Underchoice is an up-and-coming game developed by indie games developer TG Indie. The game is largely inspired by Fallout and has you as the Overseer, overseeing potential new residents into your vault ala Papers Please-style. The game is not fully out, but the demo is currently available on Steam and we gave it a go!
Similar to Fallout, the outside world has become inhospitable or just too harsh survive in, forcing society to take up residence in the vaults. Inside the vaults, people thrive and are safe from the hazards of the outside. Outside of it, chaos and damnation. Your role as the Overseer is to care for the wellbeing and overall safety of your vaults inhabitants. Every now and then, a knock will rap at the vault doors and seek refuge. Question is, will this potential new resident bring doom to your vault?
Mechanically, your role is a sedentary one where you sit behind desk and file paper work. Talking about the game, of course. The game has you deciding who to let in or stay out. At the same time, you have to manage resources and any crises your vault colony is facing, internally or externally. Additionally, some of the newcomers can also be or bring potential boons to either provide more resources and/or resolve crises.
On top of all that, a really challenging part of the game is a moral one. Being allowed only limited amounts of survivors means that you may have to let someone go if necessary. Other times, you will also resolve internal issues such as managing the residents of your bunker. Trust me on this, don’t get attached to some of your survivors or it’ll hurt.
The real challenge is balancing all these factors out and managing what you have on hand. Sometimes, sharing may not be caring because that decision to do so could lead to your doom. Every person shunned could be a loss in assets or protection from harm. Either way, you’ll only after the decision is made and the consequences of your choice becomes apparent.
A great part of the game is in presentation. When thinking of Fallout-style post-apocalyptic settings, you would expect dated items, dust everywhere, and old tech. In this regard, Underchoice really sells the vibes and mood of it with the overall design of the world, the items and the UI. The UI has a retro computer look which really sells the scarcity of technology in this world. Of course not to forget the obvious similarity of the vault door with it looking like something designed by Vault-Tec themselves!
On the other hand, the games music has an 8-bit lofi vibe to it, which is relaxing yet gives a sense of melancholy which really adds to the atmosphere. The sound design also has this clunkiness whenever you interact with items or the UI, which further sells the bunker vibes.
While it is only the demo, the fun was certainly there and I’m sure when the full game comes out, there’ll be much more to be had. I particularly enjoyed playing through the different scenarios and making the tough choices for the sake of my bunker.
A review key was provided by Targem Games.
