1 Teratoaster

Space exploration is probably not going to become a feasible option for another few centuries, but it might take even longer to make contact with other species, if there are any. However, just in case there are, it would be fascinating to see how they greet us. Hence, maybe one meaningless hand gesture to us is a terrible insult to them, although it would be fair to assume that advanced civilizations are mature enough not to be gravely offended by such trivialities.

1 Teratoaster is an arcade exploration game that challenges you to achieve the impossible: persuade various alien species to buy toasters. Not only that, but you also have to sell one trillion of them, which is a pretty hefty number. The core gameplay mechanics are not necessarily simple, but it should be fairly simple to learn everything there is to know from the first few minutes.

There’s not much of a story to follow either, because the quest is given to you by a hologram and you should be on your way right from the start. Hence, the mission is the same from start to finish, although the things you have to do once you land on a planet depend entirely on what the species expects from visitors. Because of this, boredom should not enter the equation too soon, at least not until you go through all the possible greetings a few times.

Speaking of which, these greetings need to be delivered exactly as the instructions say, otherwise you risk not being able to communicate with the said species. In fact, some of them become belligerent if you mess up the ritual dance, and you cannot exactly defend yourself. There are multiple rituals and traditions you must follow, some of which intertwine sometimes.

As an example, you can use hand gestures, flags and dances to communicate, but sometimes your outfit and the object you hold in your hands are important as well. Granted, not all the costumes are available from the start, so you have to study the galaxy map first and plan your stops accordingly. On top of that, it’s worth noting that the instructions on what each ritual symbol means are a bit confusing, or even absent sometimes.

All in all, 1 Teratoaster is not your typical space game, but it can be tons of fun anyway. As long as you are patient enough to learn what the symbols mean, the rituals are always hilarious to watch and perform.