Falk

Falk is a two-dimensional computer role-playing game built around player choice, set within a house described as a living nightmare. Players create a character, develop skills and perks, and gather companions as they move through the building. Quests branch depending on how they are approached, with stealth, force, deception, knowledge and empathy all available as methods. Successful skill checks and difficult decisions alter the story and determine which of five endings the player reaches.

Light is a central mechanic. The player carries an ember that can be exposed in order to see and interact with the surroundings, or covered in order to stay hidden. Enemies detect the player in different ways: Shadows track by sight, while a creature called the Listener responds to sound, including footsteps, landings, thrown objects and creaking floorboards. Problems can be tackled by sneaking, distracting, hiding, climbing, deceiving, investigating or confronting, depending on the abilities the player has chosen.

The game is divided into five chapters. Dialogue approaches, companions, abilities, reputations and earlier decisions carry forward and affect later chapters and the finale. The world uses environmental storytelling, procedurally generated pixel artwork and audio that reacts to what is happening in the game.