808

In 808, you wake in a padded cell with no memory of how you got there. A voice in your ear introduces himself as Dex and offers to help you remember. You play as Ash, a patient at Helix Industries, a corporation that resolves traumatic experiences.

Ash's memories

Across 808 days of therapy, Dex guides you through memories from Ash's past: an art gallery Ash does not remember visiting, a tabletop fantasy game Ash does not remember playing, a restaurant where someone never arrived to meet Ash, and a snowy cabin Ash used to call home. The game explores what happened to Ash, what is still happening and what has been happening for longer than Ash knew.

Exploring and listening

This is a first-person narrative game played by walking, looking, listening and observing. Its 14 distinct memory environments each have their own mechanics, including drawing in 3D space, rolling dice against a dragon, raking a zen garden and waiting at a table that won't be filled. A diegetic UI overlay gives you information that the dialogue does not.

Ash and Dex

The relationship between Ash and Dex is central to the experience. Fully voice-acted dialogue between the two characters includes branching choices that shape the tone of your relationship. The game has one ending and takes about 1–1.5 hours to play solo. It is a quiet game, not a horror game in the usual sense, though its story is unsettling.