Static Hour puts players in charge of separating truth from fear during a crisis
Developer Barkbyte Interactive has unveiled Static Hour, a new video game that casts players as an overnight radio news editor who must sort real information from disinformation during a growing emergency. The game is set in a small town radio station in the 1980s.
Barkbyte Interactive has announced a new video game called Static Hour, set inside a small-town radio station during the 1980s. Players take on the role of an overnight news editor who must decide what to report during an unfolding crisis, all while unable to fully trust the flood of information coming in.
In the game, panic has gripped the town, the government has ordered a lockdown, and reports are circulating of violence breaking out between family members. Confined to the newsroom, the player can only rely on information arriving from outside — through phone calls, radio transmissions and a police scanner — along with whatever the station's limited analog equipment can provide. At the same time, players must follow broadcasting regulations and manage how the public reacts, since every piece of reported news affects the town.
Inspiration and atmosphere
In a press release, Barkbyte founder and creative director Claire Sarmiento said the game grew out of a fascination with unsettling events unfolding just out of view in a small town, where the true nature of the threat remains unclear. Players must sift through junk data, red herrings and scattered facts to separate truth from premature speculation.
Based on the trailer and screenshots released so far, the game has been described as blending mechanics reminiscent of Papers, Please with the mood of Twin Peaks and Severance. Its 1980s-era props, such as rotary phones and rolodexes, along with a muted color palette, help reinforce the period setting.
No specific release date has been announced yet, but Static Hour will be available for PC via Steam.
