Japanese indie developer Not a Dog has announced its “media censorship adventure game” Happy Propaganda is coming to Steam on October 28.
As a broadcast supervisor for the fictional totalitarian state of Vesna, players are tasked with moderating the comments of a five-day state propaganda broadcast. According to the Steam store page, during broadcasts, viewers will leave a variety of comments, ranging from support and casual conversations to seditious questions about the government and even insults thrown at the caster. The player’s job will be to decide which comments to keep, and which to delete.
Balancing viewer consensus is key to a successful broadcast in Happy Propaganda, as too many chat messages deleted will gradually anger the viewer base. On the other hand, loosening moderation can lead to harmful words directed at the newscaster herself. Players will have to parse the various nuances behind the comments picked up by the automatic detection system.
Off the record, players may have a heart-to-heart with the news anchor. Both newly appointed to their respective positions as replacements, they may share personal feelings as they build a strange bond while running a state-governed show together.
The game involves choosing different topics to cover for each day, and online news posts and work emails can give you an idea of what to feature on the broadcast. On the fifth and final day, a different ending awaits depending on the choices made up to that point.
Happy Propaganda is set to launch on PC via Steam on October 28. A recent X post by Not a Dog has revealed that the game will most likely support Mac OS in the future.
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