UN:Me: A Psychological Horror Merging Silent Hill and Social Deduction Mechanics
The recent Day of the Devs digital showcase unveiled a number of intriguing future games, but one in particular has seized the imagination: UN:Me. Created by Historia and Shueisha Games, this single-player adventure seems to blend the oppressive atmosphere of a Silent Hill game with the suspicion-driven core of Among Us.
"This is a unique experience where a girl containing several human souls within her needs to flee from a labyrinth of the psyche," states producer Yasukazu Kawai.
Entering a Shattered Consciousness
In UN:Me, players assume the role of an unnamed female protagonist who appears to be of teenage years. Within her exist four separate personas, all possessing unique fears and drives. These souls can take over at will, unleashing their deep-seated phobias upon her suddenly.
Judging by revealed gameplay, much of the action takes place within a eerie hospital, while additional clips depict the protagonist navigating a abandoned chapel.
An Environment of Personal Horror
"What are you afraid of? What causes you uncomfortable?" asks game director Shun Sasaki. "High places. Small rooms. People in power. Things that seem trivial to others can activate something primal inside us. This game delves into that concept — anxieties that are unique to every individual."
The central gameplay loop involves managing the persona that surfaces at any given moment. However, these souls will switch involuntarily during gameplay. During exploration, every persona's anxieties become exaggerated and assault the girl in succession. When the soul changes, so does the specific fear the player experiences.
Unsettling Visuals and a Deadly Choice
Initially, UN:Me shares striking visual similarities with the Silent Hill series. The hospital is populated by orderlies all sporting the identical visage, with unnervingly wide smiles. Patients in the waiting room have enormous flowers growing from their necks should be. Flowers are a recurring element, contrasting organic elegance with unnatural horror.
Yet, UN:Me presents a unique mechanic. Players are tasked with deducing which of the four souls inhabiting the heroine is the "true" one. "All four personas asserts that the physical form is rightfully them," notes a creator. "Throughout the game, you need to figure out who is real."
Once players believes a persona is fake, they are forced to destroy it. But, since each soul can lie or obfuscate the reality, it is very easy to choose incorrectly.
"Maybe you've already destroyed the true [soul] by your own actions," a voice states. "The last one remaining might be a fraud. In any case, your choices are irreversible."
UN:Me does not yet have a publicly announced release date, but it is can be follow on digital storefronts.
