Unbound Creations
“A stack of news article sits on your desk, two stamps on each side – green to approve, red to reject. Your reporting team hacks away in the background as corporate music plays through loudspeakers. Time to make decisions…”
In Headliner: NoviNews you are the chief editor of the national news. Approve today’s headlines, scrap others and observe how the city and the lives of four different characters change each day, based on your decisions. The game is designed to test your moral compass with many conflicting motivations and a no clear win scenario. Each ending is a unique permutation of outcomes that you can share with the community.
The game spans 14 days, divided into 3 sections:
* The office, where you are debriefed by the boss and tasked with approving articles. It gives you both freedom to paint your own narrative, and exposes many manipulative techniques media uses.
* The walk home, where you observe the gradual effect your channel has on the society, such as graffiti, protestors, surveillance cameras, drones, police checkpoints and more.
* Home sweet home, where you can finally relax! Use your accumulating wealth to furnish your apartment, feed the doggo, or even adopt a pet drone. The big window gives a further glimpse into the changing city.
Over the course of the game, you meet four main characters: Evie, your co-worker and immigrant, worried about her health and xenophobia; your brother Justin, an aspiring comedian struggling with impostor syndrome; Rudy, a single father and small business owner trying to provide for his daughter; and Helene, a police woman struggling with PTSD and questioning her ability to serve.
Each day provides a glimpse into their life and how the media shapes their beliefs. Their stories are juxtaposed against the growing foreign threats, authoritarian leadership and clandestine conspiracy theorists.
