Cosmic Top Secret is a video game for PC and Mobile by Danish film- and game-production company Klassefilm.Released November 15, 2018, the game follows the experiences of the heroine Agent T in her search for answers, concerning her parents' involvement in the Danish Defence Intelligence Service during the Cold War. The game was later released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on May 21, 2021, by indie game publisher Nakana.io.
| Cosmic Top Secret | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Klassefilm |
| Publisher(s) | Klassefilm Nakana.io |
| Director(s) | Trine Laier |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows MacOS Android iOS Nintendo Switch PlayStation 4 Xbox One |
| Release | November 15, 2018 |
| Genre(s) | Adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Story
Cosmic Top Secret is based on real documentary audio recordings made by Director Trine Laier. The recordings were made while she was trying to untangle the secrets of her father and mother's time in the Danish Intelligence.[1]
Cosmic Top Secret is an autobiographical adventure video game about T. The player follows her journey to uncover the truth about her parents’ work with Danish Intelligence during the Cold War. What exactly was it that they did?You must control T on her uncertain journey into adulthood and an atomic war that never happened but yet wounded a family. Surreal elements, human relationships, history, and secrecy come together to form a complex gaming experience.[2]
Art style
The world of Cosmic Top Secret is made to look like a cutout/puppet-theatre. All the characters are flat 2D puppets put in a 3D world.When moving the main character Agent T, she is rolled up in a paper ball, and moves along the ground, or is flicked into the air.[3]
Development
Cosmic Top Secret was first shown under the Danish name of Yderst Hemmeligt in 2012, as a graduation project[4][5] by director Trine Laier at the National Film School of Denmark.
In 2013 the game received funding from Danish Film Institute to further develop the idea of a documentary game and redesigning the game as an adventure game.[6]
Accolades
The game has garnered some attention at shows and conferences around the world.[7][8]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | A MAZE Festival Berlin | Most Amazing Game Award | Cosmic Top Secret | Won | [9][10] |
| 2017 | Indiecade Festival | The Culture Award | Cosmic Top Secret | Won | [11] |
| IDFA DocLab Archived 2018-01-22 at the Wayback Machine | Award for Digital Storytelling | Cosmic Top Secret | Won | [12] | |
| 2018 | Independent Games Festival | Seumas McNally Grand Prize | Cosmic Top Secret | Honorable Mention | [13] |
| Independent Games Festival | Excellence in Narrative | Cosmic Top Secret | Honorable Mention | [13] | |
| Independent Games Festival | Nuovo Award | Cosmic Top Secret | Nominated | [13][14] | |
| Digital Dozen | Breakthroughs in Storytelling Awards | Cosmic Top Secret | Finalist | [15] |