Ever since I played 1000xResist (and gave it a glowing review upon Game Informer’s relaunch), I have been eager to see what its developer, Sunset Visitor, would do next. Today, the indie studio finally pulled the curtain back on its next project, Prove You’re Human, a dark sci-fi narrative adventure game where you interact with the world using a CAPTCHA mechanic. Take a look at the reveal trailer below.
The game, like 1000xResist, combines a wide variety of visual and narrative elements that sound overly complex at first, but seem to gel well in the trailer. In a conversation with Remy Siu of Sunset Visitor, he tells me more about the upcoming project. You play in first-person as a human who decides to undergo a Severance-like procedure and send a copy of their consciousness into a digital world. This digital clone’s goal is to convince a sentient AI named Mesa that she is not a human, but Mesa is completely convinced she is. The game also uses full-motion video to represent the real-world version of the digital protagonist, creating a clear visual separation between the two entities.
As you explore Mesa’s surroundings, you use a CAPTCHA system – like the ones you use to log in and prove you’re not a robot – to investigate and progress through the story. In one instance, the player takes a photo of a tree. After selecting all the squares that contain parts of the tree, it suddenly catches on fire. Other instances of the system are more narrative-based; we see a photo of a child that says to select images of “you, before,” and another photo of a woman’s back that says to select images of “you, after death.”
While 1000xResist was published by Fellow Traveler, Prove You’re Human will be published by Black Tabby Games, the developers of Slay the Princess. It will be Black Tabby’s first time publishing a game; in addition to the typical financial assistance in getting the project off the ground, Black Tabby is also providing narrative and creative consultation across Prove You’re Human’s development cycle. On that note, while the game centers on questions of AI, Black Tabby’s Abby Howard tells me the publisher’s contract forbids the use of generative AI in the development process.
Despite the trailer’s brevity, I am glad to say its visuals and tone are very reminiscent of 1000xResist, and despite telling a very different story, Sunset Visitor’s style is unmistakable. I look forward to playing it, though its release window is yet to be announced. When it does launch, it will come exclusively to PC, though Black Tabby says not to rule out an eventual console port.
