UN:Me: A Psychological Horror Merging Silent Hill and Social Deduction Gameplay
The latest Day of the Devs online presentation unveiled several fascinating upcoming titles, but one in particular has captured the imagination: UN:Me. Created by Historia and Shueisha Games, this solo adventure seems to fuse together the dread-filled setting of a Silent Hill title with the suspicion-driven core of Among Us.
"It's a distinctive game where a girl harboring several personalities inside her must escape from a labyrinth of the psyche," explains developer Yasukazu Kawai.
Stepping Into a Fractured Mind
In UN:Me, players take control of an unnamed female protagonist seeming to be of teenage years. Within her reside four distinct personas, each with unique anxieties and motivations. These souls can take over at will, unleashing their deep-seated phobias upon her without warning.
Judging by showcased gameplay, much of the action takes place within a eerie hospital, though additional clips depict the protagonist exploring a abandoned church.
A World of Individual Dread
"What are you afraid of? What causes you uncomfortable?" asks creative lead Shun Sasaki. "High places. Small rooms. People in power. Things that seem trivial to others can trigger something primal inside us. This game explores that concept — anxieties that are unique to every individual."
The central gameplay loop involves controlling the persona that surfaces at a particular moment. However, these identities will change against your will during gameplay. While exploring, each soul's anxieties become amplified and assault the girl one after another. As the persona shifts, so does the specific fear the player encounters.
Eerie Visuals and a Fatal Decision
At first glance, UN:Me displays noticeable aesthetic parallels with the Silent Hill series. The hospital is populated by orderlies all sporting the identical visage, with disturbingly broad smiles. Figures in the waiting room have large blooms growing from their necks should be. Flowers are an ever-present theme, contrasting natural beauty with unnatural horror.
Yet, UN:Me introduces a singular twist. Players are tasked with deducing which of the four souls inhabiting the heroine is the "real" one. "Each of the personas asserts that the body is rightfully them," notes a developer. "Throughout the game, you need to figure out who is authentic."
After a player believes a persona is fake, they are forced to destroy it. However, since every entity can deceive or hide the truth, it is very easy to choose incorrectly.
"Perhaps you've already eliminated the real [soul] with your own hands," a voice states. "The final entity standing could be a fake. In any case, your choices are irreversible."
UN:Me does not yet have a publicly announced launch window, but it is available to wishlist on digital storefronts.
