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While I do love my PC gaming, my affinity for hardware doesn’t stop there. It extends into most facets of my life, but one of my favourites has to be music. Synthesisors are easily one of the coolest things humanity has ever developed. I love seeing these machines that change the shape of sound to please our whims and send shivers down our spines.
One of my favourite creators in this space has to be YouTuber Look Mum No Computer, known for his deep dives into old synths, cool creations, and general musical exuberance. He’s turned all this knowledge, punk energy, and love of synthesisers into a game you can buy on Steam. Or you can download the free demo which I’ve been playing, and it’s actually really fun so far.
The self-titled Look Mum No Computer game is a twin-stick shooter RPG, that lets you use a moddable synthesiser to defeat enemies and complete quests. As you explore the world you can find electric components to upgrade and craft new synth modules, and what you have equipped effects not only your gameplay but also the music.
Different mods have different effects, maybe changing the way your weapon works or giving you passive buffs. Creating and equipping these allows a tonne of customisation and experimentation, but more importantly feels really powerful to watch the world change to your musical choices.
The synth modules are all based on ones Look Mum No Computer has made or worked with on the channel. The synth character is even called Kosmo after the format of modular used IRL. The way you can plug in and assign different synths isn’t that far off from a real world implementation and this gives you a small taste of playing with these things beyond just a game mechanic.
These often harken back to videos for fans of the channel, but I don’t think you need to be familiar to appreciate these efforts. Things like the flamethrower synth are still ridiculously fun, and the added bonus that it’s based on a ridiculous thing that you can check out the making of is just a little bonus.
For those into hardware, this is a game about fiddling with some of the most analogue electrical equipment you can still wrangle. It also gives you a small toe-dip into the world of synthesisers and just some of the cool things they can achieve. If you enjoy tinkering with PC components, getting dirty with solder, and smelling like you should be on fire, I think the transition to synths is a natural one you might enjoy.
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