Info about Not For Broadcast:

Official game description:
  
**
Feature List:
-------------
**  
*   Deep and meaningful gameplay decisions  
*   14 distinct endings  
*   Darkly-comic branching narrative  
*   Over 42 hours of full motion video (FMV) - a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ achievement  
*   Bursting with musical numbers
Take control of the National Nightly News. With the nation's eyes fixed on your choices, it’s up to you to decide what gets broadcast. Choose the shots, censor any “troublesome” content, and steer the narrative as your country tumbles into totalitarianism. No pressure, right?  
**
Hand-pick the Headlines
-----------------------
**  
**Not For Broadcast** drops you into the heart of a darkly-comedic tale of televised chaos, where your every decision helps shape the fate of a nation. From ego-fueled celebrities to deceptive politicians and enigmatic advertisers - you control the public’s perception. As long as you can hold the audience’s fickle attention, it’ll be your choice whether to toe the party line or hype up the scandal.  
Will you make that sportsman seem like a national treasure, or an alcoholic disgrace? What about those scientists trapped in Dante’s Taint? Or that new boss at multinational giant Rymmington-Svist who seems to live a double life? Most importantly, will you help the brand-new government look benevolent, or is there something untoward about them that the public need to see?  
The power is in your hands to change everything, but you’ll have to decide quickly - the news goes out live!  
**
Craft the Narrative (and the Nation's Fate)
-------------------------------------------
**  
You are in the driving seat of a multi-level tale about both an entire country and a single family. Being the architect of the nation’s future is a challenge, to be sure, but so is trying to hold your household together through the dark times.  
With multiple branching narratives, every choice you make resonates into the future. Will you help your spouse’s sibling flee the country... even if it involves breaking the law? Who are ‘Disrupt’ - concerned citizens or something more revolutionary? And how do you feel about your son spending more and more time with them?  
And then there’s Grandma... Can you afford her life-saving treatment, or should you and your spouse be taking advantage of one of the Government’s brand-new Transition Centres? After all, granny, there’s nothing more noble than unburdening your children!  
And then there’s your broadcast room - when it’s not overheating, it seems to be trying to electrocute you. Keep the plates spinning as best you can, but remember, whether it’s a newsreader who just won’t take it any more, naked streakers at the Sportsboard Final, or the ever growing threat of nuclear war... this show MUST go on.  
**
Cue the Ads
-----------
**  
Select your ads carefully to mould the public’s opinion. Why not choose to show only adverts for the companies you have shares in? Maybe that extra cash will help with the difficult decisions at home. Or maybe you’ll be selling dangerous toys to the nation’s children…  
With more than 50 hilarious ads to choose from there’s never a dull moment - even during the breaks.  
**
Endure the Unthinkable and Laugh in the Face of Adversity
---------------------------------------------------------
**  
There will be smiles, there will be tears, even as the world falls apart around your ears. So grit your teeth, close your eyes and keep those cameras rolling - the people are counting on you. Long live the National Nightly News.

Release date: Jan 25, 2022

Categories: Interactive Movie, Choice-based Narrative, FMV (Full-Motion Video), Dark Humor, Political Simulation, Satire, Narrative Adventure, Multiple Endings

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 20; verdict: Fair Monetization with High-Value DLC; summary: The game's monetization strategy primarily revolves around DLC, which users generally perceive as high-value and reasonably priced. While some DLC content is tied to achievements, creating a 'pay-to-complete' dynamic, there is no evidence of predatory monetization tactics such as real-money gacha, pay-to-win mechanics, or aggressive FOMO. The DLC is praised for enhancing replayability and adding meaningful content, suggesting a fair and player-friendly approach to monetization.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: External Data Dependency for Learning Systems; summary: The user feedback reveals a strong reliance on external data sources, particularly wikis and Fandom sites, to access narrative details, endings, and lore. This indicates a gap in in-game instructional data, forcing users to seek information externally. Additionally, localization issues, such as mistranslations and audio sync problems, significantly disrupt immersion. Gameplay repetition, while appreciated by some for its challenge, is noted as monotonous by others. Minor distractions from external platforms during searches also impact the user experience.
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The Steam Deck experience for *Not For Broadcast* is mixed, with users reporting a generally positive native experience for core gameplay but notable technical barriers. Key friction points include the need to use Proton Experimental/GEProton, overheating, occasional crashes, and UI/UX challenges (e.g., readability, unintuitive controls). While the game is playable and praised for its unique mechanics, these issues introduce instability and require tinkering, detracting from a seamless experience.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Exceptional storytelling and immersion (weight 0.69): The narrative is rich, dynamic, and immersive, blending humor, drama, and political themes. The story adapts to player choices, creating a personalized experience that feels engaging and emotionally resonant.
- Outstanding live-action performances (weight 0.58): The game features high-quality acting, particularly in live-action segments, with standout performances from actors like Jeremy Donaldson and Megan. The integration of real actors enhances immersion and emotional impact, making the story feel authentic and engaging.
- High production value and attention to detail (weight 0.55): The developers demonstrate incredible attention to detail, from realistic news segments to background elements. The game’s production quality, including voice acting, dubbing, and visual effects, enhances its authenticity and appeal.
- Thought-provoking moral and ethical themes (weight 0.5): The game explores complex societal issues, such as media manipulation, fascism, and civil disobedience, through nuanced storytelling. Players are challenged to reflect on their values and the consequences of their actions.
- Impactful player choices and endings (weight 0.47): Player decisions significantly influence the story, with 14 distinct endings and branching narratives. Choices feel meaningful, with long-term consequences that encourage replayability and reflection on moral dilemmas.
- Engaging and unique gameplay loop (weight 0.26): The gameplay is fast-paced and innovative, combining multitasking, decision-making, and precision-based mechanics. It keeps players engaged with its variety, challenge, and gradual introduction of new elements.

Common complaints:
- Repetitive and tedious gameplay (weight 0.39): Players frequently report that the gameplay loop becomes monotonous, especially after mastering controls or replaying segments for multiple endings. The lack of variety in mechanics contributes to a feeling of tedium over time.
- Unskippable and lengthy segments (weight 0.25): Forced replaying of unskippable footage, long broadcasts, and manual fast-forwarding make progression feel like a chore. This design choice disproportionately affects players seeking multiple endings.
- High stress and emotional tax (weight 0.2): The oppressive atmosphere, fast-paced multitasking, and triggering content (e.g., infant death) create a stressful experience. Some players find the emotional weight overwhelming or poorly balanced.
- Technical issues and instability (weight 0.19): Frequent crashes, freezing, and save-breaking bugs severely disrupt gameplay. Large file sizes and long loading times exacerbate frustration, especially when no fixes are available.
- Mixed reception of humor (weight 0.07): The game’s humor, including dark and absurdist jokes, is divisive. Some players find it cringe, aged poorly, or distracting from the narrative, while others appreciate its tone.
- Clunky controls and UI (weight 0.05): Keyboard/mouse controls feel unintuitive, and the interface for reviewing footage is cumbersome. Players report confusion with mechanics, particularly during multitasking segments.

Gameplay feedback:
- Live broadcast simulation mechanics (weight 0.97): Players act as a TV news editor, managing live broadcasts by switching cameras, censoring content, and selecting ads in real-time. This multitasking under pressure is a central gameplay mechanic, blending strategy with narrative choices.
- Political satire and dark humor (weight 0.89): The game employs sharp political commentary, dystopian themes, and absurd humor to critique media manipulation and societal structures. This tone is a defining feature, appealing to players who enjoy cynical or satirical narratives.
- Narrative-driven branching gameplay (weight 0.89): The game features a strong narrative focus with 14 distinct endings, branching paths, and player choices that significantly influence the story and political outcomes. This replayability is a core aspect of the experience, requiring multiple playthroughs to explore all endings.
- DLCs expand replayability and content (weight 0.85): Additional content like 'Telethon' and 'The Timeloop' introduces new storylines, characters, and mechanics, encouraging replayability. Some DLCs require minimal effort, while others demand extensive playthroughs to unlock all content.
- FMV and interactive movie elements (weight 0.84): Full Motion Video (FMV) sequences and live-action segments create a cinematic experience, with player decisions directly impacting the narrative. This interactive movie format enhances immersion but may feel repetitive over time.
- Family and professional life balance (weight 0.8): The narrative intertwines personal relationships (e.g., family subplots) with professional duties, where player choices affect both. This dual focus adds depth to the storytelling and moral dilemmas.
- Adjustable difficulty and accessibility (weight 0.79): Difficulty settings (e.g., story mode) cater to casual players, while challenge modes offer harder mechanics for experienced players. This flexibility ensures the game is accessible without sacrificing depth.
- Replayability and hidden content (weight 0.71): Features like rewatching broadcasts, unlocking hidden scenes, and exploring different narrative angles encourage replayability. Multiple save files may be needed to experience all endings.
- Tonal shifts and absurdity (weight 0.69): The game balances critical political themes with absurd humor (e.g., bears taking over a city), creating a unique tone. These shifts keep the narrative engaging and unpredictable.
- Multitasking and reaction-based challenges (weight 0.21): Gameplay involves juggling multiple tasks simultaneously, such as censoring profanity, managing camera feeds, and handling signal interference. These mechanics add tension and require quick decision-making, especially in higher difficulty modes.
- Censorship and media manipulation themes (weight 0.18): Players engage in censorship (e.g., bleeping profanity) and content selection, reflecting real-world media bias and control. These mechanics serve as both gameplay and thematic commentary.
- Inspired by *Papers, Please* (weight 0.04): The game shares similarities with *Papers, Please*, particularly in its bureaucratic satire, moral dilemmas, and frantic multitasking. This comparison highlights its unique blend of narrative and simulation mechanics.
- Minimal grind mechanics (weight 0.02): While some replaying is required to see all content, the game avoids excessive grinding. Optional challenges (e.g., achievements) add depth without forcing repetition.

Performance notes:
- Severe performance and stability issues (weight 0.11): The game frequently crashes, freezes, or fails to display FMV segments, particularly during critical moments like replaying the main story. Save-breaking bugs and fatal crashes prevent progress, often requiring reinstallation or SSD installation to mitigate issues.
- Excessive storage and memory demands (weight 0.08): The game requires tens of gigabytes of video downloads for the base game, leading to large installation sizes and high memory usage. Performance struggles on slower HDDs, with long loading times reported as a recurring issue.
- Hardware compatibility challenges (weight 0.05): While the game runs well on mid-range hardware (including Steam Deck) and low-spec PCs, some users report visual/audio lag, GPU heating, and occasional desync issues. Proton GE compatibility is noted as a positive for Linux users.
- Random technical glitches (weight 0.02): Isolated but disruptive bugs include vision mixer failures, audio desync after freezes, and dubbing audio issues. These problems occur sporadically and may not affect all players but can break immersion.

Recommendations:
- Value and pricing justified (weight 0.37): Reviewers emphasize the game’s worth, even at full price, due to its depth, polish, and content. Many recommend purchasing during sales or opting for the complete edition with DLCs for extended value.
- Narrative-driven gameplay praised (weight 0.33): Players highly recommend the game for its strong storytelling, emotional impact, and unique mechanics, comparing it to titles like *Beholder* and *Detroit: Become Human*. The replayability and multiple endings are frequently highlighted as key strengths.
- Recommended for interactive story fans (weight 0.33): The game is repeatedly suggested for fans of interactive narratives, dystopian themes, dark humor, and political commentary. It appeals to those who enjoy choices, consequences, and immersive storytelling.
- Replayability encouraged (weight 0.32): Players are encouraged to engage with multiple playthroughs to explore different outcomes and endings, though some warn against forcing replayability if the initial experience isn’t enjoyable.
- Dark themes and humor appeal (weight 0.32): The game’s blend of dark themes, absurdist humor, and satirical content resonates with players, though it’s noted as unsuitable for those expecting a serious tone or younger audiences.
- Accessibility and playstyle tips (weight 0.3): Reviewers suggest lowering difficulty for easier playthroughs, playing in short sessions, and approaching the game with an open mind. Good English skills are recommended for full enjoyment.
- Appeal to niche audiences (weight 0.29): The game is recommended for fans of specific genres (e.g., FMV, political thrillers, sci-fi) or those seeking something unusual. It’s noted as a potential fit for non-gamers or players of *Road 96*.
- Developer anticipation noted (weight 0.01): Players express excitement for the developer’s future projects, indicating strong satisfaction with the current game’s execution and creativity.

Other player notes:
- Mature dystopian themes explored (weight 0.1): The game is praised for its mature, dystopian storytelling, including critiques of media ethics, propaganda, and real-world political parallels. Players note its unsuitability for children due to swearing and disturbing scenes.
- Realistic broadcasting experience (weight 0.05): The game is compared to a real-life radio or news broadcasting experience, with players appreciating its immersive presentation, including the BBC News-like theme.
- Support for developers noted (weight 0.02): Players mention repurchasing the game or buying it at a discount to support the developers, reflecting goodwill toward the studio.
- External factors in development (weight 0.01): The impact of COVID-19 on game development is mentioned, though its direct effect on the player experience is unclear.
- Long playtime on PlayStation (weight 0.01): A player notes completing 80 hours of gameplay on PlayStation, indicating strong engagement with the title.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.14): Players experience frustration primarily due to technical and design issues, including frequent crashes, freezing, and performance problems that disrupt gameplay. The game's repetitive mechanics, unskippable segments, and high difficulty—combined with tedious replayability requirements—also contribute to a sense of time waste and stress.
- Amusement (weight 0.11): The game's humor, absurd scenarios, and satirical take on politics and media are the main sources of amusement. Players highlight the entertaining voice acting, dark comedy, and ridiculous in-game moments (e.g., fictional advertisements or exaggerated character interactions) as key contributors to their enjoyment.
- Excitement (weight 0.11): Excitement stems from the game's innovative storytelling, chaotic and immersive gameplay, and the impact of player choices on the narrative. The unique format, engaging political satire, and replayability—especially with multiple endings and DLC content—keep players invested and eager to explore further.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.07): Players feel satisfied due to the game's well-crafted narrative, humor, and the sense of agency provided by meaningful choices and consequences. Successfully managing broadcasts under pressure, unlocking varied endings, and enjoying the blend of comedy and drama contribute to a fulfilling experience.
- Admiration (weight 0.07): Admiration arises from the game's high production value, depth of storytelling, and the effort put into its realistic political themes and character development. Players praise the acting, creativity, and the developers' dedication to crafting a unique and thought-provoking experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.04): Disappointment is caused by unmet expectations, particularly due to game-breaking bugs, repetitive or shallow gameplay, and a lack of depth in side stories or consequences. Some players also feel the game's humor falls flat or that the visual novel elements clash with the gameplay mechanics.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.04): Enjoyment is derived from the game's fun and engaging core loop, which combines humor, satire, and interactive storytelling. Players appreciate the absurdity, talented acting, and the balance between chaotic and structured gameplay elements.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the game's exploration of meaningful themes, such as media manipulation and political discourse, without bias. The high-quality writing, voice acting, and the developers' effort to create a nuanced and thought-provoking narrative are also highly valued.
- Engagement (weight 0.03): The game's immersive editing mechanics, high-stakes decision-making, and narrative structure keep players engaged. The feeling of controlling a chaotic news broadcast and the impact of choices on the story create a captivating and tense experience.
- Surprise (weight 0.03): Players are surprised by the game's depth, quality, and emotional impact, often exceeding their initial expectations. The narrative's complexity, unexpected twists, and the game's ability to blend humor with serious themes contribute to this reaction.
- Reflection (weight 0.02): The game prompts reflection through its commentary on media manipulation, societal issues, and political power. Players think critically about their decisions and the real-world parallels drawn by the game's narrative and themes.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Boredom arises from repetitive gameplay loops, long and unengaging news segments, and a lack of variety in certain mechanics. Some players find the pacing slow or the dialogue confusing, leading to a loss of interest over time.
- Curiosity (weight 0.02): The game's unique premise, moral ambiguity, and exploration of media ethics spark curiosity. Players are intrigued by the replayability for different endings and the opportunity to uncover the rules of in-game mechanics like 'sportsboard.'
- Nostalgia (weight 0.01): Nostalgia is evoked through elements like 90s-style advertisements, memorable characters, and the game's simulation of working in a TV station. Some players also relate the game's stressful scenarios to real-life experiences.
- Awe (weight 0.01): Players feel awe due to the game's unique concept, polished execution, and attention to detail. The compelling story, creative gameplay mechanics, and unexpected plot twists leave a strong impression on players.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Enthusiasm is driven by the game's humor, political satire, and intense storytelling. Players highly recommend the game, praising its replayability, unique format, and the emotional rollercoaster it provides.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion stems from unclear narrative intent, inconsistent localization, and mechanics that lack explanation (e.g., point systems or rhythm-based segments). Some players also struggle with the game's abrupt shifts in tone or lack of closure.
- Discomfort (weight 0.01): Discomfort arises from poorly aged humor, oppressive political themes, or emotionally heavy scenes. Some players also feel uneasy with dialogue choices in non-native languages or disturbing content.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players express love for the game due to its overall enjoyment, emotional impact, and unique blend of humor and storytelling. The engaging gameplay and memorable characters create a deeply satisfying experience.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Sadness is triggered by the game's tragic outcomes, heartbreaking story moments, and the realization of real-world parallels. Players also feel melancholic when the game or DLCs conclude, especially after forming attachments to the characters.}