Belonging ready to own on Windows PC

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

First-person investigation inspired by real-world cults and their victims available now on Steam

From the outside, it's almost impossible to fathom how people can be swept up in cults with an unshakeable conviction that belies how destructive they truly are. Players may gain a little more insight into this quandary by exploring one such cult in Farbspiel Interactive's newly released investigative adventure, Belonging.

The reclusive and controversial "Entelechism movement" gained widespread fame (or infamy) by amassing a huge online following, led by a "self-appointed mentor" preaching an ideology of "self-optimization with the goal to reach everyone's personal perfection." Then, suddenly, 300 members disappeared without a trace from their island commune off the coast of northern Germany. As a "hactivist" named Jayce, you have your own personal motivation for investigating what happened, and upon your arrival at the cult's now-abandoned estate, you begin to open doors and collect clues about the final days before the group disappeared. As you "browse video recordings for evidence and vital details on dramatic incidents," you'll soon discover the dark secrets and "manipulative actors" behind the cult's seemingly noble purpose. Then it's up to you to decide which details should be shared with the public and determine "who will ultimately be responsible for what has transpired inside Entelechism."

Similar to Fullbright's Tacoma, this game is a free-roaming first-person adventure that sees you scouring the estate for any relevant data you can find. As you progress through this "twisted paradise," you will find video recordings to be decoded in order to shine light on what occurred. While telling a fictional tale, the story is inspired by actual cult survivor stories, and as you get to know the various "complex and layered characters" involved here, you'll come to better understand "how human it is to fall for the narrative cults peddle," and experience empathy "for people we might think are lost or worse, irredeemable." Armed with such knowledge, you may wrestle with just how much information about the lives and fates of these poor misguided people should be disclosed in order for justice to be served.

You can begin exposing the Entelechism mystery right away, as Belonging is available now on Steam for Windows PC.

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