Mesmer

Mesmer is a social survival game set in a police state, where you lead a revolution by influencing people and factions while avoiding the secret police. You play as Teri De Belle, an adventurer who returns from abroad and is branded an enemy of the state. To avoid being subjected to “Horsing,” you are pressured into becoming a revolutionary leader.

The kingdom of Mesmer

Mesmer was once called the pearl of the old world. Its King has turned the nation into a police state, where citizens face rationing and curfews. The farmland around the capital is now used to grow Paciflowers, plants with powerful mindbending capabilities. The secret police use the flowers in a method called “Horsing”: they cover people’s heads with Paciflower-filled spite masks, stripping them of their individuality and forcing them into subservience as a warning to others.

Build a revolution

You gain influence and win people’s favor through charm, helpfulness and social interaction, or use blackmail and threats of violence. Social influence is your main resource, and you can work with five factions, each with its own goals. Your choices shape the story and lead to multiple endings.

The factions include royalist Nobles, wealthy Merchants, freedom-minded Artisans, numerous Workers and the law-opposing Underworld. Nobles hold power through bloodline and tradition, though some doubt the King. Merchants resent the taxes reducing their wealth, while Artisans—painters, poets and academics—advocate freedom and liberty. Workers have few influential members but make up much of society, and the Underworld brings together ruffians, the downtrodden and the forgotten, with skills in subterfuge, deception and quick fingers.

Evade the secret police

The King’s curfew requires citizens to stay indoors after nightfall. Anyone caught in a police torch’s light faces severe penalties, so you must avoid the night guards’ line of sight. You can grapple onto rooftops, slip into the shadows or run if you are spotted; getting caught means certain doom.

Rally the crowds

You can find Crowdhorns to attract public attention, then use impassioned speeches to stir up the population. The police watch to suppress the rebellion, but winning enough people over lets you lead a crowd through the city. Tear down the blockades and climb the stairs of the Royal castle to reach a final confrontation.

Explore the city

The open world offers multiple ways to travel and interact with your surroundings, including riding a pig. The game combines social manipulation, stealth and riots with narrative-driven choices and survival mechanics.