Developers Ovid Works and Awaken Realms Digital have just announced Nemesis: Distress, a first-person horror multiplayer title that is inspired by the Nemesis board game. The board game is described as a semi-cooperative horror game with conflicting objectives to fulfill for each player.
Set in a ship lost in space, players are paired with other survivors, each with their own unique goals to survive in a vessel that is teeming with alien-like Intruders. Multiple character classes are available to choose from, each with their very own special actions that will come in handy in specific situations. This may either help or hurt your chances of survival. First, if you have a specific skill that other survivors need, you have a chance of proving yourself to be useful. However, the game’s hidden traitor mechanic may mean that your special skills are a reason for you to have a target on your back. As for the traitor, they cannot outright cause damage and mayhem (such as shooting the other players down). All self-serving acts must be done in the shadows or in the guise of teamwork. Spreading false information, setting rooms on fire, and sabotaging people are just a few of these. It’s also important to note that not all games even involve a traitor. So, you need to always be on your toes.
The game’s general feel can be seen on the Nemesis: Distress Steam Page which showcases a one-minute trailer. A brief snippet from the game’s description can also be read below: “You’re not alone! To make things worse, you have no idea what happened, and who you can trust, as everyone has their hidden agendas. This would not be the first time a ruthless corporation pits the crew against each other.”
Nemesis: Distress is just one of many other titles that try to put their own twist on multiplayer horror games. For one, its mechanics remind me of the free-to-play asymmetrical horror title Deceit and strategy and survival horror game Project Winter which employs the same role and hidden goals mechanics. Here’s to hoping that Nemesis: Distress has more hidden under its sleeve.
