If you’ve always believed that patching modular synthesizers is too much like hard work, you’re probably not going to dig The Signal State, a new video game that requires you to do it for the purpose of having fun.
It’s set in a post-apocalyptic future, and requires you to “put your logic skills to the test with complex puzzles inspired by modular synthesizers”. You’ll repair machines, rebuild an abandoned farm and “be part of a revolution that will change the fate of agriculture once and for all.”
The game looks pretty much exactly like a software modular environment - think VCV Rack - and enables you to patch things together via drag and drop. Hardcore synthesists might argue that you’d be better off just playing with the real thing - or a plugin version of the real thing, anyway - but if this gamified experience teaches you how modular synths tick, then it could be well worth your time.
The Signal State is available now on Steam. It runs on PC and Mac and costs £15.49.
