Influence, Inc. (2022)

Developer: Curious Bird
Genres: Indie, Simulation, Strategy
Rating: 4.2 of 5, 19 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 2.3 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

You feel like a puppet master pulling strings in a cynical, data-driven world of influence and propaganda.

strategicmanipulativesatiricalthought-provokingbusiness managementmodernsimulation

What players say

Players praise the dark humor and real-world relevance but are split on the interface: some find it intuitive, others call it cumbersome and cluttered with tutorials. The game offers five endings in short runs of about an hour, though a few wish for more endings or a true sandbox mode.

Screenshots

More games like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.