Will O’Neill isn’t one to pull punches in his writing, and his latest title, Little Red Lie, explores themes of poverty, happiness, and lying. The adventure game released last year on PC and mobile, but it’ll be coming to PlayStation 4 in 2018 according to a trophy listing. Some PlayStation owners should be familiar with O’Neill’s work as he previously released Actual Sunlight on PlayStation Vita (learn how his previous game impacted one of our writers), and worked on Planet of the Eyes.
View the official game description for Little Red Lie below:
Little Red Lie is a narrative-focused, interactive fiction experience that reduces the traditional nine-verb adventure game structure down to a single, context-dependent interaction: LIE.
Gameplay consists of navigating conversations and environments which will require you to lie to both others and yourself in order to secure your financial and personal future.
If you enjoy realistic and dramatic stories in a contemporary setting which deal with weighty issues of family, society and politics, Little Red Lie will offer a unique perspective into the subtle (and not-so-subtle) deceptions that shape our daily lives.
STORY THEME: ARE YOU MORE AFRAID OF POVERTY THAN DEATH?
If you grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, you may have been shielded from the full weight of existence by a happy and prosperous middle-class family, as well as access to an education which seemed to imply that your own life would be similarly rich with possibility.
How is that going?
LIE: THE ONLY VERB THAT MATTERS.
Explore the contrasting characters and stories of Sarah Stone and Arthur Fox through a wide variety of dishonest interactions. And literally nothing else.
SETTING: SCARS RUN DEEP
Realistically told, and in a realistic place: The streets and landmarks of Scarborough, Toronto’s most notorious, misunderstood and fiercely proud suburb.
TWO CHARACTERS, ONE FATE
Living in a common time and place, Little Red Lie alternates you through the perspectives of two individuals who never meet, but who are deeply connected nevertheless. Explore the dynamics of their lives, relationships and decisions as both of them come face-to-face with the consequences of who they are and where they come from.
For more on Will O’Neill’s prior work, check out our Actual Sunlight review. Here’s a snippet of what I had to say about the narrative-driven title when it released on PlayStation Vita:
Actual Sunlight is an insightful look at how some people deal with depression, and the struggles of everyday life. It is a focused game that tells the story that creator Will O’Neill wants to, and is better off for it. Few games will make players this uncomfortable, and few handle serious topics with this much grace. It may not be enjoyable to play, but it is absolutely worth playing.
Little Red Lie is available now and is currently in development for PlayStation 4.
