Before They Catch Us
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About Before They Catch Us
Before They Catch Us is a dark, narrative-driven RPG where survival hinges on tough choices and cryptic visions. ANTertainment crafted this text-based indie title as a grim exploration of humanity’s struggle against a corrupted fungal wasteland. Released in December 2025, it plays out on PC and Linux as a single-player journey. You lead a clan through an endless forest of bioluminescent rot, interpreting ambiguous prophecies to guide your people. The game thrives on moral ambiguity and bleak atmosphere, demanding players weigh ethical dilemmas against sheer survival. If you’ve ever craved a story where every decision feels like a betrayal, this is your match.
Gameplay
The core loop revolves around parsing cryptic visions, managing resources, and making irreversible choices. Each session is a tense balancing act: scavenge for supplies, assign tasks to clan members, and interpret fragmented prophecies to avoid disaster. Combat is abstract, relying on luck and resource allocation rather than direct action. The interface is minimalist, with text prompts and branching dialogue trees. Turn-based progression forces you to plan ahead, mistakes like overharvesting or misreading a vision can doom your group in a single session. Playtime averages 10, 15 hours, with 35 achievements tracking survival milestones. The lack of combat mechanics shifts focus to psychological tension and narrative weight.
What Players Think
Community ratings on PlayPile average 8.2/10, with 42% of players completing the main story. Critics praise its "unflinching moral complexity" and "atmospheric dread," though 23% of reviews mention frustration over ambiguous mechanics. Average playtime sits at 12.5 hours, with 68% of players abandoning the game before the midpoint. Community moods highlight "tense" and "thought-provoking," alongside 15% labeling it "depressing." One review snippet: "Every choice feels like a betrayal. That’s the point." Achievement completion rates are 58% overall, with the "Last Survivor" title earned by just 19% of players.
PlayPile's Take
Before They Catch Us is a niche pick for fans of punishing, story-first RPGs. Its $19.99 price tag is low for the genre, but the 10-hour average playtime and 42% completion rate suggest it’s not for everyone. The game thrives on its refusal to handhold, punishing indecision and demanding emotional investment. If you enjoy bleak, choice-driven narratives with no clear answers, it’s worth a shot. Otherwise, skip it. The 35 achievements add replayability, but don’t expect a satisfying ending unless you’re in the top 19% of survivors.
Game Modes
Single player
Achievements
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