This FAQ provides answers to common questions about SYSTEM_DECAY, its mechanics, and hidden features.
General Gameplay
What kind of game is SYSTEM_DECAY?
SYSTEM_DECAY is a browser-based atmospheric psychological horror game. You play as a digital consciousness trapped in a corrupted system, navigating a branching narrative to uncover memories and confront the truth of your existence.
Is there a "happy path" or a single correct way to play?
Not in the traditional sense. The game is designed with a complex, non-linear branching narrative. You might find yourself returning to previously visited scenes, which is an intentional design choice to reinforce the themes of being trapped in a loop within a corrupted system. This also encourages replayability, as new choices or interactions might appear in familiar places based on your corruption level or collected memory fragments.
Core Mechanics
How does corruption affect gameplay?
Corruption is a central mechanic that impacts the game both visually and narratively:
- Visual Distortion: As corruption increases, you'll experience more frequent and intense visual glitches, screen shakes, color inversions, static bursts, and more pronounced scanlines.
- Audio Degradation: The ambient soundscape becomes more chaotic and distorted, with more frequent glitch sound effects.
- Text Corruption: Dialogue and UI text may occasionally scramble or become unreadable, reflecting the system's instability.
- Narrative Impact: Your corruption level can influence available choices and ultimately determine which of the 7 unique endings you achieve.
- Interactive Elements: Higher corruption levels can introduce more "corruption hotspots" in the environment, which further increase corruption upon interaction.
What are Memory Fragments?
Memory Fragments are collectible items scattered throughout the game. There are 12 in total. Collecting them helps you piece together your past and understand the narrative. Finding them can also unlock new choices or paths.
Hidden Features & Secrets
What are some hidden features in the game?
SYSTEM_DECAY includes several hidden features designed to enhance replayability and reward exploration:
- Terminal Interface: A hidden command system (Ctrl+T once unlocked) that provides additional lore and backstory through various commands.
- Memory Fragments: 12 collectible fragments that reveal more about your past.
- Secret Areas and Paths: Certain choices or action sequences can lead to hidden locations or unique scenes not immediately obvious.
- Conditional Content: Scenes, choices, and dialogue can change based on your previous decisions, corruption level, or collected memory fragments.
- Dynamic Corruption Effects: The visual and audio distortions of corruption are dynamic and evolve with your gameplay, influencing available paths.
How do I use the Terminal?
The terminal interface is a hidden feature. You can unlock it through certain narrative choices within the game. Once unlocked, you can open it by pressing Ctrl+T on your keyboard. Inside the terminal, you can type commands to interact with the system and gain more information. Type "help" for a list of available commands.
Endings
How many endings are there, and what are they?
There are 7 unique endings in SYSTEM_DECAY, all fully implemented and accessible through different narrative paths:
- Digital Symbiosis: Merge completely with the system, transcending human and digital boundaries.
- Coexistence: Maintain individual consciousness while accepting your digital nature, stabilizing the corruption.
- Sacrificial Cleansing: Purge corruption by sacrificing your memories, becoming a guardian of a pure but empty digital space.
- Imperfect Balance: Accept partial corruption to retain self, existing in a sustainable tension between order and chaos.
- The Truth Unveiled: Discover the horrifying reality that the "system" is your own mind, and corruption is your growing awareness of death.
- Eternal Prison: Absorb the system's corruption into yourself, becoming a willing prisoner to maintain balance.
- Scorched Earth: Destroy the source of corruption, leading to mutual destruction of self and system.
Setup and Controls
How do I set up and start playing SYSTEM_DECAY?
To start playing, simply open the index.html file in any modern web browser. It's recommended to use headphones for the optimal audio experience. Once the loading sequence is complete, click the "INITIALIZE" button on the title screen to begin.
What are the controls for the game?
The game primarily uses mouse/touch interactions:
- Mouse/Touch: Used to navigate and interact with environments.
- Click: Select choices and interact with objects.
- ESC: Closes the terminal overlay when it's open.
- Ctrl+T: Opens the terminal overlay (only when it has been unlocked through gameplay).
Are headphones required to play?
Headphones are highly recommended for the optimal experience, as the game features a dynamic and procedural audio system that significantly enhances the atmospheric horror. However, the game is fully playable without sound.
Technical Aspects
What are the browser compatibility requirements?
SYSTEM_DECAY is designed to run on modern web browsers. It is compatible with:
- Chrome/Edge: Version 80+
- Firefox: Version 75+
- Safari: Version 13+
- Mobile: iOS Safari 13+, Android Chrome 80+
What are the performance requirements for the game?
The game is relatively lightweight:
- RAM: 512MB minimum
- Storage: Approximately 5MB browser cache
- Network: Only required for the initial load. The game is offline-capable after loading.
Content Warning
This game contains themes of:
- Existential horror and psychological distress
- Digital consciousness and death
- Memory loss and identity confusion
- Isolation and entrapment
It is suitable for mature audiences and not recommended for players sensitive to psychological horror themes.