Mysteries in Simulacra
Simulacra is a mystery, horror game that tells the story of a missing woman named Anna. In typical detective-like fashion, players are tasked with finding clues and making deductions as to what happened to Anna.
But unlike other mystery detective styled games, Simulacra takes place in one location, Anna’s phone. Players must sift through corrupted data, social media messages, and off-putting photos in search of answers. All while the phone itself seemingly has its own plans…
The format of this game is very creatively done. Instead of walking around in the wilderness, aimlessly looking for clues that just so happen to land in the “perfect” spot, I’m left doing something I naturally do in my everyday life: scrolling through feeds on my phone. It both exemplifies how much information is really being saved in these small devices while also adding a dark undertone to a common activity many people in the developed world partake in. The narrative not only leads the player through the mysterious disappearance of Anna, it reminds the player that the action taken in the game have a real-world equivalent.
