Nobody is on the Steam wishlist of over 100,000 players. Géraldine tried out the unique life simulation herself and thinks: Absolutely right!
“I just paid extra for a rental bike to get to the job centre on time, but they had already closed. Now I”ve got 5 depression points,” I enthusiastically tell my colleagues on the phone while playing Nobody. Afterwards, I get beaten up at the construction site where I work as a day labourer. This is because my foreman withheld half of my wages and got a bit indignant when I asked him about it.
Later I get messages from fellow editors wanting to know what else has happened to me since we last spoke in Nobody. And, oh boy, do I have enough stories ready. I bought some new clothes on the side of the road in China for a small amount of money. Unfortunately, I didn”t have enough afterwards to pay off my missing father”s creditors – who then promptly kidnapped my sister.
I lent some money to a man at the construction site, who then turned out to be the supervisor. He promised me that in future I would be allowed to work as a stone hauler without an intermediary and that he would pay me back the money the next day. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be found the next day and I had no more money for a room. My first night on the street.
Maybe after this story you”re already jittery about playing Nobody – or maybe you think I”m crazy. So let me go a little further to explain why over 100,000 people have the survival life simulation on their Steam wishlists right now. Almost twice as many as Hogwarts Legacy or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
What is Nobody about?
When I think of life simulations, the first thing that pops into my head is, of course, ideal world oases like The Sims. Or maybe even cosier representatives like Stardew Valley. But definitely not a survival simulation in which I play an absolute nobody in a desolate city in China. I couldn”t describe it better than the goosebump trailer for Nobody:
“Everything is about the here and now. Right around the corner. Or under your nose. A world unfolds, as beautiful and ugly as your real one. Populated with people who look familiar – but who you don”t really know. They are the nameless mass, the nobodies who make up the world. Rediscover real life “
In Nobody I decide at the beginning for one of three pre-stories and prefabricated characters – or I am completely on my own in the sandbox mode. In the demo, I was able to play the story “Debt Trap”. A young man whose father bankrupted the family and then ran away, putting his mother in hospital and leaving his children in charge. Since then, my father”s creditors have been on my heels and also threaten my sister – with whom I have an intimate relationship.
But I can tell you one thing: None of the other Origin stories are more uplifting. Because Nobody is about turning my life around and pulling myself out of the swamp of hopelessness – hence the full title of the game: Nobody – The Turnaround.
How it plays
The story of the demo starts with a long bus ride during which I am threatened via text by my father”s creditors. I start to worry and call my sister. She seems okay, considering the circumstances. In my dialogue with her (which is narrated via illustrated text boxes), my answer options also determine my starting abilities. If she asks me how I”m doing and I answer “Healthy as a horse”, for example, then I get the trait “Lump” and receive a physical bonus.
But while I read the threatening lines of my enemies, I can”t help but admire the absolute desolation outside the bus window. Grey concrete deserts pass me by and people sipping soup dejectedly on street corners or waiting for a bus to take them to the next grey concrete desert.
I get off the bus and am approached by a woman who offers me a room in her rancid motel. I don”t trust her, but not wanting to sleep on the street, I agree. I want to cross the street and get run over directly by the car. Game Over.
Yeah, no kidding. Nobody is merciless. I immediately understand why the game sells itself on Steam as a “realistic life simulation”. So let”s try again. This time I dutifully look left and right and end up at the job centre. A young lady is waiting for me there, with whom I can take an entrance exam for further education courses. I find her cute and try to flirt with her. Unfortunately without success. But what did I expect? After all, I”m wearing a somewhat scruffy, wrinkled shirt and probably don”t seem like the best catch in town. On the other hand, I score full marks in the entrance exam, which gives me unpleasant school flashbacks.
Despite that, it”s only enough for a job as a brick hauler on the construction site for now. I can do this manually – i.e. haul the bricks from point A to point B by hand – or let it run automatically. But then there”s less money.
Outside of the jobs, I move freely and undetected through the city via WASD or mouse click. And everywhere there”s something to discover. I can try to make connections, earn money, learn new skills or just join a dance group full of older ladies to feel at least some joy in life. But in doing so, I must always be mindful of my attitude, my hunger, my appearance, my hygiene and my satisfaction. But above all, to have enough money at the end of the day for a room and my creditors. If I can”t pay them, it”s game over and my last day starts all over again.
So of course I can spend money on better clothes to make a better impression on people – but maybe that means sleeping on the street and getting sick. I can buy my favourite childhood food to lift my spirits, or save money with the bland lunchbox on the street corner. I am beginning to understand time and money as absolutely vital resources in this game.
I might be able to land a better job as a concierge at a wellness centre one day – but only if my appearance is right. And that requires a lot of money. So for now, I”m scraping by as a warehouse worker and fast-food mascot.
The perfect mix – but also unanswered questions
The atmosphere of Nobody is terrific. The celshading look creates a believable city full of exciting details and during my daily routine a goosebump soundtrack plays, perfectly accompanying the feelings of loneliness, desolation, but sometimes also a little hope. Nobody treats the sensitive subject of poverty with the necessary respect and a crushing seriousness – but also never loses its wink.
It describes my wrinkled plaid shirt as a “garment without character, which for some reason is very popular with programmers.” It has witty and lovingly written English dialogue. But it also makes me understand the realities of many people”s lives better than any other medium ever could.
It mixes an excitingly written main story with random elements, providing a huge replayable world and variety – but without becoming too arbitrary. My character”s numerous traits and stats provide an exciting role-playing and management aspect without overwhelming me. Well, apart from the desirable feeling of being overwhelmed that I share with my protagonist.
The demo left me hungry for more. Nevertheless, the final release in the course of 2022 still has to provide some answers. For example, how strongly my characteristics really influence the gameplay in the long run. Or whether I can manoeuvre myself into frustrating dead ends that cannot be ironed out by restarting one day.
But Nobody is absolutely unique in the life simulation genre, and has provided me with one of the most immersive gaming experiences in a long time. And numerous stories for my colleagues. Since they”re also waiting for more tales of my adventures from Nobody, there”s no way I”ll have played the demo for the last time.
Editor”s Verdict
Nobody has been an eye-opener for me. And I don”t just mean its obvious but excitingly packaged social critique. I also realised that Nobody offers an innovation that I currently miss in many games. It”s in a similar vein to the unique Papers, Please or This War of Mine – because it celebrates the little things in life and holds a mirror up to me. At the same time, it does so with a lot of wit and charm, and relegates it to one of my favourite genres: life simulation.
Sure, we usually play games to escape real life. To experience things we can only dream of in the real world. But I also play sometimes to see real life through different eyes. Through a shrewd, biting or even depressing filter. And that”s what Nobody thrilled me with in its demo.
Sure, it doesn”t come with AAA graphics and the dialogue remains unsubtle, at least for the time being. Presumably, with all the fun of the game, the concept will eventually run out of steam after a few hours. But that doesn”t bother me. At the moment, I”m far too motivated to explore all the paths of the simulation, unlock all the areas of the map and make a little bit of progress every day – while spending my life in this beautifully dark world. So I can unreservedly recommend the free demo on Steam to anyone looking for a unique gaming experience.
