The fall season is well and truly upon us, with tons of games releasing at a pace that I can barely keep up with. If you're similarly struggling to stay afloat with everything, you may have missed the release of Solace State--a visual novel roleplaying game in which you play as Chloe, a woman born as a genetic anomaly who can hack into the minds of other people to aid her efforts in navigating the cyberpunk-inspired world she calls home.

Though also visually stunning, Solace State's beauty lies in its story-- a compelling adventure about queer people of color being drawn into a conspiracy that threatens to plunge an entire country into a dystopian nightmare. It's a game that is both thoughtful and complex, encouraging you to stop and weigh the cost of rebellion against the risk of corporate hegemony, and it's also one of my favorite games of 2023.

I sat down with Solace State executive producer and director Tanya Kan to discuss how the game came together and the decision process behind stepping away from the neon lights, laser swords, and similar imagery to better promote the hacktivism ideals of cyberpunk. We also talked about the game's 31 endings--namely, which one people may want to avoid--and the agency given to the three romance options that Chloe can pursue. The game is available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.