Hey everyone!

With Episode 1 now out, I wanted to take a moment to dive into the core concept behind The Proofreader and how its mechanics serve the themes I wanted to explore.

At its heart, the game revolves around a moral dilemma: "Is it acceptable to sacrifice the truth to preserve order?"

You play as an internal watchdog in a dystopian corporation, filtering messages and monitoring employees. With each decision—whether to approve, reject, or flag a message—you shape the world around you. The company’s directives become stricter over time, and as you grow closer to certain colleagues, your choices gain weight.

Game Mechanics & Themes

🔎 Censorship & Control – Your job is to review emails and decide their fate, much like in Papers, Please. But what if your duty clashes with your conscience?

💬 Human Connection vs. Authority – Through an internal chat system, you can build relationships with coworkers. But will you use this to protect them… or betray them?

🖥️ Corporate Oppression Through Systems – The game unfolds through a bureaucratic office interface, hiding deeper secrets, much like Her Story. The sterile UI reflects the cold, systematic nature of oppression.

Each day of work brings new ethical challenges. Will you follow orders for security and rewards, or risk everything for the truth?

Let me know your thoughts—would you prioritize morality or obedience?

to test the 1st prototype episode, click here: https://affroriffo.itch.io/the-proofreader

🚀 Stay tuned for more updates!