Before They Catch Us

Before They Catch Us is a narrative-driven text adventure set in a fantastical world where vast fungal forests are consuming the land. You play a young prophet whose visions intrude on both dreams and waking hours. Across three Chapters, you make choices, interpret visions and try to survive as the forest advances.

A land on the move

The forests creep relentlessly across meadows, leaving barren steppes behind. The few people who survive have become wanderers, constantly fleeing woods that threaten to swallow them. The world draws on fears of the unknown, nomadic traditions and spiritual belief, and its shifting landscape is home to striking characters and uncanny visions.

The prophet’s path

You perform rituals, resist spore infection and face dangers from both the forest’s creatures and rival clans. Your purpose is to walk your Path, remain worthy in the eyes of your ancestors and survive.

Choices and visions

The three Chapters each cover a defining episode in the prophet’s story. Your decisions shape the narrative, though only a few can change the course of history; your choices can lead to one of four endings. In a mini-game, you match symbols from your visions with possible meanings to uncover what the Ancestors are trying to tell you.