NEGOTIATOR: Choice Text Game Is a Crisis Negotiation Thriller, Out Now

Don’t we all spend way too much time texting people anyway? And that’s what this new game is built around. Negotiator: Choice Text Game is an interactive thriller that happens entirely through SMS. You’re stuck trying to talk people down through your phone.

You play as Felix Fandor, a crisis negotiator

The people messaging you aren’t stereotypical criminals. They’re just regular people who did everything they were told to do, followed the rules, filled out paperwork, got ignored by the system, and eventually hit their breaking point. Now they’ve made one desperate decision, and you’re the person on the other end of the conversation.

You’ll get leaked documents, photos, and voice notes that act as evidence. You have to look through everything before replying. Figuring out what’s really going on is part of the job, and the details you notice can completely change how you approach the conversation.

Everything happens inside a realistic SMS-style messaging interface with typing indicators and delivered and read receipts. There are even moments where the connection can switch from secure messaging to plain SMS during a crisis.

Under the hood, there are hidden Trust and Anxiety meters constantly changing based on what you say. NEGOTIATOR: Choice Text Game is all about consequences instead of right answers, so your choices decide where each story ends.

Every case plays out in a single sitting, and once you make a decision, that’s it. You don’t get to reload because you suddenly realised your reply sounded terrible. You just live with whatever happened.

NEGOTIATOR: Choice Text Game has multiple endings for every case

The game launches with multiple episodes. Episode 1, Silent Cargo, takes you to a pharmaceutical warehouse where a desperate father is holding two hostages. Episode 2, The Bank Raid, drops you into First Meridian Bank with eleven hostages and a veteran who has no demands.

Another one, Episode 3, Lost in Translation, is set at Meridian Harbour. A detained ship, an unpaid crew, and three different languages make an already tense situation even more complicated. After each ending, your skills improve based on six qualities across all cases, including things like Empathy, Tactical thinking, and Composure.

Negotiator: Choice Text Game is free to play and available on the Google Play Store.

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