The Game UN:Me: A Cerebral Thriller Merging Silent Hill with Social Deduction Gameplay
The recent Day of the Devs digital showcase revealed a number of fascinating future games, but one especially has captured attention: UN:Me. Created by Historia and Shueisha Games, this solo adventure appears to blend the oppressive atmosphere of a Silent Hill title with the suspicion-driven heart of Among Us.
"This is a distinctive game where a young woman harboring several personalities within her needs to flee from a maze of the mind," explains developer Yasukazu Kawai.
Entering a Shattered Consciousness
In UN:Me, players assume the role of an unnamed female protagonist seeming to be of teenage years. Within her reside four separate personas, all possessing unique fears and drives. These entities can take over at will, unleashing their innermost terrors upon her suddenly.
Based on showcased gameplay, much of the narrative takes place within a creepy medical facility, while additional clips show the main character navigating a desolate chapel.
A World of Personal Horror
"What makes you afraid of? What makes you uncomfortable?" poses creative lead Shun Sasaki. "Heights. Small rooms. People in power. Elements that seem trivial to other people can activate a deep instinct inside us. This game explores that idea — anxieties that are specific to every individual."
The central gameplay loop involves controlling whichever soul surfaces at any given time. However, these souls will change involuntarily during gameplay. During exploration, every persona's anxieties become amplified and attack the girl one after another. As the persona shifts, so does the particular terror the player experiences.
Unsettling Aesthetics and a Fatal Decision
Initially, UN:Me shares striking aesthetic parallels with the Silent Hill series. The hospital is populated by nurses all sporting the same face, with unnervingly wide smiles. Figures in the waiting room have large flowers growing from their necks should be. Floral motifs are a recurring theme, juxtaposing organic elegance with unnatural horror.
Yet, UN:Me introduces a unique mechanic. Players must determine which of the four entities haunting the protagonist is the "true" one. "All four souls asserts that the physical form is rightfully them," notes a creator. "Throughout the game, you must determine who is real."
After a player have deduced a persona is an impostor, they are forced to destroy it. However, since every entity can lie or obfuscate the reality, it is very easy to make a mistake.
"Maybe you've already destroyed the real [soul] by your own actions," the narration suggests. "The last one standing might be a fake. In any case, your decisions are final."
UN:Me does not yet have a confirmed launch window, but it is can be follow on platforms.
