Developer Frogwares proudly announces that The Sinking City is now available on Nintendo Switch.
The Sinking City is a single-player, open-investigation, story-driven detective game taking place in the dark corners of 1920’s United States. Inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft’s cosmic horror, players take on the role of Charles Reed, a private detective, who comes to the city of Oakmont, Massachusetts to investigate a supernatural flood that is eating away at the city’s walls and inhabitant’s minds. Designed with the idea of “no-hand holding” investigation, players will need to piece together clues and use their cunning to solve cases and not simply go from one waypoint marker to another. The game creates its sense of horror and unease through story, characters, and atmosphere and does not devolve into using basic jump scares.
The Sinking City is a game of investigation and mystery taking place in a fictional city inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Step into the shoes of a 1920s private investigator, Charles Reed, whose mind is slowly being devoured by terrible insanity. In pursuit of a cure, the detective finds himself in Oakmont, Massachusetts. A city suffering from unprecedented floods of clearly supernatural origins. A city trembling on the brink of madness, just like Charles.
Can you survive this beleaguered town and untangle the mysteries responsible for its tragic situation or will you be driven beyond madness yourself?
KEY FEATURES
Free Investigation
- No Handholding: There are no objectives on the map and straightforward quests. No magic waypoints automatically telling you where to go or search. You need to piece together the mystery yourself by finding clues, locations and suspects using your cunning and the few tools at hand.
- Learn to Live Here: You’ll need to take in your surroundings if you want to succeed. Learn the city grid to move around efficiently, take note of unique locations for when they come up in clues and conversations. Look for vagabond signs marking doors that lead to new opportunities, and take in the specific landmarks and street signs to learn the maze of Oakmont.
- Mad Skills: Spot obscure details on the evidence with the help of your “Mind’s Eye”. Reimagine the events that took place on a crime scene with Retrocognition. Follow The Omens to reveal what’s unseen to an ordinary detective. Utilize Archives within City Hall, Police Station, Library and other facilities to learn the history of Oakmont, and finally – cross-reference all known facts within your Mind Palace to come to the right conclusion.
- Investigation Difficulty: Go with the flow, focus on the story and be helped with basic hints and prompts from time to time, or truly challenge your deduction skills and prove yourself as a detective mastermind by turning off all investigation assistance.
An Enthralling Story of Insanity in a World of Desolation and Rot
- Uncover an Otherworldly Mystery: The City of Oakmont, Massachusetts is slowly rotting away from a mysterious flood that slowly envelopes it both physically and metaphysically. You’re going insane and humanity is on a brink of destruction from forces beyond human comprehension.
- This is the world in which private investigator Charles W. Reed finds himself in. Use your detective skills to reveal the truth behind the powers gripping you, the city and the world and experience multiple endings based on your choices.
- Those Were Different Times: Step into a city of nightmares set in the roaring 1920’s, an era when the United States was dealing with prohibition, racial segregation and a growing class divide from the post-WW1 economic boom.
- The Twisted Locals: Even before the great flood, residents of Oakmont could be perceived as peculiar. But after the disaster, the level of insanity raised to incomprehensible levels – thoughts and actions unimaginable in ordinary society are now the norm.
- Cults, fish-people, witches, and weavers. Bloody rituals with human sacrifices, experimentations on monstrosities that came from the sea, competition of criminal families and much more – all just a routine in Oakmont as the unknown forces of the flood slowly entwine themselves into the very life and fabric of the city and the minds of those left behind.
- Story Rich Side Quests: Each additional quest is a complete story that brings to light more of the monstrosities of Oakmont and its inhabitants.
Be Enveloped by the Lovecraft and Cthulhu Mythos
- A Faithful H.P. Lovecraftian Adaptation: The Sinking City is heavily inspired and built around the stories of the master horror writer. Become a part of an iconic universe, encounter familiar characters and relive beloved horror stories as the main protagonist and additional twists.
- Familiar Faces: Encounter many known H.P Lovecraft characters, cults, abominations and of course, The Old Gods. Learn more about these mythical entities and even encounter some of these legendary names face to face. Innsmouth, Kingsport, Miskatonic University – all. Oakmont is situated near iconic Lovecraft locations, such as Arkham or Dunwich, and pulls much of their lore and stories into its own.
- Suspense and mystery over jumpscares: Oakmont is a twisted place but to those living there it’s as life should be. Through the use of unique characters, enemies, story and location the game focuses on creating a horror atmosphere of unease, tension and suspense and not through over-the-top gore and jumpscares.
- For Newcomers and Life-Long Fans: The Sinking City is a must-play for anyone interested in Lovecraftian Lore – both as an avid fan or as a total newcomer to the cult.
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