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Game Design
High Concept
This game is a philosophical interrogation experience disguised as a minimalist choice-driven narrative game.
The player is not asked to act, but to answer.
There is no traditional failure state, only judgment, consequence, and revelation.
Through a structured sequence of questions, the game examines the player’s beliefs about pain, guilt, solitude, responsibility, evolution, and absolution. Each response subtly reshapes the tone, pacing, and final judgment, culminating in one of multiple endings.
The core experience is not about branching for content variety, but about branching for moral pressure.
Design Intent
philosophical interrogation experience
Preliminary Examination
Round 1
The design is built around three escalating stages of judgment:
- Stage 1 – Preliminary Examination
The system probes surface-level beliefs and emotional reflexes.
Situational Analysis
Round 2
Stage 2 – Situational Analysis
The player is confronted with moral ambiguity, contradiction, and self-justification.
Verification of Sincerity
Round 3
Stage 3 – Verification of Sincerity
The system tests consistency, resolve, and willingness to accept consequences.
By the final stage, the game no longer reacts to what the player answers, but how often, how confidently, and how consistently they answer.
Core Experience (The “Why”)
At its heart, the game asks:
“If all your choices are witnessed, measured, and remembered—
what kind of being are you, really?”
The player is positioned as a subject under examination by an unseen authority:
a system, a judge, a machine, or perhaps evolution itself.
The experience deliberately removes:
- Exploration
- Mechanical skill
- Resource optimization
And replaces them with:
- Reflection
- Emotional friction
- Existential pressure
Design Experience
Core Mechanics
3C Analysis:
- The player is a silent subject.
- The interrogator is abstract:
- A machine
- A judge
- A collective intelligence
- Identity is intentionally undefined to allow projection.
Camera
- Fixed, controlled framing
- No player-controlled camera
- Emphasis on:
- Facial reactions
- Stillness
- Eye contact
The lack of camera control reinforces the power imbalance.
Controls
- Extremely minimal:
- Swipe
- Button press
- No mechanical mastery required
- Focus is entirely on decision-making
Game Structure Round-Based Narrative Architecture
- The game is composed of Rounds
- Each Round contains:
- One primary question
- Two (or more) choices
- A short reaction cutscene
- Each choice leads to:
- Another Round
- Or a transition into the next Stage
- Or a terminal Ending
Rounds are not symmetrical:
Some are confrontational, some deceptive, some reassuring.
Choice as Moral Weight
- Choices are simple by design
- Their meaning compounds over time
- The player is never shown a morality meter
The system knows more than it reveals.
Core Gameplay Loop
- Cutscene / Question Presentation
A short, controlled narrative prompt or question is presented.
- Binary or Limited Choice Input
The player responds (Yes / No / Variants).
- Immediate Reaction Feedback
Subtle reactions occur:- Facial expressions/emojis
- Body language (nod, draw gun, hesitation)
- Short textual judgment
- State Progression
The choice routes the player to the next Round. - Accumulated Judgment
Choices are tracked implicitly, shaping later questions and available endings.
This loop repeats across increasingly confrontational Rounds.
Stage 1 – Preliminary Examination
Purpose:
To establish the player’s emotional baseline and instinctive beliefs.
Themes:
- Pain
- Solitude
- Fear of the void
- Physical existence
Design Characteristics:
- Questions feel abstract but non-accusatory
- Choices appear “safe.”
- Reactions are restrained
The system observes more than it responds.
Stage 2 – Situational Analysis
Purpose:
To destabilize certainty and introduce moral contradiction.
Themes:
- Guilt
- Responsibility
- Violence
- Necessity vs justification
Design Characteristics:
- Questions reference prior implications
- Reactions become sharper
- Some choices trigger visible disappointment, anger, or relief
Here, the system begins to argue back.
Stage 3 – Verification of Sincerity
Purpose:
To test the resolution and internal consistency.
Themes:
- Sacrifice
- Absolution
- Mercy
- Evolution
Design Characteristics:
- Language becomes absolute
- Choices narrow
- Reactions become judgmental or final
At this stage, the player is no longer being asked what they believe—
but whether they are willing to live with it.