UN:Me: A Cerebral Thriller Merging Silent Hill with Social Deduction Gameplay
The recent Day of the Devs digital showcase unveiled several intriguing future games, but one in particular has captured the imagination: UN:Me. Developed by Historia and Shueisha Games, this single-player adventure appears to blend the dread-filled setting of a Silent Hill game with the paranoid deduction core of Among Us.
"It's a distinctive experience where a young woman containing multiple human souls within her needs to flee from a labyrinth of the psyche," explains developer Yasukazu Kawai.
Entering a Fractured Consciousness
In UN:Me, players assume the role of an unnamed female protagonist seeming to be of high school age. Inside her exist four distinct souls, all possessing unique fears and drives. These entities can seize control at will, unleashing their deep-seated phobias upon her without warning.
Based on showcased gameplay, much of the narrative takes place within a creepy hospital, though additional clips depict the main character navigating a desolate chapel.
A World of Personal Horror
"What are you afraid of? What causes you uncomfortable?" poses creative lead Shun Sasaki. "High places. Confined spaces. Authority figures. Things that appear minor to others can activate a deep instinct within us. This game explores that idea — fears that are unique to each person."
The core mechanic involves controlling whichever soul emerges at any given time. However, these identities will change involuntarily during gameplay. During exploration, each soul's fears become amplified and attack the protagonist in succession. When the soul changes, so does the particular terror the player experiences.
Unsettling Visuals and a Deadly Choice
Initially, UN:Me displays noticeable visual similarities with the Silent Hill franchise. The hospital is filled with orderlies all sporting the identical visage, with unnervingly wide grins. Patients in the waiting room have large blooms where their necks should be. Flowers are an ever-present element, contrasting organic elegance with supernatural dread.
Yet, UN:Me presents a unique twist. Players must determine which of the four souls inhabiting the protagonist is the "real" one. "Each of the souls asserts that the body is rightfully them," notes a creator. "During the game, you need to figure out who is real."
Once players have deduced a persona is fake, they must eliminate it. But, because every entity can lie or obfuscate the reality, it is very easy to make a mistake.
"Perhaps you've already destroyed the real [soul] by your own actions," the narration suggests. "The final entity remaining could be a fake. In any case, your choices are final."
UN:Me does not yet have a confirmed launch window, but it is can be wishlist on platforms.
