Nirvana Noir

Nirvana Noir is a surreal detective adventure game by an indie studio Feral Cat Den. It was developed by Fellow Traveler, known for such games as Beacon Pines, The Pale Beyond and Neo Cab. The game was first revealed in December 2023, during the Day of the Devs show, and is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Genesis Noir, winner of the Independent Games Festival and BIG Festival.

Plot

Although the game is a sequel, it's also a standalone story. The protagonist, No Man, must face the consequences of the choices he made in the first game. He stars living a double life, which divides his world into two opposing realities - Black Rapture and Constant Testament. Both these realities are threatened by the mysterious Bigger Bang, which can only be stopped by the protagonist. No Man must unravel a massive conspiracy to save the space city he perceives as split into two.

Mechanics

The choices the protagonist makes affect both parallel cities, each of which has its own mystery to solve. In Black Rapture, No Man must construct a clock tower while dealing with a series of arsons; in Constant Testament he must stop the spread of a new, dangerous drug. To save both realities, the player moves between both worlds while completing objectives.

The game features numerous interactive puzzles and challenges, such as reconstructing destroyed buildings, searching for bones hidden in wardrobes and manipulating words to find hidden answers. The player's primary objective is discovering the truth behind the mysterious, dangerous Bigger Bang company and a new drug of the same name. We must therefore act like a detective, talking to witnesses and gathering clues. Our unique ability, Mind's Eye, lets us track evidence trails and connect clues together.

Technical aspects

Nirvana Noir features cartoonish 2D graphics. Both worlds feature opposing color palettes, one being black and white, the other vividly colorful. The soundtrack was created by a London-based group Skillboard, also responsible for the soundtrack in Genesis Noir. The music combines jazz, noir and neo-noir with some psychedelic sounds.