Learn more about Truman Show-esque American Arcadia with our developer walkthrough

American Arcadia got a brand new gameplay trailer at the Summer Game Fest, but now we've sat down with developer Out of the Blue Games to explore exactly what the game is all about as part of the Future Games Show powered by Mana.

The titular Arcadia is a retro-futuristic city where its citizens do enjoy a comfortable and luxurious life, but, unbeknownst to them, they also spend every minute of their lives being broadcast live on a TV show. If your personal ratings drop, you're at risk of the worst fate ever - not cancellation, but death.

The game will follow two characters - one inside the city of Arcadia, and one outside. Trevor is our Arcadian.

"Trevor is just an average person living a mundane life, but the problem is, since he's living inside the TV show, that is not interesting for the audience. It doesn't make him popular," says Tatiana Delgado Yunquera, co-founder and creative director at Out of the Blue Games. "The ratings are not working, and the TV show just wants to get rid of him. So when he realizes that everything was a lie, his life changes totally. That's the moment when he is going to escape."

Wishlist American Arcadia now on Steam

The other character, a currently unnamed woman, is going to help him. And between the perspectives of these two characters, it opens up the game to two distinct gameplay styles.

"In American Arcadia we have two totally different types of gameplay," explained lead game designer, Alvaro Gonzalez. "On the one hand we have the side-scroller in 2.5D, with action and platforming, chases, and of course, puzzles."

"On the other hand, we have the first-person gameplay, with a slightly more leisurely tone that leads us to experience exploration, stealth and hacking mechanics, always using puzzles as a central part of the gameplay."

Interestingly, the team also wants the game to have a strong message for its players.

"What we want to tell you is that you don't need to live just for getting likes on Instagram or other social networks," says Yunquera. "Just do the things that make you happy and you don't need to care about what the others think."

American Arcadia is due to launch an at an unknown point in the future on PC. Make sure to add it to your Steam wishlist now.

For more awesome games featured during today's Future Games Show, check out our official steam page.

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Sam Loveridge is the Brand Director and former Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar. She joined the team in August 2017. Sam came to GamesRadar after working at TrustedReviews, Digital Spy, and Fandom, following the completion of an MA in Journalism. In her time, she's also had appearances on The Guardian, BBC, and more. Her experience has seen her cover console and PC games, along with gaming hardware, for a decade, and for GamesRadar, she's in charge of the site's overall direction, managing the team, and making sure it's the best it can be. Her gaming passions lie with weird simulation games, big open-world RPGs, and beautifully crafted indies. She plays across all platforms, and specializes in titles like Pokemon, Assassin's Creed, The Sims, and more. Basically, she loves all games that aren't sports or fighting titles! In her spare time, Sam likes to live like Stardew Valley by cooking and baking, growing vegetables, and enjoying life in the countryside.