If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be Charles Foster Kane, the newspaper magnate from the film Citizen Kane, then newspaper editor simulator Headliner: NoviNews may be the game for you. In a recent announcement, publisher and developer Unbound Creations has just confirmed that their almost one-year old PC title will soon be coming to the Nintendo Switch.
Released on October 22, 2018, Headliner: NoviNews is the story of newspaper editors and the power they wield over a country. There are tons of decisions that you need to make regarding what news to publish, and these affect you, your personal relationships, and the country of Novistan as a whole. For example, choices need to be made between endorsing nationalized healthcare, demonizing a new synthetic alcoholic drink despite them being an important investor, and either supporting or denouncing the national government while it is in the middle of growing tensions between a neighboring country.
Each decision you make regarding what news will see daylight manifests on the streets of Novistan that you walk through after each day of work. Maybe a specific decision will cause you to see more graffiti, angry bums, and may even culminate in a riot? Or perhaps your choices result into a surveillance state under the guise of a peaceful utopia, with cameras and drones watching each and every private citizen’s lives.
Aside from your player character, you will also encounter three main characters that are either directly or indirectly affected by the media’s sentiments. First off is Evie, your immigrant co-worker who is struggling through health issues and is also greatly troubled by the increasing xenophobic sentiment. Next is your brother Justin, an aspiring comedian struggling with impostor syndrome and social anxiety. Lastly, Rudy, a single father trying to provide for his daughter through his mom-and-pop shop, only to be driven out of business by a faceless mega corporation that shows up next door.
“Headliner: NoviNews tackles one of today’s most pertinent issues: the mass distribution of information” Unbound Creations founder and director Jakub Kasztalski said in a press statement. “We’re constantly being fed conflicting realities and ‘alternative facts’ that are making it increasingly hard for us to make sense of the world around us. I wanted to make a game that explores the difficulties in uniting a nation in a world where skepticism and bias have left us increasingly distrustful of everything we hear.”
Headliner: NoviNews will launch soon for the Nintendo Switch this summer. Currently, it is available on PC via Steam.
