Vessels

Vessels (2020) is a narrative adventure where you wake to find yourself quarantined inside an airlock with no memory of how you got there. You speak to the crew to work out who you are and try to convince them not to jettison you into space. If you fail you wake again and start over, each loop slowly gleaning and using more information.

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Play is a challenge of gathering this information. As you work to convince the crew not to put you out into space you also hear a voice in your head claiming to be you, giving advice. You slowly learn more about the situation, who you are, and eventually your name.

As you put the pieces together you realise that to survive you have to manipulate the other people. Find out enough key information and you can weaken their minds and even possess and move them around the spaceship. This then leads to being able to find out more, because now you have a whole new person to ask questions -- and get different answers. Things steadily get more sinister as it becomes clear your intentions may not be entirely honourable.

Will you free yourself from the airlock? Will you discover the truth of your team’s mission? What exactly is the Voice that speaks to you? It will take more than one life to uncover the full story.

The result is a fascinating game that offers a unique way to experience a familiar story. It's a tightly wound looping narrative where who you are matters as much as what you choose to say. The conversations are nuanced and you require charm (and some manipulation) if you are to uncover the truth amid colliding personalities, secret agendas, and hidden pain. The diverse characters you meet can either become your allies or means to an end.

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Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Vessels 22 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 16 months ago.