возможно виной тому слишком малая продолжительность - если на The Talos Principle у меня ушло около 30 часов то на героя моего обзора всего около 6. По багам и оптимизации все в порядке, с какими либо проблемами я не столкнулся на всем протяжении игры. Картинка приятная, дизайн уровней во многом напоминает Portal, но отличается от него чуть большим разнообразием. Музыка - в основном это приятный, ненавязчивый эмбиент, отлично дополняющий атмосферу и не перетягивающий внимание на себя. Однозначно рекомендую данную головоломку к прохождению, она вполне способна подарить яркие впечатления на пару вечеров.

Temu/Great Value version of Portal/Talos Principle, but i dont mean it in a bad way, if you want more of those games this gets the job done, great graphics and voice acting, it seems the story gets a lot of hate but i found it decent Kinda short (took me little more than 6h im not good at puzzle games, granted i didnt do any of the Optional puzzles which apparently are much harder) and definetely on the easier side, if you struggled with Portal this should be a cakewalk Specially on sale this is a no brainer imo

This is the first game I got 100% on achievements, so it's a little sentimental to me. That said, it is a good puzzle game and I thought it was fun.

¿Te gustó Observation y te quedaste manija con Portal? es lo mismo, pero con más puzzles y una historia bastante simple. No lo volvería a jugar pq algunos puzzles son innecesarios. Áreas que podrían resumirse en sectores de dos o tres para no agotar al jugador. Me gustan los juegos con mecánicas similares pero a este en particular lo encontré bastante "denso". Por demás, muy buen uso de la metáfora de Turing, gráficos, narrativa visual interesante. Creo que es una propuesta que vale la pena a pesar de los detalles que no me gustaron.

[h1]FR/EN The Turing Test[/h1] https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3712132324 [h3]---FR---[/h3] The Turing Test nous met dans la peau d'Ava qui est réveillée pour aller enquêter sur ce qui s'est passé dans la base située sur Europe la lune de Jupiter. On descend sur la lune puis les tests vont commencer. Le jeu nous met à l'épreuve en nous demandant de traverser les différentes salles. Il va falloir manipuler les sources d'énergies afin d'activer et désactiver les mécanismes et se frayer un chemin. [h3]---EN---[/h3] The Turing Test puts us in the shoes of Ava, who is awakened to investigate what happened at the base located on Europa, Jupiter's moon. We descend to the moon, and the tests begin. The game challenges us by requiring us to traverse different rooms. We must manipulate energy sources to activate and deactivate mechanisms and find our way through. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3712024283 [h3]---FR---[/h3] Les mécaniques sont bien pensée et notre "Energy Manipulation Tool" nous aide dans notre aventure afin de déplacer les sources d'énergies à distance. On observe, on calcule puis on expérimente jusqu'à trouver l'ordre parfais. Petit à petit on progresse pour découvrir le background de ce monde et ce qui est arrivé à l'équipe. Les mécaniques évoluent et on est même amené à interagir avec les systèmes informatiques de la bases via l'IA qui nous suit. Les graphismes sont réussis et l'ambiance du jeu est prenante. Au fil de l'aventure on découvre la vérité. Au final les casses têtes sont bien pensés et le jeu est prenant. Les graphismes sont réussis et la musique nous accompagne à merveille. Nul doute que le jeu devrait plaire aux amateurs d'énigmes à résoudre, le jeu étant conçu comme un grand escape game où il faudra traverser les 70 salles pour s'échapper. [h3]---EN---[/h3] The mechanics are well-designed, and our "Energy Manipulation Tool" helps us on our adventure by allowing us to remotely move energy sources. We observe, calculate, and experiment until we find the perfect sequence. Little by little, we progress, discovering the background of this world and what happened to the team. The mechanics evolve, and we are even led to interact with the base's computer systems via the AI ​​that follows us. The graphics are impressive, and the game's atmosphere is captivating. As the adventure unfolds, we uncover the truth. Ultimately, the puzzles are well-designed and the game is engaging. The graphics are excellent and the music is a perfect accompaniment. There's no doubt that the game will appeal to puzzle enthusiasts, as it's designed like a large escape room where you'll have to traverse 70 rooms to escape. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3712024254

[h1] The Turing Test [/h1] [h3] Positives: [/h3] + Good idea + The storytelling + The philosophy + Beautiful graphics + Some nicely designed levels + Cool puzzles with varied difficulty levels + Bonus puzzles + Nice voiceacting + Achievements + Cool and easy to understand mechanics + Makes you think and reflect quite a lot + Divided into chapter and areas (for easy replayability) + Nice length (lasts for about 7-10 hours) [h3] Negatives: [/h3] - 62 fps lock (fix below) - Head-bob that cant be disabled (tips and tweaks below) - Some unnecessary post-processing effects - Not enough variation in level design (mostly the same looking corridors) - The AI can sometimes repeat itself too much and also disturb you while puzzle solving - Some hard to hear voice recordings - A few parts have weird limitations (preventing more creativity) - The puzzles can only be solved in one way - A few bugs (f.ex. you can get stuck/unable to move and must restart the area) [h3] Conclusion: [/h3] This was a nice puzzle game with philosophical elements set in a sci-fi space universe. Its in the spirit of games like Portal and The Fall Of Lazarus. So if you're into this sort of gameplay, its a no brainer. And speaking about brain, yes, you will need to use it quite a lot, but fortunately the difficulty levels are quite balanced. So it will not feel like your head is about to explode, like in some very hard puzzle games. All in all its very interesting and fun. But use the fixes below, without them its not as enjoyable. Have fun! [h1] Total Score: 7.5/10 [/h1] [b] Fix for the 62 fps lock: [/b] 1. Go to the game folder usually C:\Programfiles(x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\TheTouringTest\Engine\Config\ 2. Open BaseEngine.ini 3. Search for the lines SmoothedFrameRateRange (there will be two of them) 4. Edit the two lines last value by changing Value=62 to your desired frame rate: limitSmoothedFrameRateRange=(LowerBound=(Type="ERangeBoundTypes::Inclusive",Value=22),UpperBound=(Type="ERangeBoundTypes::Inclusive",Value=62)) F.ex. Value=165 5. Save the file (and if necessary set it to read-only) [b] Fixes for nausea/headache because of head-bob/special effects: [/b] [i] In-game setting: [/i] 1. Turn FOV up to max (120) 2. Disable motion blur 3. Enable crosshair 4. Reduce mouse sensitivity [i] Config file settings: [/i] 1. Go to the game folder usually: C:\Programfiles(x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\TheTouringTest\Engine\Config\ 2. Open BaseInput.ini 3. Change the line bEnableMouseSmoothing=true to false 4. Save the file (and if necessary set it to read-only) 5. Go to the configuration files location, usually: C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\VenusPrototype\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor\ 6. Open Engine.ini 7. Disable all unnecessary effects by inserting the following lines: [/Script/Engine.RendererSettings] r.SceneColorFringe.Max=0 [SystemSettings] Camera.EnableCameraShake=0 r.Camera.EnableCameraShakeScale=0 r.DefaultFeature.MotionBlur=0 r.MotionBlur.Max=0 p.Camera.DisableCollision=1 bCameraViewBob=False p.HeadBob=0 HazardPawn.Bob=0 r.Camera.Bob.Active=0 8. Save the file (and if necessary set it to read-only) Its not a perfect fix, but at least its better than before and playable for most. Happy puzzle solving!

Forgettable story and game play kinda mid tier game

I love how this game was basically my first introduction to boolean algebra. ([spoiler]Sector D, Room 36[/spoiler])