Half a millennium ago, the people of my planet realized we were drifting toward the event horizon of a black hole. If that seems like a slow-motion apocalypse to you, imagine how many years passed for your world in the meantime. We experienced generations of denial, despair, riots, and war before Earth was even a wet rock.
I was born after the dust settled, and I grew up knowing this: Someday, our planet will reach the black hole, and then everything we’ve experienced and created will be destroyed. In a way, it never existed at all.
You might think life was super grim for us, but the thing is, there’s a hierarchy to problem solving. You don’t focus on cosmic catastrophe. You focus on what you can control.
Or, at least, what you think you can control.
–Priscilla
Bulwark in the City of Flesh is an audio game, video game, and radio drama. It can be played with your ears, your eyes, or both.
If you choose to play the audio game, the screen is blank throughout. In this mode, stereo headphones and a 4x8 grid of keys are required. The keys are mapped on first launch.
Alternatively, you may choose to play Bulwark in the City of Flesh as a video game. In this mode, the game is a mix of visual and nonvisual scenes, all of which are fully playable without audio if subtitles are enabled.
Bulwark in the City of Flesh is partially a radio drama, which means you’ll often be an observer while audio-only scenes play out around you. If you like podcasts or audiobooks, these parts are for you.
Bulwark in the City of Flesh is free to play, but donations are appreciated.
If you experience poor performance with the default graphics settings, hold the Alt/Option key after double-clicking the .exe/.app/.x86_64 file (before the game launches). An options menu will appear.
There is a light content warning on this game. Gun-like violence is depicted frequently, although it is abstracted and lo-fi.
The game requires a mouse and keyboard, and stereo headphones are strongly recommended. On first launch, the game will ask you to select key mappings. Instructions are provided whenever needed, but the controls are also listed below.
| Grid (4x8) | Select puzzle spot (audio game). |
| Up/Down/Left/Right | Walk and sidestep. |
| Mouse | Change look direction, select dialogue option, etc. |
| Interact | Switch houses, talk to resident, repair power node, etc. |
| Listen | Navigate (audio game). |
| Exit | Skip scene/quit to menu. |
Found a bug? Please report it here.
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