UN:Me: A Psychological Thriller That Blends Silent Hill with Among Us Gameplay
The latest Day of the Devs online presentation revealed a number of fascinating upcoming titles, but one especially has captured the imagination: UN:Me. Developed by Historia and Shueisha Games, this single-player experience seems to blend the dread-filled setting of a Silent Hill title with the paranoid deduction heart of Among Us.
"This is a distinctive game where a young woman harboring several human souls within her needs to flee from a labyrinth of the psyche," states developer Yasukazu Kawai.
Stepping Into a Shattered Consciousness
In UN:Me, players assume the role of an unnamed female protagonist seeming to be of high school age. Inside her reside four distinct personas, each with their own anxieties and drives. These souls can seize control at will, unleashing their innermost phobias upon her without warning.
Based on revealed footage, much of the action takes place within a eerie hospital, while other scenes show the main character navigating a abandoned chapel.
An Environment of Individual Horror
"What makes you afraid of? What makes you uneasy?" poses creative lead Shun Sasaki. "Heights. Small rooms. Authority figures. Things that seem trivial to others can activate something primal inside us. This game delves into that idea — anxieties that are specific to each person."
The core gameplay loop involves managing whichever soul emerges at any given time. However, these souls will change involuntarily as you play. During exploration, every persona's anxieties become amplified and attack the girl in succession. When the soul changes, so does the specific fear the player experiences.
Unsettling Visuals and a Deadly Decision
Initially, UN:Me displays striking visual similarities with the Silent Hill franchise. The hospital is filled with nurses who all share the same face, with unnervingly wide smiles. Figures in the lobby have large flowers where their heads are. Floral motifs are a recurring element, contrasting natural beauty with supernatural dread.
Yet, UN:Me introduces a unique mechanic. Players are tasked with deducing which of the four entities inhabiting the heroine is the "true" one. "Each of the souls asserts that the body belongs to them," notes a creator. "Throughout the game, you need to figure out who is authentic."
Once players believes a soul is an impostor, they must eliminate it. However, since every entity can deceive or hide the truth, it is very easy to make a mistake.
"Maybe you've already destroyed the real [soul] with your own hands," the narration suggests. "The last one remaining might be a fraud. Either way, your choices are final."
UN:Me currently lacks a confirmed release date, but it is available to follow on digital storefronts.
