UN:Me: An Psychological Horror That Blends Silent Hill with Social Deduction Gameplay
The latest Day of the Devs digital showcase revealed a number of intriguing upcoming titles, but one especially has captured the imagination: UN:Me. Created by Historia and Shueisha Games, this solo experience appears to blend the dread-filled setting of a Silent Hill title with the paranoid deduction core of Among Us.
"This is a distinctive game where a girl harboring several personalities inside her needs to flee from a maze of the mind," states developer Yasukazu Kawai.
Entering a Shattered Consciousness
In UN:Me, players assume the role of an unnamed heroine who appears to be of teenage years. Within her reside four separate personas, each with unique fears and drives. These souls can take over spontaneously, releasing their deep-seated terrors upon her without warning.
Based on revealed gameplay, much of the action takes place within a eerie hospital, while additional clips depict the main character exploring a desolate church.
A World of Individual Horror
"What are you afraid of? What causes you uncomfortable?" asks game director Shun Sasaki. "Heights. Small rooms. People in power. Elements that seem trivial to others can trigger a deep instinct inside us. This game explores that idea — fears that are unique to each person."
The core gameplay loop involves controlling whichever soul surfaces at any given moment. However, these souls will switch against your will as you play. During exploration, each soul's fears become exaggerated and attack the girl in succession. As the persona shifts, so does the specific fear the player experiences.
Eerie Visuals and a Deadly Choice
At first glance, UN:Me displays noticeable visual similarities with the Silent Hill franchise. The setting is populated by orderlies all sporting the same face, with unnervingly wide smiles. Figures in the waiting room have large flowers where their necks are. Flowers are an ever-present theme, contrasting natural beauty with unnatural horror.
Yet, UN:Me introduces a unique mechanic. Players are tasked with deducing which of the four souls haunting the heroine is the "true" one. "All four personas claims that the physical form is rightfully them," notes a developer. "Throughout the game, you need to figure out who is authentic."
Once players have deduced a persona is fake, they must eliminate it. But, since every entity can lie or obfuscate the reality, it is incredibly simple to make a mistake.
"Maybe you've already eliminated the real [soul] with your own hands," the narration suggests. "The final entity remaining might be a fraud. Either way, your decisions are irreversible."
UN:Me currently lacks a publicly announced release date, but it is can be wishlist on platforms.