By ![Enoch: Children of Fate [Game Showcase]](https://www.indiegamesdeveloper.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/enoch_Divers_Metro.jpg)
Enoch: Children of Fate casts players into a stark, dystopian future aboard the Enoch space station – a floating relic of humanity’s last desperate hope. In the year 2279, the entire solar system fell victim to an unknown threat, rendering Earth uninhabitable. Only the inhabitants of Enoch survived, thanks to a newly tested FTL drive that allowed them to jump to another system. Now, Enoch – a colossal space station built to sustain life – serves as their sanctuary. To evade the threat, the station makes one or two jumps each month, always on the run. But within its metallic walls, old patterns of greed, corruption, and social inequality have been reborn, tearing at the fragile seams of this makeshift society.
The station is split into two distinct worlds: Cylinder A and Cylinder B. Cylinder A is a utopia of wealth and privilege, where the agri-corporations, or agri-corps, rule with an iron grip. They control food production, the most valuable commodity aboard the station, hoarding resources and living in opulence while the rest of humanity struggles to survive. Beneath their veneer of order lies a deep undercurrent of exploitation, masked by grand promises of stability and progress.
In stark contrast, Cylinder B is a festering urban nightmare, teeming with millions of desperate souls. Here, towering skyscrapers stretch into the artificial sky, but these decaying structures house nothing but misery. The streets below are controlled by ruthless gangs, and the people live in cramped, squalid conditions, battling poverty, addiction, and violence. The authorities, powerless to contain the chaos, walk a thin line, trying to prevent an all-out war between the classes while social tensions simmer on the edge of eruption.
In this bleak world, players assume the roles of multiple protagonists, each with their own perspectives, dilemmas, and buried secrets. The narrative unravels in three interconnected chapters, immersing players in a web of crime, moral ambiguity, and survival. The choices players make will shape how they perceive the characters around them, peeling back the layers of their complex lives, while the story follows a more streamlined, single-ending narrative.
The journey begins with Chapter 1: The Investigation, where the player steps into the shoes of Arten Long, a determined investigator, and her partner John Nakanaga. Their mission is to track down Swan, a notorious hitman whose brutal killings have sent shockwaves through the station. The case takes a chilling turn when the pair stumbles upon a disturbing pattern: teenagers from Cylinder B have been vanishing without a trace. While many suspect gang recruitment as the cause, Long and Nakanaga’s pursuit of truth leads them to a far more insidious possibility – one that implicates Marcus Lavergne, a wealthy and influential figure from Cylinder A. As the investigation deepens, Arten is thrust into the middle of a brewing gang war, where personal stakes rise when her ex, Zinnia Bergier, finds herself in grave danger. The boundaries between duty and emotion blur, as Arten must decide what—or who—she is willing to sacrifice.
Chapter 2: The Disappearances shifts focus to Marcus and his brother Trent Lavergne. Marcus, outwardly a philanthropist and founder of public schools in the station’s poorest sectors, is haunted by the disappearance of several young protégés under his care. Determined to uncover the truth, Marcus and Trent dive headfirst into an investigation that takes them far deeper than they ever imagined. As they navigate the tangled web of the station’s underworld, their journey leads to a blood-soaked reckoning. Marcus’s wealth and influence offer him no protection from the dark secrets lurking beneath Enoch’s surface, forcing him to confront the brutal reality of the world he thought he understood.
In Chapter 3: The Escape, players step into the shoes of Alice Nandi, one of the missing teenagers, who finds herself trapped in a nightmarish environment far removed from the corridors of Enoch. Alone and terrified, Alice must rely on her instincts and wits to survive. Along her perilous journey, she crosses paths with Swan, the very hitman who has been the target of so many investigations. Surprisingly, Swan offers her help, and together, they embark on a desperate bid for freedom. But as Alice inches closer to escape, the lines between friend and foe, predator and prey, begin to blur, forcing her to question whether she can truly trust her enigmatic companion.
Between these gripping chapters, players will experience brief interludes through the eyes of an anonymous astro-miner, travelling alone in the endless void of space. These interludes serve as reflective moments, offering a broader view of humanity’s desperate struggle for survival beyond the confines of Enoch. As the astro-miner navigates a hazardous journey towards an asteroid rich in raw materials, his story provides a haunting glimpse into the lives of those who work in the shadows, far from the station’s central conflicts. Through his eyes, the player sees how the fate of Enoch is intertwined with the broader universe – an ecosystem of exploitation and survival that stretches far beyond its steel walls.
Enoch: Children of Fate is more than just a point-and-click adventure. It is an immersive exploration of human nature, survival, and the moral dilemmas that arise when society teeters on the brink of collapse. Its pixel-art aesthetic and meticulously crafted world evoke a sense of nostalgia, drawing inspiration from classics like Blade Runner and The Expanse, while weaving a deeply personal and original narrative. Through richly layered storytelling, the game explores themes of addiction, crime, poverty, and the lingering trauma of humanity’s past. Every character, no matter how minor, is imbued with a sense of purpose and depth, making the player question their motivations and decisions.
The true heart of the game lies in the complex interplay between its characters. Their fates are not bound to a single truth but are shaped by the player’s choices along the way, even within the framework of a single-ending narrative. There are no simple solutions in Enoch – every decision carries weight, and every consequence is felt. As the lines between right and wrong blur, the player is left to navigate a morally grey landscape where even the best intentions can lead to devastating outcomes.
In the end, Enoch: Children of Fate paints a haunting picture of a future where humanity’s worst tendencies have taken root, yet glimmers of hope still persist in the unlikeliest of places. Enoch is both a sanctuary and a prison, a microcosm of humanity’s resilience and its darkest flaws. Some may thrive in its shadows, while others struggle to break free. The question remains: in a world built on lies and exploitation, can anyone truly escape their fate?
Enoch: Children of fate can be wishlisted on Steam
