Double Switch (video game)

Lore & Background

The game is set in the Edward Arms, an apartment complex built by industrialist Lionel Atwater Edward III after an archaeological expedition to the Valley of the Kings. The building has an ancient Egypt theme and is rumored to hide a valuable statue of Isis. The player character, an anonymous silent protagonist, is contacted via video call by Eddie, the building's owner, who has equipped the building with cameras and traps to protect tenants from criminals. Eddie is locked in the basement and tasks the player with protecting tenants, trapping the handyman Lyle, and finding security codes to free him.

Reader's Guide

Double Switch is significant as a later entry in Digital Pictures' line of full-motion video games, building on the mechanics of Night Trap with a mini-map and random intruder appearances. Its cast includes notable actors Corey Haim, Deborah Harry, and R. Lee Ermey. Reception was mixed: Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the Sega CD version a 6 out of 10, calling it 'like Night Trap, [but] a little more involving,' while a Next Generation critic praised its production values but criticized the interface and repetitiveness. The game was remastered in 2016 for mobile and in 2018 as Double Switch: 25th Anniversary Edition for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, ensuring its preservation as a cult interactive movie.

Did You Know?

• The game's statue of Isis is named after the precursor to Digital Pictures.
• The building's killer is revealed to be Lyle, the handyman, who is the son of Eddie and Elizabeth.
• The Windows, Sega Saturn, and Mac editions removed references to the Sega Genesis controller, but a TV in the game shows a screenshot from the Sega CD version.
• The remastered 25th Anniversary Edition was released on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in 2018.