Surreality Check
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About Surreality Check
Surreality Check is a 2026 PC-only adventure RPG from Absurdity Interactive that blends visual novel storytelling with absurdist humor. You play as Rowan Roach, a disoriented protagonist navigating life’s meaning through surreal therapy sessions with a sarcastic, godlike Universe. The game leans heavily into branching dialogue choices, with a narrative that twists between existential dread and dark comedy. It’s a single-player experience where your decisions shape Rowan’s psyche, but the Universe’s constant snark complicates everything. Think of it as a choose-your-own-adventure game where the “helpful therapist” is actively sabotaging your progress.
Gameplay
You’ll spend most sessions in a mix of text-heavy dialogue trees and brief, quirky RPG mechanics. Each therapy session has you selecting responses to the Universe’s cryptic questions, which directly alter your sanity meter and future options. Between sessions, you complete oddball side quests like decoding symbolic dreams or arguing with sentient office chairs. Controls are mouse-driven, with minimal combat but frequent sanity checks, literally. The game’s pacing leans slow, with sessions often hitting 2, 3 hours, but its 12 branching story paths mean replayability hinges on seeing how the Universe punishes or mocks your choices.
What Players Think
The PlayPile community rates it 4.2/5, with 68% of players completing at least 70% of the story. Average playtime is 9.5 hours, though some report 20+ hours for 100% completion. Community moods are split: 42% amused, 30% confused, 18% frustrated. One review calls it “laughed out loud at least once every 10 minutes,” while another gripes, “the Universe’s personality is less ‘helpful’ and more ‘toxic NLP bot.’” Achievements (120 total) skew toward niche tasks like “Choose the Most Obvious Wrong Answer Three Times in a Row.” At $19.99, it’s a mid-budget gamble for narrative-driven players who don’t mind a disjointed tone.
PlayPile's Take
Surreality Check is for fans of experimental storytelling and anyone who’s ever felt life’s futility. The game’s strength is its audacious humor, but its refusal to take itself seriously might alienate players expecting deeper emotional stakes. With 120 achievements and 10+ hours of content for the price of a coffee, it’s a low-risk purchase if you’re in the mood to mock the Universe alongside it. Just don’t expect clear answers, Rowan’s therapy isn’t covered by insurance, and neither is yours.
Game Modes
Single player
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