Gamedec is a non-combat, cyberpunk RPG from developer Anshar Studios. Throughout its brief, but malleable set of crimes to solve, you’ll make hundreds of dialogue decisions that ultimately allow you to leave your thumbprint on the story, its world, and its characters.
The character you create at the start is a titular Gamedec, ostensibly a private eye that solves cases having to do with the virtual worlds that nearly every member of the population spends their time in. I liked how each new case took me to a different genre of game, ranging from gritty crime shenanigans resembling GTA Online, to a western-themed farming sim. Learning the ins and outs of each game world had me genuinely excited whenever I’d enter a new one, although I wish we could’ve dug a bit deeper into each different simulation.
But at the end of the day, the biggest thing Gamedec has going against it comes from a different game entirely. Gamedec never manages to escape the massive shadow of 2019’s Disco Elysium, an instant classic that does so many of the same things, but in deeper and more interesting ways. But while the writing, characters, mysteries, and mechanics in Disco Elysium are simply in another league, the fact remains that Gamedec is a worthy addition to the “RPG, hold the combat” genre.
Gamedec is available now on PC via Steam, GOG, Humble, and the Epic Games Store for $29.99.
Watch our full Review in 3 Minutes for Gamedec.
