Sophie's World (video game)
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| Sophie's World | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | The Multimedia Corporation |
| Publisher | Voyager |
| Platforms | MacOS, Microsoft Windows |
| Release | 1997 |
| Genre | Adventure |
Sophie's World is a 1997 educational adventure video game developed by The Multimedia Corporation and published by Voyager for MacOS and Microsoft Windows. It is an adaptation of the novel Sophie's World by Norwegian writer Jostein Gaarder, in which players must help guide protagonist Sophie Amundsen whilst considering and answer philosophical questions. The game also contained interactive resources and diagrams on major philosophers of history. Upon release, the game received positive reviews from critics, who praised the adaptation's unique subject matter for software and its supporting resources.
Players assume the role as a tester of a fictitious virtual reality program named DYAUS,[1] an experimental representation of philosophy.[2] The aim of the game is to guide the eponymous character Sophie Amundsen, a young Norwegian schoolgirl through DYAUS.[1] Sophie receives messages from her mysterious tutor and guide, Alberto Knox, to influence her journey across a series of scenes, rather than being directly accompanied as in the book.[3][1] Each scene focuses on a historical setting or event relating to philosophy,[3] where Alberto will pose philosophical questions to the player which can be answered through an interactive dialog box. To progress to the next scene, players must complete a puzzle or provide a valid response to questions from Alberto or other characters.[2][1] Some responses to question may open up different progression through the game,[2] and emails sent and received by Sophie progress the game's story.[4] Players navigate between scenes using point and click controls to navigate between entries on an interactive timeline.[2] It also features an automatic save system.[5] The software also includes an interactive reference guide with several features: the Philosophy Band provides narrated slideshows on 28 philosophers such as Zeno of Elea, Saint Augustine, Baruch Spinoza, and Immanuel Kant, and concepts explored in their work.[1][4] Big Questions depicts the positions of these philosophers on major philosophical questions in a table.[4] Players can search references in the guide by topic or keyword, compare and contrast philosophers, and browse related links on the Internet.[2]