History VideoGame / Simulacra

The game was released for [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PCs]] + {{UsefulNotes/Android|Games}} and [[UsefulNotes/IOSGames iOS]] on October 26th, 2017, and is available for purchase on UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} [[http://store.steampowered.com/app/712730/SIMULACRA/ here.]]

A sequel, titled ''VideoGame/Simulacra2'', was released on December 12th, 2019 for mobile and for Steam on January 16th, 2020. A third installment, ''SIMULACRA 3'', was then released on October 25th, 2022.

A sequel, titled ''VideoGame/Simulacra2'', was released on December 12, 2019 for mobile and for Steam on January 16, 2020. A third installment, ''SIMULACRA 3'', was then released on October 25th, 2022.

* BigBad: The one responsible for Anna’s disappearance is [[spoiler:the titular Simulacra, a digital [[EldritchAbomination abomination]] residing in the Internet which is killing and absorbing people into itself]].

* CastFromLifespan: You can pay for Eggs in "hours". [[spoiler: If you do that, your sight starts getting darker and hazier, and doing that too much will result in getting the worst ending [[NonstandardGameOver even before entering the final sequence]].]]
** One extreme case is the Subscription, which [[spoiler: lets you automatically win the final level but condemns you to forfeit your existance to the Simulacra.]]

-->[[spoiler:'''[=FlapeeBird=]''']]: "''There's no 'self' in peace.''"

* HelloInsertNameHere: You actually don’t do this immediately, but a little into the game when signing up for [[GameWithinAGame FlapeeBird's Royale Mode]]. Naming yourself Teddy, a swear word, or a famous Youtuber [[DevelopersForesight actually gets you different achievements]].

** After the phone seemingly gets wiped and you're asked to input another name, type in [[LetsPlay/{{JackSepticeye}} Jacksepticeye]]. IRIS will automatically change it to the [=YouTuber=]'s real name, which ''Jack himself'' discovered during his Let's Play of the game, to his horrified surprise.

* BlandNameProduct: Jabbr (Twitter), Spark (Tinder), Vloggr (a cross between Vine and Blogger), Kappafeed (Buzzfeed), and Surfer (Safari).

** Similarly, typing "LetsPlay/{{Markiplier}}" provides ''his'' real name. Mark didn't discover the easter egg however.

* ArcWords: "I am her as she is me." [[spoiler:Both Anna and Taylor (though it turns into "I am it...") say this. The Simulacra itself says this during its chat with the Player.]]

* SameLanguageDub: Greg is physically portrayed by Reuben Cheow, but voiced by Gavin Yap.

%%* GhostlyGape: [[spoiler:The corrupted images of Anna and Taylor]] have it in the endings where they are [[spoiler:taken by the Simulacra]].

A sequel, titled ''VideoGame/Simulacra2'', was released on December 12, 2019 for mobile and for Steam on January 16, 2020. A third installment, ''SIMULACRA 3'' was then released on October 25th, 2022.

* CallBack: In the middle of the game, the player learns that [[spoiler:James Aulner left his phone at his workplace prior to his disappearance]]. This comes back later when [[spoiler:Anna tells the player that they are texting via James's phone - tipping the player off that this is not the real Anna]].

** [[spoiler:There are other downer endings for other individual plot threads too, such as [[HeroicBSOD Ashley fining out that Anna is missing]], [[LifesWorkRuined Yolanda's career being ruined]], and [[KarmaHoudini you being investigated by the Police instead of Greg.]]]]

* ExactWords: If you choose to [[spoiler:save Anna over Taylor]], then [[spoiler:the Simulacra]] will tell you that [[spoiler:"the being known as Anna will be returned"]]. It is only after you [[spoiler:sacrifice Taylor]] that [[spoiler:the Simulacra]] clarifies that [[spoiler:it meant Anna's ''physical body'' will be returned, and that her consciousness/soul will still been absorbed into its influence]].

%%* GhostlyGape: [[spoiler:The corrupted images of Anna and Taylor]] have it in the endings where they are [[spoiler:taken by the Simulacra.]]
* GoldenEnding: The one where [[spoiler:both Anna and Taylor are spared]]. The only hitch on this ending is that [[spoiler: the Simulacra is still out there, and while you've rescued two people from its clutches, you still haven't killed it for good]].
* GuideDangIt: In order to get the best ending, you have to be a complete jackass. [[spoiler:You have to lie as much as possible, get Greg arrested by having him turn himself in, hook Anna up with her best friend Ashley without her permission, report her coworker for sexual harassment (okay, that one would be the good option if it didn't also involve '''blackmail'''), and fake an interview under Anna's name to get her a new job. In the end, it makes Anna's life better, but that's only because the simulacra is so impressive with you being a completely manipulative bastard.]] [[KarmaHoudini All the while, you, as Greg's accomplice, stealing Anna's identity, and blackmailing someone get off scot-free.]] In order to even guess that you had to do all of that, you would have to understand the personality of the villain from the start AND stoop to their level, the first of which is only possible if you beat the game already, and the second one would be difficult for most players to stomach.

** [[MacabreMothMotif The Moth]]: You [[spoiler: have Taylor kill Anna in order to save him, but in doing so, brand him a murderer.]]
** [[SacrificialLamb The Lamb]]: You [[spoiler: save Anna by sacrificing Taylor to the Simulacra, but it's implied that only Anna's body was returned, not her consciousness.]]
** [[GoldenEnding The Worm]]: You [[spoiler: manage to save both Anna and Taylor. This ending is unambiguously good, with the only downside being that the Simulacra is still on the loose.]]
** [[InkblotTest The Inkblot Test]]: You [[spoiler: lose both Anna and Taylor to the Simulacra. This is the only ending with a proper title - it's called "Abandon All Hope."]]

-->'''The Simulacra''': [[AC:YOU AND I ARE NOT THAT DIFFERENT.]]

* PullTheThread: Towards the end of the game, [[spoiler:the Simulacra messes up when it-as-Anna pretends that it's texting you over James' phone...when you know that James left his cell phone behind. It realizes this, changes its text background to its distinct inkblot, and converses with you as itself from then on]].

** Both Greg and Taylor are set up as suspects in Anna's disappearance. Greg has anger issues, leading to the possibility that Anna either fled him to avoid DomesticAbuse or was murdered by him. It's later revealed Anna met up with someone on Spark, pointing towards Taylor [[spoiler:which isn't helped by his status as a sex offender]]. However, [[spoiler:neither are involved. Greg ''does'' have poor anger management skills, but he wouldn't be the type to physically hurt someone, even if just out of [[DirtyCoward cowardice]]. Taylor got his sex offender status for public urination, and wasn't the one who Anna met up with. Instead, she met up with the Simulacra-as-Aulner.]]
** James Aulner is able to pinpoint everything in the lives of Anna and Cassie. When reading over his texts and messages to Anna & Cassie, [[spoiler:it becomes clear this was the Simulacra trying to get its next victim]].

* VillainProtagonist: Downplayed. The player, in-order to find out where Anna is, performs criminal acts such as blackmail, impersonation, and later, [[spoiler:murder-by-proxy]]. But if one gets the GoldenEnding, all of that is becomes justified as [[spoiler:both Anna and Taylor live]] and you managed to [[spoiler:(temporarily) defeat a digital evil]]. But no manner what the ending you get, you still have committed numerous criminal acts and have to live with your actions, no manner how great the cost.

** The victim being a girl with a four letter name and two A's in her name (Sara and Anna).

** The victim have a least ''one'' friend who was shown to be kind and supportive, and clearly the OnlySaneMan due to them being genuinely concerned about their friend (Aya and Ashley).
** The victim being sexually harassed at least once by an acquaintance (Buddy and Murv), and the player having the option to punish them accordingly by either [[spoiler: getting them fired (Murv) or potentially dooming them to die (Buddy).]]
** The victim having recently gone through a bad break-up which she initiated (Sara because Derek [[spoiler: ditched her on her birthday to take nude photos of another girl]], and Anna because Greg [[spoiler: cheated on her with a client and almost got her pregnant.]])
** The player being contacted by someone named James who helps them find the victim. [[spoiler: Both James's are doomed to die, and cannot be saved.]]
** The player being forced to choose [[spoiler: which one of two people to save. Whoever is not saved dies, and the ultimate fate of whoever is saved is usually left ambiguous.]] Slightly subverted with ''SIMULACRA'' due to the fact that [[spoiler: it is possible to save both Anna and Taylor, though it can be difficult.]]

** [[DownerEnding In This Together]]: [[spoiler:You and Teddy are both [[CessationOfExistence erased from reality]]]].
** [[HeroicSacrifice Nonexistence]]: [[spoiler:You are erased from reality while Teddy is spared]].
** [[AllForNothing Bye Teddy...]]: [[spoiler:Teddy is erased from reality while you are spared]].
** [[GoldenEnding Out Of This Together]]: [[spoiler:Both you and Teddy beat [=FlapeeBird=] at its own game]].

A sequel, titled ''VideoGame/Simulacra2'', was released on December 12, 2019 for mobile. It was released on Steam on January 16, 2020

A sequel, titled VideoGame/Simulacra2 was released on December 12, 2019 for mobile. It was released on Steam on January 16, 2020

* {{Corpsing}}: Whenever you lose in [=FlapeeBird=], the AI giggles before coughing as if pretending to not supposed to be mocking you.

* GuideDangIt: In order to get the best ending, you have to be a complete jackass. [[spoiler:You have to lie as much as possible, get Greg arrested by having him turn himself in, hook Anna up with her best friend Ashley without her permission, report her coworker for sexual harassment (okay, that one would be the good option if it didn't also involve '''blackmail'''), and fake an interview under Anna's name to get her a new job. In the end, it makes Anna's life better, but that's only because the simulacra is so impressive with you being a completely manipulative bastard.]] [[KarmaHoudini All the while, you, as Greg's accomplice, stealing Anna's identity, and blackmailing someone get off scott-free.]] In order to even guess that you had to do all of that, you would have to understand the personality of the villain from the start AND stoop to their level, the first of which is only possible if you beat the game already, and the second one would be difficult for most players to stomach.

* AdultFear: Anna has been missing for days, and no one knows about it until the player finds the phone.

* BaitAndSwitch: One character mentions that he once really had to go to the restroom and ended up peeing in a stairwell, only to have a mother and her kid walk in. It sounds like the typical PottyEmergency joke, but in context [[spoiler:it's Taylor explaining how he became a registered sex offender. It's a significant plot point, as it adds strain to his relationship to Greg and the player. His simulacrum is also weaker for this reason, making him the Simulacra's target in the climax]].

* RealityEnsues: One character mentions that he once really had to go to the restroom and ended up peeing in a stairwell, only to have a mother and her kid walk in. It sounds like the typical PottyEmergency joke, but in context [[spoiler:it's Taylor explaining how he became a registered sex offender. It's a significant plot point, as it adds strain to his relationship to Greg and the player. His simulacrum is also weaker for this reason, making him the Simulacra's target in the climax]].

* BigBad: The one who is responsible for Teddy's strange behavior and is out to get him is [[spoiler:the [=FlapeeBird=] AI/Simulacrum, which controls the [=FlapeeBird=] game and seeks to kill and assimilate victims into it’s consciousness, much like the original Simulacra. It’s not clear what relationship they have.]]