The Game UN:Me: An Cerebral Horror That Blends Silent Hill with Among Us Mechanics
The recent Day of the Devs digital showcase unveiled a number of intriguing upcoming titles, but one especially has seized attention: UN:Me. Developed by Historia and Shueisha Games, this single-player experience seems to blend the oppressive atmosphere of a Silent Hill game with the suspicion-driven core of Among Us.
"This is a unique experience where a young woman containing multiple personalities within her must escape from a maze of the psyche," states developer Yasukazu Kawai.
Stepping Into a Fractured Mind
In UN:Me, players take control of an unnamed heroine seeming to be of teenage years. Inside her exist four separate personas, all possessing their own anxieties and drives. These entities can seize control at will, unleashing their innermost terrors upon her without warning.
Based on revealed footage, much of the action takes place within a eerie hospital, though other scenes depict the main character navigating a abandoned chapel.
A World of Personal Horror
"What makes you afraid of? What causes you uncomfortable?" asks game director Shun Sasaki. "Heights. Small rooms. People in power. Things that appear minor to others can trigger a deep instinct inside us. This game explores that concept — fears that are specific to every individual."
The core gameplay loop involves controlling the persona that surfaces at a particular moment. However, these identities will switch against your will as you play. While exploring, every persona's anxieties become exaggerated and assault the protagonist one after another. As the persona shifts, so does the specific fear the player encounters.
Unsettling Aesthetics and a Deadly Decision
Initially, UN:Me shares noticeable aesthetic parallels with the Silent Hill franchise. The setting is populated by orderlies who all share the identical visage, with disturbingly broad smiles. Patients in the waiting room have enormous flowers growing from their heads are. Flowers are an ever-present theme, juxtaposing organic elegance with unnatural horror.
Yet, UN:Me introduces a unique mechanic. Players are tasked with deducing which of the four souls inhabiting the protagonist is the "true" one. "Each of the souls claims that the body belongs to them," notes a creator. "During the game, you must determine who is real."
After a player have deduced a persona is fake, they must eliminate it. However, since every entity can lie or hide the truth, it is incredibly simple to choose incorrectly.
"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 does not yet have a publicly announced launch window, but it is available to wishlist on digital storefronts.