UK-based Nightmarea Games’ first title – Between The City And The Needle – has just been announced, and it looks very, very intriguing to say the least. You can watch the short gameplay teaser trailer above and, if you’ve played 2013’s excellent Papers, Please indie game by Lucas Pope you’re going to instantly recognise the similarities.
Like the latter game, Between The City And The Needle will place you in a position of power – a government agent posing as a psychologist – as you attempt to determine whether your ‘patients’ are human or, in actual fact, dangerous aliens. Nightmarea self-describes the game as an ‘alien conversation sim’ with extremely high stakes. You know, the kind that results in the eradication of our species if you fail. No pressure.
Over 40 suspects and 9 different endings are to be included, and your choices throughout the game will affect which one you get.
The world you live in is confronted with the realisation that a large number of its population are not human, but an unknown species mimicking human form. You are a newly recruited employee of Honest Minds, a facility-based cover operation established by the government unit responsible for eradicating the threat and concealing it from the public.
Your job will bring you face to face with suspected imposters. Posing as a psychologist, you must question their identities and ultimately use your intuition to decide what becomes of each one. Will you deem them a convincing member of the human race or a pretender living behind a facade?
The game’s in the early stages of development right now, but Nightmarea says that a playable demo will be available next year for PC players, with a crowdfunding campaign to come afterwards. Think of Between The City And The Needle as Papers, Please meets Independence Day meets Men In Black, and you’re basically spot on.
