The Westport Independent
Description official description
The Loyalist Party is now in charge of your country, and you're the editor in chief of The Westport Independent, one of the few non-partisan papers left. There's less than a month before the government cracks down on unaffiliated media outlets like yours, leaving you with a choice: Will you tow the party line to keep your paper running, or will you stir up discontent to foment a revolution?
Each day you're presented with a list of potential news stories, from which you can choose a handful to publish in tomorrow's paper. You can assign as many stories as you have writers to work on them, and each story's tone can be adjusted, ranging from straightforward to sycophantic to inflammatory. You can also choose to omit certain facts.
The stories you choose will determine your paper's popularity in certain neighborhoods; for example, the working class areas might enjoy labor stories, the upper class crime stories, and the middle class preferring celebrity missives. The tones of your stories will alter how the public perceives your paper, as either another branch of the government they shouldn't trust or as rebels looking out for the people. However, the government is keeping an eye on you too, and too much disloyalty can result in your reporters being arrested or your paper being shut down completely. Your writers also have their own points of view, and may quit if you keep assigning them stories that conflict with their political viewpoints.
The story ultimately shifts based on what you publish: You might start an uprising, or just further help the government put its foot down on the necks of your readers.
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Credits (Windows version)
11 People (6 developers, 5 thanks)
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Reviews
Critics
Average score: 65% (based on 3 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.0 out of 5 (based on 3 ratings with 1 reviews)
Atmospheric and unique, but too short
The Good
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very atmospheric, with an oldschool vibe of newspapers from 80 years ago, simple yet effective pixelated graphics, and a nice soundtrack
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an interesting and effective concept of centering the game around the influence the media have on people's opinions and how emphasizing or removing certain details can show something in a completely different light
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relative impartiality - this isn't some kind of capitalist propaganda viciously attacking public media and putting free speech above everything else, it's a narrative piece dedicated to present a story with two sides to it in a relatively fair way
The Bad -
short length - the first playthrough is satisfying, but once you get used to the story and when you're already familiar with most of possible articles you choose from, the game passes by too quickly, causing replays to be less effective
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some gameplay details don't feel very polished, with certain minor choices having a different effect than they should
The Bottom Line
An adventure / simulator game with a good story and unique concept, but despite multiple endings it's ultimately not replayable enough to justify its short length. 6/10
Windows · by Pegarange (296) · 2023
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Game added by Lampbane.
Game added March 29, 2017. Last modified September 19, 2023.