False Echo, an Alternate-History Cryptography Thriller, Announced for PC

Introducing False Echo, a Papers, Please-inspired 2D pixel-art cryptographic narrative adventure set aboard a WWII submarine. In short, you will man communications via the Obscura machine, figure out what’s true and what’s false, and use your intuition and deduction prowess to make critical decisions. Multiple endings await based on your choices.

Developer Retromagine describes the gameplay as follows: “Operate the Obscura machine to process transmissions. Adjust rotors, connect cables, align signals. Decipher the truth by the standards of the Oppressian Empire. Use the ECHO system to classify messages as TRUE or FALSE. Rules change every day. Orders contradict each other. Truth has many forms, and you must find the one the regime will tolerate. The crew is on high alert. Conversations don’t match. Stories fall apart. No one fully trusts what they’re told. Every interaction carries risk. Transmissions keep coming. If you slow down, you fall behind. If you make mistakes, others notice. Being noticed is dangerous. You are not here to save lives. You decide what gets through, and you live with the consequences.”

False Echo is in development for Steam, but there’s no announced release window as of yet. Wishlist False Echo on Steam if you’re interested.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our semi-retired interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.