UN:Me: A Psychological Thriller Merging Silent Hill and Social Deduction Mechanics
The latest Day of the Devs online presentation unveiled several fascinating future games, but one in particular has seized the imagination: UN:Me. Developed by Historia and Shueisha Games, this solo adventure seems to fuse together the dread-filled setting of a Silent Hill game with the paranoid deduction core of Among Us.
"It's a unique game where a girl harboring multiple human souls inside her needs to flee from a labyrinth of the psyche," states producer Yasukazu Kawai.
Entering a Fractured Consciousness
In UN:Me, players assume the role of an unnamed female protagonist who appears to be of teenage years. Inside her reside four separate personas, each with their own fears and drives. These souls can take over spontaneously, unleashing their deep-seated terrors upon her without warning.
Judging by revealed footage, much of the action takes place within a eerie medical facility, though additional clips depict the protagonist exploring a desolate chapel.
A World of Individual Horror
"What makes you fearful of? What makes you uncomfortable?" poses game director Shun Sasaki. "Heights. Confined spaces. Authority figures. Elements 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 revolves around controlling whichever soul surfaces at any given time. However, these souls will change involuntarily during gameplay. While exploring, each soul's anxieties become amplified and assault the protagonist one after another. When the soul changes, so does the specific fear the player experiences.
Unsettling Aesthetics and a Deadly Choice
At first glance, UN:Me shares striking visual similarities with the Silent Hill series. The hospital is populated by orderlies who all share the same face, with unnervingly wide smiles. Figures in the lobby have enormous flowers growing from their heads should be. Floral motifs are an ever-present theme, juxtaposing organic elegance with supernatural dread.
Yet, UN:Me introduces a singular mechanic. Players are tasked with deducing which of the four entities inhabiting the heroine is the "true" one. "Each of the souls claims that the physical form belongs to them," explains a creator. "During 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 hide the truth, it is very easy to choose incorrectly.
"Maybe you've already eliminated the true [soul] by your own actions," a voice states. "The last one standing might be a fraud. Either way, your choices are irreversible."
UN:Me currently lacks a confirmed launch window, but it is available to follow on digital storefronts.
