VESSELS
A downloadable game for Windows
WINNER OF IGF 2021 AWARD
Quarantined inside an airlock. No memories. No way out. The remaining crew thinks there’s something wrong with you, but the Voice says it’ll help you escape. Navigate volatile conversations & unravel mysteries in this narrative adventure about trust, self-destruction, & shifting identities.
Vessels is a 2-3 hour, character-driven story, in which no one is exactly who they appear to be… even you. With the help of the enigmatic Voice, possess and control the other crew members to explore the ship. Experience atmospheric, environmental storytelling as you piece together clues on a ship reeling from a grisly death and spreading paranoia.
Who you are matters as much as what you choose to say in Vessels. Engage in nuanced conversations where you must charm, manipulate, and seek truth amid colliding personalities, secret agendas, and hidden pain. The diverse characters you meet can either become your allies or means to an end.
Will you free yourself from the airlock? Will you discover the truth of your team’s mission? What exactly is the Voice that speaks to you? It will take more than one life to uncover the full story of Vessels.
FEATURES
- ATMOSPHERIC MYSTERY - A 2-3 hour adventure where no one is who they initially seem and your choices lead to different endings.
- DEATH LOOPS - Repeat lives until you say exactly what you want to say or learn what you need to learn.
- POSSESSION - Become the other crew members of the Kairos-03 to explore the ship, learn about the crew, and use what you know to free yourself.
- CHARACTER-DRIVEN STORY - An authored story about a crew finding themselves amid self-destruction and sacrifice.
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Comments
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Could you add the Linux version to Itch, please?
I got a The Thing vibe from Vessels - creepy, tense, uncertainty. I guess at least you don't have to care about dying although I'd expect everyone to be expendable by the end of the game...
We love 'The Thing' so that's nice to be compared to! :D
It's got that vibe.. making you trust no-one. :)
Very intriguing game, I enjoyed playing it very much (even though my crappy computer can barely run it).
The story so far reminds me a lot of the book "Solaris" - any connection?
Not familiar with that book :/ Would you recommend it?
Sorry to hear your computer is having trouble, we're working on optimizing the game more.
I would absolutely recommend it, it's a science-fiction classic (Link). Though be warned that Stanislaw Lem is not light reading.
My computer is an 8 year old notebook with a Geforce GT 745M graphics chip - that's really low-spec, so I doubt you can really do much about it on your end. I managed to get the game running with a decent fps, so it's not too bad :)
Whoa, that's definitely relevant to this game. Will definitely give it a read! Thank you!!
Show post...
good
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great game and fantastic game design. It feels awesome exploring the ship looking for clues as to what is going on. I am very glad that the pace is not too fast, and that not too many story elements are revealed right off the bat. I do however feel that the demo holds your hand just a little too much and that Peyton is a bit too stupid. It is somewhat off putting that she is on this mission being lacking any kind of skill. Perhaps revealing that she is actually quite the formiddable pilot sooner and more clearly will make her more fitting in the game. It would cirtainly help me immerse myself more. But looking forward to the full release for sure! Good work!
-BH
Hey BH! Thanks for playing and we're so glad you enjoyed it! While Act 1 is very close to what's in the final game, you are right--we chose to make the demo rather linear. In the final game, both Act 2 and Act 3 are a bit more open-ended (we have at least 3 potential endings in Act 3).
Good note about Peyton, we'll try to add a line in the final version so players know that Peyton isn't a complete idiot. We hope that most players come to realize there's a lot more to her than just her fuck-ups.