Bartend and discover a conspiracy in Under the Counter

Bartenders seem to be privy to some of the worst-kept secrets in the sleaziest parts of the city. It’s at the bar scene where you may overhear drunken louts and traumatised soldiers whisper their struggles into their inquisitive ears, in between gulps of stiff drinks. That, in essence, is the character you’ll be embodying in the upcoming bartending-and-subterfuge game Under the Counter, which is loosely based in 1940s Warsaw–right in the midst of World War 2.

As a street vendor peddling his home-made brews and obnoxious-looking stews, you’ve set up shop right at the heart of a city occupied by enemy forces. It’s also here that you’ll serve your regulars, who usually come by for some good (although debatable) drinks and conversations.

There’s a tinge of the supernatural in these tales as well, since not all of them are your typical folks looking to drown their sorrows; some of your cliente, for instance, aren’t quite human. Eventually you’ll realise that a few of your regulars haven’t been dropping by too often, and you may decide to investigate their disappearance.

It’s pretty heady stuff, and the trailer for Under the Counter also seemed to hint at macabre happenings, while offering glimpses of ghastly, and very clearly barbarous, creatures. It also brings to mind cyberpunk bartending game VA-11 Hall-A, where you are also discovering more about the city as a bartender through your regulars’ personal tales. Korba Games said that this should appeal to fans of Papers, please,  Night call, and We, The Revolution, so there’s probably some dystopian elements involved.

There’s no concrete release date yet for Under the Counter other than a “second half of this year” from the devs, so hold your horses till then.