Meet Dave, an ordinary office worker. He might spend a little too much time staring out the window at his desk, but overall, he enjoys his job and bantering with his colleagues. His routine breaks down when he's assigned the desk of a previous coworker who reportedly had a nervous breakdown. Suddenly, things start to unravel. Why is Joanne locking the door to her room? What is a treatise on demonology doing in the desk drawer? And where does that side alley shortcut lead? SIDE ALLEY, like its sibling PSYCHOLOG, melds the storytelling of visual novels with the interactive elements of first-person point-and-click games. Engage in conversation with colleagues to make them open up and offer their help, investigate the surroundings to find clues on how to battle the curse, and sometimes, just run. The story unfolds in an oppressive urban setting where the sky is rarely visible, and a backrooms aesthetic permeates the bleak interiors. The relentless onslaught of the game's stylized visuals amplifies the pressure and stress as the curse tightens its grip, offering a fate worse than death. The city is a labyrinth. You always knew it; you just didn't have the time to try different paths. Now, you have no choice.
