Designer/Composer: Ed Key/David Kanaga Released: January 2013

Played on: PC (also available on Mac, Linux, PS3, Vita)

Proteus was the Greek god of oceans and rivers. Oceans and rivers constantly change, ebbing and flowing with the weather and the tides, and visiting the same location on multiple occasions will reward you with different sounds and seascapes. Proteus (the “non-game”) follows this concept, providing an ever-changing landscape for you to explore, and most significantly, delight your eardrums.

You start in a body of water as light electronic sounds tease from your speakers, with an island in the distance. Each instance of this procedurally generated first-person exploration game begins like this, and each time you will approach the island, walking on water to reach the land. The first thing you’ll notice is the art design. Proteus’ blocky world looks like junk in screenshots, but exploring that space is a surprisingly affecting experience – you feel like you’re exploring an impressionist landscape with strange trees, mysterious huts and bizarre little creatures.

But soon you realise that the true discovery in the game comes from sound. Each tree, creature, wind movement has its own musical tone, and as you wander around the island you feel like you are participating in a wonderful experimental electronic composition. The sound design is outstanding, evoking a true sense of wonder and creating a thoroughly immersive experience. If you play it right.

The first time I played Proteus was a seriously special 30 minutes – sitting in a dark room, playing on the TV with a controller and headphones on turned up loud. I hadn’t realise that I’d created the perfect way to enjoy the experience (short of the usage of stimulants). In 20 or so minutes you can experience the whole day/night cycle, chasing creatures or sounds across the island as the landscapes and soundscapes morph dramatically with the time of day. The next time I played, however, I got bored quickly. It was the middle of the day, the sound was low, and I was trying to get a short gaming fix rather than wanting to immerse myself in an experience. It was the wrong way to play. I realised then if that had been my first experience with the game, I would not have played it again.

Each time I play I find something new and delightful, surprises that make you want to keep exploring or just pause and take it all in. The creators have made a playground where you can set your own pace and have repeated and unique experiences by simply exploring this curious landscape and discovering new combinations of sound.

Verdict: Proteus is for the curious. If you are keen to have an immersive musical experience with exciting visual design and extraordinary composition, try this game out. Do it in the dark with headphones. If you want to play a “game” and just have a little fun, this is not for you.

Should Bradley play this: I want to say “yes”, but only because I feel this is such a unique use of interactive technologies, I feel like it should be played by as many people as possible.