You are Black, an oppressed factory worker in a dystopian world inspired by the developers’ experiences living in communist-era Romania. Black is somewhat of an anti-hero who is given, by virtue of a malfunctioning door, a single chance to escape an authoritarian regime. He must then pursue freedom outside the factory through control and manipulation.

Cristian Diaconescu, Creative Director, Sand Sailor Studio: We chose a puzzle game approach, as this would better illustrate what it means to cope with a restrictive regime. We lived in times where there was no freedom of speech, intellectuals were thrown in prisons and tortured, food was subject to rationing, there was no access to contraception. Access to western culture was minimal. It sounds Orwellian, but unfortunately it happened in real life in most of communist countries. And the worst part is that it’s still happening in some parts of the world. Also, as we explored this path we realized that the oppressive mechanics apply to the western world today, where a lot of people feel trapped in conforming with a system they don’t believe in. With Black the Fall, we are giving anyone a chance to outsmart the system and escape it.

The game includes elements of stealth and puzzle-solving, but its emphasis is on manipulation. Early-on, Black aquires a laser pointer called The Designator that enables him to control machinery as well as other characters.

Regarding this instrument, Cristian Diaconescu says the following: Communism was very much about fear and manipulation. We wanted to give Black a chance to use the same weapon against The System. This is why we have created The Designator.

So far this year, Black The Fall has been showcased at EGX Rezzed, Unite Europe, E3, BIG Festival, Comic Con and Radius Festival. Next stop is Gamescom 2016.

The Kickstarter and Square Enix-backed game has also been Greenlit. It will launch this Autumn on Windows, Mac and Linux, and in 2017 on consoles/mobile platforms.