What's the story?

Humanity has branched out into the great beyond – only to find that the rest of the universe's intelligent life is as vapid and self-absorbed as we are. On the space station Megalodon 9, social network Spacebook rules all, and leveraging its power and influence to advance through command ranks may be the only way to escape impending disaster.

Gameplay

A futuristic satire of our modern-day obsessions with social media, Redshirt is played entirely through the lo-fi interface of Spacebook. Attending an event or responding to wall posts offers RPG-like stat boosts, helping you to schmooze your way to success, while increasingly dangerous away missions put you in the difficult position of sacrificing friends – or enemies.

Highs and lows

Satire and comedy are two of the hardest genres to pull off in video games, but the writing on Redshirt manages both with aplomb. The non-linear narrative, revealed through the sprawling web of Spacebook, brilliantly spoofs sci-fi icons. However, that same web can be confusing, with key features hard to find.

Verdict

Although virtualising Facebook seems a bizarre concept, interacting with the diverse and unusual characters becomes as compelling as e-stalking your real-life friends. It's emotionally investing too. Flat visuals may be offputting to some, but there's more depth in Redshirt than many big-budget games.