Citizen Sleeper review – space oddity

metro.co.uk:

Investigate a delipidated space station at the edge of society in this blend of tabletop role-playing mechanics and a visual novel.

Despite the critical acclaim it received, In Other Waters still feels like an overlooked gem from 2020. In many ways, it was antithetical to the loud, flashy, and violent foundations most games build for themselves – as you turned dials and flicked switches on an AI interface to assist a stranded xenobiologist. It was a sedate experience difficult to sell through screenshots and trailers, told from an unusual backseat perspective that went against the norm by not having the player directly explore an alien planet with swarms of monsters to shoot.

Developer Jump Over The Age, a one-person studio founded by Gareth Damian Martin, might finally make the splash they deserve with follow-up Citizen Sleeper. While it remains faithful in spirit to In Other Waters, with a sprawling interface filled with plenty of widgets to fiddle with, the slick graphic novel artwork, engaging premise, and open-ended design make it far easier to recommend to a wider net of players. If you’re a fan of sci-fi, tabletop role-players, and the thrills of time management this might become one of your favourite games this year.

At first, Citizen Sleep can seem intimidating. You play as a Sleeper, a human consciousness that’s been replicated inside another body owned by corporation Essen-Arp. In a bid to escape their controlling system, you awake in a container on the Erlin’s Eye space station, as you’re caught between trying to survive, by assisting locals with tasks, and trying to flee an incoming hunter who wants to return your body back to the corporation.

Instead of having direct control of your character, the entire