Outsider

Who is the Outsider?

Outsider is a handcrafted science fiction narrative game with hundreds of choices.

You'll join my childhood friend Nando in online encounters with a woman claiming to be an extraterrestrial. It is a faithful recreation of their conversations based on the records he left me before disappearing over a decade ago.

"I know this sounds unbelievable, but please try to keep an open mind."

As a world-class hacker, gamer, data hoarder and jokester extraordinaire, Nando travels the globe selling his security expertise to the highest bidder. But nothing could have prepared him for what awaited when he connected to a private chat room using a mysterious cube that arrived in the mail...

Outsider is a game full of humor and drama for all-out geeks and sci-fi fans everywhere. You will play as Nando's inner voice and help him navigate his encounters with an extraterrestrial from a highly advanced civilization.

Most of the gameplay unfolds within a chat interface. Your first goal is to help Nando determine whether "Mara" is truly who she claims to be... But how could an extraterrestrial prove their origin through online chat?

Outsider's options are labeled with emojis that reflect the answers' tone and likely impact. Consequences unfold naturally; you don't need to fear getting locked out of an ending because of a "bad" choice.

Reading options include multiple fonts (including a special Dyslexia-friendly one), adjustable text speed and fast-forward for a modern reading experience.

Nando has unsettling dreams throughout the game. Are they telling him anything? Crack a challenging, but optional, metapuzzle and help him peel hidden layers from the mystery. Solving the puzzle uncovers an important secret, but you can save it for the next playthrough if you want.

Game Features

Handcrafted story with hundreds of choices: 100K+ words, countless paths and multiple endings, all written by a human.

A dynamic narrative where decisions matter: individual choices always affect the characters, but a single "wrong" choice will never lock you out of an ending.

Deep narrative with plenty of humor: Nando's playful spirit doesn't get in the way of a science fiction narrative that pulls no punches. Participate in discussions about technology, philosophy, religion, literature, science, history and more. Or skip the thorniest sections using a built-in feature in case you're just interested in the action.

No "bad" or "gotcha" endings: there will always be something to learn from the experience no matter what you decide.

Locations around the world and beyond: travel to the Americas, Europe, Asia and more.

Detailed depiction of alien science and technology: explore the answers to some of our most important and oldest questions. Outsider's "hard sci-fi" technology is equally credible and extraordinary.

A challenging but optional overarching puzzle: a mystery that will keep puzzle lovers on their toes while allowing everybody to reach the game's endings. The puzzle reveals the secret "true" ending but doesn't block progress.

Comprehensive reader features include fast forward, inline history scrolling, hands-free advance, keyboard-only operation and much more.

Professional-quality soundtrack: nineteen songs created by human musicians for nearly two hours of quality background music.

A full tutorial helps you get up to speed and learn how to interact with Outsider's conversation engine.

Accessibility options enable you to heavily customize your experience with various fonts, including a Dyslexia-friendly one, text speeds and font sizes.