UN:Me: A Cerebral Horror Merging Survival Horror and Social Deduction Gameplay
The recent Day of the Devs online presentation unveiled several fascinating future games, but one in particular has captured the imagination: UN:Me. Developed by Historia and Shueisha Games, this single-player experience appears to fuse together the dread-filled setting of a Silent Hill game with the suspicion-driven heart of Among Us.
"It's a unique game where a girl harboring several personalities within her needs to flee from a labyrinth of the mind," explains producer Yasukazu Kawai.
Entering a Shattered Consciousness
In UN:Me, players take control of an unnamed heroine who appears to be of high school age. Inside her reside four separate personas, all possessing their own fears and motivations. These entities can take over at will, releasing their innermost phobias upon her suddenly.
Based on revealed gameplay, much of the narrative unfolds within a eerie medical facility, though other scenes depict the protagonist navigating a desolate church.
A World of Individual Horror
"What makes you fearful of? What causes you uneasy?" poses creative lead Shun Sasaki. "Heights. Small rooms. People in power. Things that appear minor to other people can activate a deep instinct within us. This game explores that concept — anxieties that are specific to each person."
The core mechanic involves managing the persona that emerges at a particular moment. However, these identities will change involuntarily during gameplay. While exploring, every persona's fears become exaggerated and attack the protagonist in succession. As the persona shifts, so does the specific fear the player encounters.
Eerie Visuals and a Fatal Decision
Initially, UN:Me displays noticeable aesthetic parallels with the Silent Hill franchise. The hospital is filled with orderlies who all share the identical visage, with unnervingly wide smiles. Patients in the lobby have enormous flowers where their necks are. Floral motifs are an ever-present theme, juxtaposing organic elegance with unnatural horror.
Yet, UN:Me presents a singular mechanic. Players are tasked with deducing which of the four entities inhabiting the protagonist is the "true" one. "Each of the personas 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 must eliminate it. However, because each soul can deceive or obfuscate the reality, it is very easy to make a mistake.
"Perhaps you've already destroyed the true [soul] with your own hands," a voice suggests. "The last one remaining could be a fake. In any case, your choices are final."
UN:Me currently lacks a publicly announced launch window, but it is available to wishlist on digital storefronts.
