A rather mysterious Red Fog is going to be reshaping conversations, locations, and battles in this original upcoming RPG.
Here’s another very interesting project, both in terms of its visual style, which definitely deserves its part, but also for its promising gameplay ideas. Silent Horizon takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, but not quite the kind we’re used to seeing. Here, the general decay of civilization is mixed with supernatural events that are influenced by the choices we make throughout the game. Those decisions are made under the influence of the Red Fog which can alter the very circumstances you’re dealing with, adding unpredictability to an already precarious frontier town.
Developed by Baby Bison Games, Silent Horizon is a post-apocalyptic game with a dark western twist and a fair bit of weird fiction. You’re a traveler who’s been on the road for years and finally arrive at Rusty Eden.
The town is a place where you could potentially settle down. The Fog which has wiped out so much of the world has trapped you in Rusty Eden. You don’t know where the Fog comes from; monsters come with it, and the survivors who have come out of the Fog are all changed in some way.
Inside the town, you can have your own agenda, support one faction, go against another, or just go rogue and play it all. The various factions (raiders, cultists, mercenaries, preachers, couriers, etc.) all have their own plans, and you can choose to support one, manipulate the others, or just go against them all.
Your reputation and your individual relationships with the various people will affect how they react to you, what opportunities they will offer, and the direction of the story.
Dialogue involves persuasion, deception and intimidation and a failed check can in fact open up different paths. That last bit is the one that really interests me. A failed check can be a very useful narrative device in that it gives you a new problem to deal with and I’m very much looking forward to seeing how far Silent Horizon takes that idea.
The Red Fog adds another dimension. As its strength varies it can change conversations, places and events. My principal interest is in the effect this might have on the town’s political tensions. You’d be looking at a situation where you’d have to go back on a decision simply because the circumstances had changed and that would be a very interesting dynamic.
Combat is turn-based, with a companion fighting at your side and the Fog being able to either assist or hinder you in encounters. Sanity is also an issue, though the devs have not yet gone into any detail as to how that works. The most interesting thing at the moment is the interaction between your social choices and the unpredictable environment, while for the combat system, I will wait and hope to get more details soon. Silent Horizon is due on Windows PC via Steam in Q4 2027. You can wishlist it now.
