History VideoGame / HeadlinerNoviNews

* AnAesop: It is very easy for news media to manipulate "the truth" by selectively presenting information. Political issues are complex, multi-faceted things, and "taking a side" isn't always as simple as it seems.

* AuthorTract: Notably, the game manages to avoid soapboxing on any of the political issues you are presented with- every side has its benefits and consequences, but being a wishy-washy centrist doesn't get you anywhere either. It is, however, rather {{Anvilicious}} when it comes to the message about the power and responsibility of news media.

Compare with VideoGame/PapersPlease and VideoGame/NotTonight, other games with relatively simple mechanics, a dystopian near-modern setting, and tough moral choices.

The game was preceded by the smaller 2017 title [[CapsLock HEADLINER]], set in Novistan's neighboring country (and fellow dystopia) of Galixia.

* Evie, your coworker. An immigrant from Learis concerned about rising xenophobia and inaccessibility of healthcare. Also a potential love interest.

Furthermore, completing the game once unlocks another character: Helene, a police officer who you can help solve a [[MurderMystery murder]]. If you help her, she opens up to you about her struggles with PTSD and her personal doubts about the police career.

* AuthorTract: Notably, the game manages to avoid soapboxing on any of the political issues you are presented with- every side has its benefits and consequences, but being a wishy-washy centrist doesn't get you anywhere either. It is, however, rather [[Anvilicious heavy-handed]] when it comes to the message about the power and responsibility of news media.

* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: You can also leave Justin to wallow in depression and substance abuse, possibly causing him to fatally overdose. For Evie, you can get her deported by stirring up anti-Learian sentiment, or be so verbally abusive to her that you get the achievement "True Hate" for making her hate you. Rudy gets it worst of all: it's possible to start out being supportive of [=BetterBuzz=], recommend he sells it, wait until he converts his store to sell it... then switch your stance and turn the public against [=BetterBuzz=], leading to his store being ''burned down''. You get the achievement "Bad Blood"... along with a nice little WhatTheHellPlayer speech from Rudy.

* Evie, your coworker. An immigrant from Learia concerned about rising xenophobia and inaccessibility of healthcare. Also a potential love interest.

Compare with VideoGame/PapersPlease and VideoGame/NotTonight, other games with relatively simple mechanics, a dystopian setting, and tough moral choices.

'''Due to the ButterflyEffect nature of the game, where almost all possible events are determined by the player's decisions, spoilers abound for consequences of actions. Beware!'''

* AssassinationAttempt: If you take an anti-government stance, PM Wolff will announce his intent to give a live speech. Then you will be contacted by some mysterious figures who give you a story alleging that [[GovernmentConspiracy the government created the plague to specifically target Learian gene-mods in order to have an excuse to go after Learia]]. If you publish this article, Wolff will be fatally shot at his speech. (If you don't, he'll be impeached anyway, since it's too late to turn public opinion towards him).

** The first time you enter Rudy's store, Ada will confront you and say that she knows all the timelines you've ruined. She then tells you "You're just as biased as the rest" and "You're not a good person, [character name]".

* BreakingTheFourthWall: At the end of a run, you get a note on your desk that comments on how you did, and also addresses you by your computer system's username. This trope really kicks in, though, on repeat playthroughs:

* BreakingTheFourthWall: At the end of a run, you get a note on your desk that comments on how you did, and also addresses you by your computer system's username.
** Also, Ada (Rudy's daughter) will sometimes talk to you on repeat playthroughs and "judge" you based on the worlds you created.

->''"Control the news, control the truth"''

* Justin, your brother. An aspiring comedian struggling with depression and anxiety. An optional side quest involves you helping him get back on his feet and find success in a comedy career.

''Headliner: [=NoviNews=]'' is a 2018 indie point-and-click game made by Unbound Creations.

You are the newly-hired Headliner of [[WeWillUseWikiWordsInTheFuture [=NoviNews=]]], the most influential newspaper in Novistan. Every day, you get a stack of articles, and choose which ones get in the paper and which ones don't. Simple, right? Well, not exactly, because Novistan is a country with lots of hot topics. From a xenophobic Prime Minister to fears over new [[GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke genetic modifications]], from national-vs.-private-healthcare debates to a new artificial alcohol named BetterBuzz, everyone is looking to your paper for information. And every article you publish- or don't- will have consequences on the population's attitude.

After work each day, you walk a few blocks back to your apartment. Along the way, the streets reflect how things are going- stir up opposition to the government and you'll see protests, support increased police presence and [[SurveillanceDrone drones]] will be whizzing by. There are a few characters that you can talk to each day:

If you haven't guessed already, the game heavily focuses on MultipleEndings. The game itself is relatively short, taking place over 14 days, but multiple replays are needed to see all the different routes that unfold from taking different stances on issues. Any given ending is simply made up of how each character fared, the country's position, as well as the Headliner's fate. There is no GoldenEnding, fitting for a game about complex political issues... but there a more than a few [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential bad ones]].

Due to the ButterflyEffect nature of the game, spoilers abound for consequences of actions. Beware!

* {{Dystopia}]: Debatable at the beginning, but you can certainly turn Novistan into one.

* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: You can also leave Justin to wallow in depression and substance abuse, possibly causing him to fatally overdose. For Evie, you can get her deported due to anti-Learian sentiment, or be so verbally abusive to her that you get the achievement "True Hate" for making her hate you. Rudy gets it worst of all: it's possible to start out being supportive of [=BetterBuzz=], recommend he sells it, wait until he converts his store to sell it... then switch your stance and turn the public against [=BetterBuzz=], leading to his store being ''burned down''. You get the achievement "Bad Blood"... along with a nice little YouMonster speech from Rudy.

You are the newly-hired Headliner of [[WeWillUseWikiWordsInTheFuture [=NoviNews=]]], the most influential newspaper in Novistan. Every day, you get a stack of articles, and choose which ones get in the paper and which ones don't. Simple, right? Well, not exactly, because [[Dystopia Novistan]] is a country with lots of hot topics. From a xenophobic Prime Minister to fears over new [[GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke genetic modifications]], from national-vs.-private-healthcare debates to a new artificial alcohol named BetterBuzz, everyone is looking to your paper for information. And every article you publish- or don't- will have consequences on the population's attitude.

* Boss, your boss at [=NoviNews=]. Each morning, he evaluates your performance the previous day, and gives advice on how to proceed.

If you haven't guessed already, the game heavily focuses on MultipleEndings. The game itself is relatively short, taking place over 14 days, but multiple replays are needed to see all the different routes that unfold from taking different stances on issues. Any given ending is simply made up of how each character fared, as well as the Headliner's fate. There is no GoldenEnding, fitting for a game about complex political issues... but there a more than a few [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential bad ones]].

''Headliner: NoviNews'' is a 2018 indie point-and-click game made by Unbound Creations.

* ConspicuousTrenchcoat: The browncoats (anti-government organization) who sometimes approach you in the street. If you get Prime Minister Wolff out of office, his replacement is noted to wear the same brown coat...
* ThePlague: A central issue is a new virus that seems to only affect people with genetic modifications. Although it isn't shown to have any consequences beyond intense vomiting, it serves as a major source of fear for the populace.