NEWS: Psychological Thriller STAY announced for Spring 2018, platforms include PC, Xbox One and Mac

STAY, developed by Spanish indie team Appnormals and published by PQube (also known for BlazBlue, MotoGP and Harvest Moon among others), is an intriguing looking psychological thriller that offers a unique take on player interaction, and the relationship between player and character. It appears much like an adventure game, albeit with the unique premise that the player doesn’t assume direct control of the protagonist (except for puzzle sections). Instead, one is only able to interact with the main character, Quinn, through a computer connected to a chat room with only the player as a member; his only form of contact with the outside world since being abducted and left isolated in a dark room. 

 

The computer chat room and the player are Quinn's only hopes of escaping alive. Source: http://pqube.co.uk/stay/

STAY promises a unique take on how to interact with game characters, offering an innovative, empathetic experience where the player’s own actions in real time will decide Quinn’s fate. Perhaps more interestingly, the game also allows one to use webcams to spy on the protagonist, so that this knowledge can be used to the player’s advantage; occasionally Quinn will lie and disobey, and this will undoubtedly be a central part of the game’s draw. 

In using a chatroom interface, STAY offers a unique way to interact with the game. Source: http://pqube.co.uk/stay/

The strange, sadistic mix of point-and-click adventure tropes with Tamagotchi and cyber-pet mechanics, and an escape-room dynamic, will undoubtedly make for a game to watch, if not an engaging and gripping take on a psychological thriller. STAY promises multiple different endings, many conversation trees and, of course, a lot of deaths. Replay value appears to be one of the biggest draws of this game. As a premise, it is obvious that Appnormals has crafted something that plans to interact with players in a meta, unique way, and it will be interesting to see how STAY fares in achieving this. 

 

The game features stylistic pixellated graphics, a popular choice for indie titles. Source: http://pqube.co.uk/stay/

STAY will be released in Spring 2018 for the PC, the Mac, and the Xbox One. It's YouTube trailer, detailing the game's unique premise and storyline, can be found below: