"Anna wakes up in a castle on a remote island, with little recollection of how she got there. All she remembers is an unusually unpleasant doll.."

As far as opening lines go, these may not be the most original, but the way this new thriller app tells its story is anything but clichéd. Device 6 blurs the conventions between games and literature: players are challenged to solve mysteries of technology and neuroscience, with the written word as their map. Text employs itself both as a narrative and a geographical tool to understand their position in the game, and as the game intentionally does not focus on illustration and sound, the way it orients the player/reader is unlike anything else.

In a stylish, spy thriller-esque manner, Device 6 plays with the mind on a number of levels. The game draws players in with turns and twists in the story as well as in your hands: the game requires you to move your phone up, down, left, right and back again, as you guide the narrative with your fingers and look for clues at the same time.

This interesting and immersive way of playing with control over the story is also employed by The Silent History: a novel that reveals itself via daily app updates. In terms of spatially engaging the user with the surroundings within the game, Device 6 is similar to IDNA.

The app is available here.