The Unclearness

The Unclearness is a story-driven game set in 2097, after global warming floods most of the land. You play as private detective Stan Ingram and investigate a complicated case of suicide, asking who needed it and whether something bigger lies behind it. The plot is linear, and you cannot change how the story unfolds.

A flooded world

By Christmas 2097, the land area has shrunk to a tenth of what it was. Governments have lost the ability to control people through liberal methods, and military dictatorship has been introduced to oppose crime syndicates. Survivors divide the remaining land into zones according to their quality of life:

• Green Zone: a hilltop center for the rich and the government, built on the remains of the old world.
• Blue Zone: steel reservations with hundreds of storeys beneath the Green Zone, where people work hard to survive.
• Grey Zone: an old city spared from flooding, though its democratic foundations and rule of law have sunk beneath the ocean.
• Red Zone: a slum behind the old city, inhabited by people who cannot afford to live there.
• Black Zone: land unsuitable for human habitation.

Investigate as Stan

You control Stan and interact with Jessica, Sanmdi, Scorpio, Dr. Kriss, Michelle, the Bartender and Psycho. Notes reveal details about the world, while card keys open locked doors. Several main locations become available after you complete the second mission: the City, Industrial Area, Port, Prison, Slaughterhouse, Bar, Strip club, Hotel, Furniture store, Stan's apartment, Michel's apartment, Psychiatric hospital and Morgue.

Gameplay and interface

The main mechanics are shooting, stealth, driving and slowing down time, with lock-breaking as an additional mechanic. The interface shows the selected weapon's remaining bullets in the lower-right corner, and the screen turns red depending on how much damage Stan has taken. When you drive, the car's speed appears at the bottom of the screen.