Amazon releases game design tool for voice-controlled platform Alexa

Amazon has revealed the latest step in its effort to make the Alexa voice control platform more appealing to devs.

Alexa powers the Siri-like abilities of Amazon’s devices such as the Echo speaker, which let users issue spoken commands to control their music, order products online and more.

However, the service can also be used for games, with Amazon stating that a fifth of its Alexa ‘skills’ (read: apps) are games, and its top five Alexa games were played 300,000 times last month.

To double-down on Alexa’s potential as a games platform, Amazon has updated its Alexa Skills Kit software for devs with a game design tool.

Including source code, the tool means that creators can make interactive adventure games driven by multiple-choice branding paths and voice commands, or trivia titles. Templates for both types of game, Trivia and Decision Tree, are included in the tool.

Earlier this year, Warner Bros used the tool to demonstrate the possibility of Alexa as a games platform (and promote film release Batman V Superman) by releasing the choose-your-own-adventure Batman spin-off The Wayne Investigation.