EDEN.schemata(); set to bear fruit later this year or early 2022

Written by Jack Allin — June 24, 2021 at 11:13

The one thing you can usually be sure of in an adventure game is a familiar interface, but what if the interface adapts to reflect your progress along the way? This is the intriguing hook behind EDEN.schemata();, an upcoming sci-fi murder mystery recently unveiled for PC. 

You awaken to find yourself locked in a lab with no memory of who you are or what has happened. Before you, the headless corpse of a scientist (known as "the Professor"), and standing over him is a "limbless android suspect/heroine" named Eve. Clearly something very bad has happened here. But what? You must now "use your powers of deduction to unravel the mystery of this sealed laboratory, one revelation after another." But it won't be easy, as the more you learn, the more the interface and game design itself will change "in reflection of your actions." 

EDEN.schemata(); features an anime-inspired, hand-animated steampunk art style presented from the unseen protagonist's point of view. Without any memories of your own, however, you must be considered "somewhat unreliable" as the de facto narrator. The game beings as an "orthodox 'exploration-adventure' game," but begins to evolve as your investigation progresses, giving you new abilities and tools to work with in order to piece together your case. Along the way you'll also need to contend with Kel, an AI-like "integrated discipline interface" that "punishes people for their crimes, but which for some reason speaks like a little girl and can be quite agitating." There are multiple possible endings to uncover, and the game invites replays as "with each subsequent playthrough you’ll discover new facts, gradually closing in on the truth."

There is no target release date just, but EDEN.schemata(); is on track to be launched on Steam for Windows PC sometime later this year or early in 2022.