Self-aggrandizing “culture critics” oftentimes say that “video games need to grow up”. Usually this involves talking about interactive entertainment experiences that offer little in the way of gameplay. Well, indie dev Pentacle wants to actually tackle mature themes in a mature game that actually contains interactive gameplay with their upcoming Unreal Engine 4 title, The Works of Mercy. They don’t want you there as a passenger moving through a virtual slideshow… they want you in the driver seat, making every gut-wrenching decision set before you.

With a little help from small-time publisher PlayWay, Pentacle has put a little bit of funding into the Unreal Engine 4-powered first-person psychological thriller, The Works of Mercy. Players will don the role of a man whose family has been kidnapped by a killer, and they must play a game of Simon Says in order to keep them alive. There’s a disturbing and intriguing slice of gameplay offered in the video that you can check out below.

The Works of Mercy – Official Prologue Gameplay Trailer Walkthrough

Contact us for PRESS DEMO and business inquiries https://www.facebook.com/pentacleofficial/ https://twitter.com/Pentacle_01 https://www.theworksofmercy.com/ https://www.pentacle.pl/ STEAM GREENLIGHT https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=623967475 ©Pentacle ©UE4Arch “The Works of Mercy” is a psychological thriller inspired by the classics of the genre: Roman Polanski’s “Repulsion,” “The Tenant” and Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining.”

Now the really fascinating part about that demo is that ultimately all the tension came from the narrative. The actual gameplay itself was little more than walking around, choosing dialogue options and interacting with the environment. The combination of an interactive environment with a well told narrative can create for some powerful, player-dependent moments in gaming.

I was very curious to find out what would happen if the player decided to choose something that wasn’t what the tormenter wanted. This is apparently one of the core elements of the game and a driving factor in the psychological aspects that play into the character’s motivations.

As mentioned in the press release and Kickstarter page…

“The Works Of Mercy is a psychological thriller inspired by timeless classics, such as Roman Polanski’s “Repulsion” / “The Tenant” and Stanley Kubrick’s immortal, “The Shining”. Unravelling the mystery behind a series of awful killings committed on seemingly innocent and random victims, the game comes with a twist, as you, yes you, unwillingly become the killer. A cryptic tormentor forces you to commit unspeakable crimes to save your life, and the life of your loved ones. How far are you willing to go?”

I would love to see more of The Works of Mercy. It most definitely seems like a game with a lot of potential. They also plan on making it VR friendly, which should raise its appeal.

You can help fund this project and bring it to life via Kickstarter. It’s currently seeking $10,772. They have more than a month to go as of the writing of this article so there’s plenty of time to get together some funds if you’re planning on doing so.

Alternatively, the game is available to upvote and favorite over on Steam Greenlight, where they’re currently seeking votes to have it approved to appear on the Steam store. For additional information about the game, feel free to visit the official website.