A Point-and-Click Adventure Game, Reactor 09 tells the story of Clyde Galivan, a former scientist who finds himself arrested and thrown into jail for life. With his strictly by the book CO Matthew keeping a close watch on him, he's stuck mopping floors and needing permission just to access the supply room... until a mysterious earthquake rocks the entire complex.
A major part of gameplay is that Galivan must earn Matthew's trust. Even in a crisis, Matthew insists on following rules and regulations, and isn't too keen on letting Galivan carry around potentially harmful items like pipes or scissors.
This Adventure Game contains examples of:
- Curse Cut Short: Walters really doesn't like being called 'princess', but her threat to "cut off your ear and shove it up your—" gets interrupted by Matthew.
- Distressed Dude: Despite his safety first attitude, Matt still gets himself knocked unconscious in a couple spots, requiring Clyde to revive him.
- First-Name Basis: Played with as part of the character's personalities. Matt will call Clyde just by his prison numbers if the latter calls him Matt. If Clyde addresses him as CO, Matt will settle for using his last name, Galivan, which is somewhat more meaningful. During the epilogue (triggered only if you have found all 3 newspaper articles and have 50%+ Trust), Matt will call Clyde by his first name as soon as he finds out he was framed by Marson.
- Four Is Death: District 4 is rocked by a reactor explosion, along with District 5, though the former is noted to be closer. Subverted, however, in that Matt's partner Jacob survived.
- Heavy Sleeper: Stafford, who is found sleeping in a restroom stall in the quake-ridden Reactor 09. Lampshaded by your incredulous CO.
- Give Me Your Inventory Item: Matt doesn't like Galivan carrying certain items, and insists on holding them himself. Notably, since he's following you around, you can then ask him to use them in your stead.
- Mexican Standoff: During a possible climax, Matt faces off with Marson.
- Multiple Endings: Which primarily depend on how much Matthew trusts you and whether or not you've collected certain items. There are four in total. Two of them can only be found on the Good Epilogue path, where you play as Matt.
- Nothing Up My Sleeve: Matt reveals to Clyde that he had a concealed pistol on him the entire time when he has to chase down Marson in the Good Epilogue. It doesn't even show up in Matt's inventory until that point occurs.
- Precision F-Strike: If Clyde fails to warn Matt about an explosive solution to one puzzle, he will let one loose from surprise. Clyde suffers lost trust as a result of this.
- Straight Gay: Rumors around the prison peg Matt as this, which Galivan asks him about in the prologue.
- You Lose at Zero Trust: Acting rude to your CO (or just being very inconsiderate in general) will lower your trust with Matt. If it gets to the worst possible point, Matt will outright stop Galivan moments away saving his reactor, saying he can't trust him any longer, triggering the worst ending.
