I originally reviewed this game on January 26, 2021 via GOG:
This took me a couple hours to complete, no more than 2–3, or less. I only went through it once, choosing articles, balancing dilemmas, and censoring where necessary in a way that I would if I were in its fictional world. I do not have much motivation to replay since the mechanics are not enough to inspire continued interest.
I did not experience any game-breaking bugs, although there was some oddities in the interface, but nothing intolerable or that would otherwise interrupt play. I do not have a gaming computer, playing on a relatively modest laptop with macOS. That being said, this isn't one of those games for "hardcore gamers" or those expecting a very graphical and interactive experience. Performance throughout my playthrough was mostly decent, save for one of the stages of newspaper editing (determining the layout) which for some reason seemed to cause a slow down.
Overall this feels like somewhere between a proof of concept and a final release, the story is completely fleshed out and at least the ending that I experienced was pretty detailed in the outcome of my editorial decisions made throughout.
The introduction in the beginning had a voice speaking in the background to go along with the text on the screen, but due to the loud sound effect of an old projector, it was hard to listen to it coherently.
To make the mechanics more interesting, greater options should be available to the player, such as the ability to hire or dismiss writers, along with budgeting features. It didn't really feel like I was managing a newspaper per se, as much as just being a general editor/censor.
What I found most interesting was the grey morality of the world depicted. The government is shown as unduly harsh and austere. On the other hand, the rebels are also violent, threatening, and likely worse (if given the power) than the authoritarian regime they oppose. Ultimately, I found myself siding with the regime on pragmatic grounds and willfully assisting in its propaganda.
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