Description

Orwell

Big Brother has arrived--and it’s you. Investigate the lives of citizens to find those responsible for a series of terror attacks. Information from the internet, personal communications and private files are all accessible to you. But, be warned, the information you supply will have consequences…

Orwell is a new governmental security program that has the power to survey the online presence of every person in The Nation. It can monitor all personal communications and access any computer. To preserve the privacy of citizens, human researchers examine the data Orwell finds and decide which pieces of information should be passed on to the security forces, and which should be rejected.

Selected from thousands of candidates, you are Orwell’s first human researcher. And when a terror attack rocks the Nation’s capital city of Bonton, Orwell, you are immediately put to the test. Starting with a single person of interest, you'll help the security forces build out and profile a network of potential culprits.

But are these people really terrorists? What does the information you reveal to Orwell say about them? What if you find out things about them that not even their loved ones know? What is the real price of maintaining the security that the Nation is yearning for?

Orwell: Ignorance is Strength

Inspired by the rise of fake news, social media echo chambers and the displacement of truth, Orwell: Ignorance is Strength takes on a darker tone than Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You. With the power to both uncover and play with "the truth", players must decide for themselves how far they will go in the service of their country and whether the truth is sacred or ignorance is strength.

Inducted into “The Office”, a top-secret department of the government’s Orwell security program, players take on the role of an investigative agent during a time when civil unrest threatens a major political crisis between the Nation and neighboring country Parges.

Reporting directly to Orwell adviser, Ampleford, players are immediately tasked with uncovering the truth behind the escalating political tension and delving deep into the lives of Raban Vhart, editor of The People’s Voice and self-proclaimed guardian of truth, his wife, Karen, and his brother, Ilya, to uncover their potential involvement.

To assist with their task, players are given more agency through additional tools and mechanics, providing opportunities to control and impact the narrative. A new “time of day” system puts the player in time-sensitive situations, making who they chose to investigate and when, more important than ever. Players can also research more widely and dig deeper into citizen’s lives, gathering additional information they can use to influence the way events are reported and perceived by the public.

Orwell was both commercially successful and critically acclaimed, winning multiple awards and receiving prestigious nominations including the IGF Excellence in Narrative and an Honorable Mention in the IGF Seamus McNally Grand Prize. Orwell: Ignorance is Strength takes place in parallel to the events of the first season but this time the player takes on the role of an insider with access to additional features of the Orwell program. Ignorance is Strength brings a darker tone and introduces new tools that provide the player with more control over how the investigation unfolds and even the ability to influence public opinion directly.

Features

• Investigate the digital lives of citizens: Search web pages, scour through social media posts, dating site profiles, news articles and blogs to find those responsible for a series of terror attacks.

• Invade the private lives of suspects: Listen in on chat communications, read personal emails, hack PCs, pull medical files, make connections. Find the information you need to know.

• Determine the relevance of information: Only the information you provide will be seen by the security forces and acted upon. You decide what gets seen and what does not and influence how the suspects will be perceived.

• Secure the freedom of the Nation: Find the terrorists so the citizens of the Nation can sleep safe, knowing Orwell is watching over them.

Developer

Osmotic Studios is a trio of German indie game developers committed to making games with narrative and personal resonance that challenge players to reflect on the world around them. After winning the German Computer Game Award for their student projects “GroundPlay” and “Scherbenwerk” in 2013 and 2014, Michael Kluge (programming), Melanie Taylor (art and business) and Daniel Marx (game design and production) have spent the last two years making their first full game, Orwell, which explores contemporary themes of security, privacy, and our interpretation of online information in a way that only a game can.

Osmotic Studios - Developer

Daniel Marx
Game design & Production, Osmotic Studios

Melanie Taylor
Art & business, Osmotic Studios

Michael Kluge
Programmer, Osmotic Studios