Panopticon: The Hacker [WIP] Latest Update 28/4/26 13:40 BST (~54k+ words)

[Somethinkorignl]

Thank you so much for coming back to it! Next update is probably going to be a bigger one. Definitely plan to have character’s react to customization options, just have to figure out how to put that in place. Also, good call on the grayed out boxes for choices already picked I.e. the first phone call choice and then in the hub etc. I had already considered this but now I’m almost definitely going to implement that.

Unsure on whether I will end up using stat bars or just percentages but definitely worth a look into. If you like the WIP definitely keep coming back occasionally as we’re just getting started!

Thank you all so much for the support!

[Somethinkorignl]

UPDATE 6/4/26 23:10

Added the first proper stat-based consequence to the demo. Surveillance Risk now affects what approaches are available during the Helix section, so cleaner options can get locked if you have been leaving too much heat behind.

Also tightened pacing a lot in the opening and hub sections. Current demo is around 13k raw script words and feeling much more like an actual game now instead of just connected scenes. I’m so excited! Also decided Panopticon: The Hacker is going to be the first book in a planned series. As ever, feedback is extremely important to me!

[Somethinkorignl]

Major structural progress today.

Reworked the internal Helix sequence so it plays more like an actual system rather than a linear scene. Different approaches now feel more distinct, and early stat checks (especially Surveillance Risk, Nerve, and Empathy) are starting to meaningfully change what options are available and how cleanly things go.

Fully rewrote the ORACLE reveal scene. It now reacts more to your stats and route, and leans harder into the idea that this isn’t just a tool — it’s a system for shaping outcomes under the guise of probability. Tried to keep the tone grounded and uncomfortable rather than dramatic.

Spent a lot of time cleaning up the hub and underlying structure. Preparation options are now more focused, and I’m trying to follow a rule going forward: if something exists, it should matter. Rather than adding more systems, I’m working on making the current ones (Humanity, Guilt, Suspicion, etc.) actually have weight across scenes.

Also reorganised the startup file to keep everything readable and avoid things getting messy later. No new major features, just making sure the foundation is solid before expanding further.

Current word count is ~15k and let’s just say I’m not running out of ideas any time soon!

Next steps:
– Strengthen how individual stats affect outcomes across multiple scenes
– Further differentiate routes (Lena / Malik / Ivy / Solo) so they feel like genuinely different approaches
– Continue expanding content, but with a focus on depth rather than breadth

As always, feedback is massively appreciated — especially on whether choices feel meaningful and if the tone is landing.

[Somethinkorignl]

What’s new:
Added dynamic companion system
You now start with a single contact and can choose to bring others in later.
Companions are no longer just “picked routes” — they exist in the world and can join or leave based on your actions.
Implemented breakpoint decisions during missions
Certain choices now have lasting consequences on your team.
Companions react to how you approach problems, not just what you achieve.
Added philosophy-based companion reactions
Characters respond differently to:
moral decisions
hesitation under pressure
reckless vs controlled actions
They can now leave permanently if pushed too far.
Improved scene pacing and feedback
Broke up longer sequences into smaller beats for impact
Added clearer stat feedback in key moments (e.g. suspicion changes)
Expanded hub functionality
“Team meeting” scene now reflects who is actually present
Contacts and interactions update dynamically based on companion state
What’s next:
Rework the final mission to include team member support based on relationship and trust
Increase stakes across later scenes
Expand player customisation so it meaningfully affects interactions (currently limited to gender, sexuality, and appearance flavour)
Targeting ~130k words for full demo / beta

[Somethinkorignl]

Is anyone actually still reading these updates?

[Haxs]

Yes, Please Continue Your work The Story is Good.

[Somethinkorignl]

Thank you so much! It’s starting to turn into more work than I imagined when starting this project but I keep getting new ideas. Next update will involve way more world-building and city districts each with their own vibe

[Myrtle]

You’re doing a great job adding more content to this! It has a lot more mechanics already and next time I play I’ll try to build a team and hang out with the characters (this time I inadvertenly ended up working alone lol).

Is this the end of the game for now? Once I reached this part carrying on looped back on the same scene:

If you want some subjective feedback, I personally found the drone scene a bit confusing, I didn’t quite understand what was happening. Also, the writing style has lots of sentence fragments, which suits the genre as it makes the action feel more fast-paced, but I did notice that the structure “Not X. Just Y” shows up quite often — adding some variation here could help the scenes feel more distinct.

[Somethinkorignl]

Hey thanks for playing again! Yeah the loop is effectively the end of the demo as of right now (sorry, it should have closed not looped!). Tbh I value constructive feedback more than anything else, it helps me see where I’m going wrong/missed the mark. Will work on the drone scene to make it make much more sense in context, tbh I wrote that scene standalone before using CS to work it into the Downtown mission so that makes sense as to why it feels out of place and yeah the short, punchy, action format is intentional but could use some variety in places. Right now the main thing I’m working on is building the world and The City where Panopticon is set specifically, keep your eye out for more! (Did you notice the solo playthrough felt more distinct with the new options?)

[Myrtle]

Yep I definitely noticed that there’s references to working alone if that’s what you’re doing, like how you’re on your own when deciding how to sneak in and there’s no one to tell you if your method is a bad idea (which has its own appeal).

[Somethinkorignl]

Yess! That’s exactly what I was going for and I’m glad it landed

[Somethinkorignl]

Small Update 20/4/26:

• Cleared up prose in places
• Cleaned up repetition in scenes
• Corrected bug so conversations with allies don’t repeat twice - should feel dynamic each time
• As always open to feedback and excited to hear your thoughts

[Somethinkorignl]

Update 23/4/26:

Did a setting/prose pass today on a few district scenes

Spoiler?

(and added a few more)

Main thing I wanted to improve was making the city feel more naturally part of the story and mechanics instead of just background flavour. Tightened some prose and added more district-specific atmosphere so the different parts of the city feel more distinct in play.

Touched up:

• Exchange Quarter / Glassbank content
• River District
• Outer Blocks

Mostly a writing/worldbuilding update, but one that should hopefully make the game feel stronger and more grounded overall.

And FINALLY the game now has a playable start-to-finish structure.

This does not mean the game is finished-finished, polished, balanced, or submission-ready yet, but the main spine now connects properly from the opening through the late-game route lock and into endings.

Today’s update includes:

• Fixed broken scene transitions

• Connected the late-game route lock properly

• Added final route/ending flow instead of the old demo stop

• Added a playtest skip option for jumping closer to the final act

• Cleaned up some progression logic around districts, Meridian, and

  SPOILER!!!

  the Ivy betrayal route

• Ran a reference pass for missing labels, broken scene calls, and missing variables

There is still a lot I want to tighten — especially prose, pacing, companion fallout, late-game reactivity, and making sure the endings feel earned rather than just technically reachable — but this is the first time the project actually feels like a full game skeleton rather than a growing demo with a cliff edge.

As always, feedback is very welcome, especially around pacing, whether the late-game choice feels natural, and whether the companion reactions still feel human once the story starts getting heavier.

[Somethinkorignl]

What’s New:

This update is less about raw word count and more about how the game plays.

Meridian House is now fully in the demo, with a new three-part sequence:

Approach — reading the system
Entry — choosing how you operate
Internal — deciding what you take, and how long you risk staying inside

Your entry style now matters mechanically:

Stealth. Social. Aggressive. Manipulative.

These choices feed into suspicion, heat, future access, and how the system starts treating you.

Companions also react during missions now, not just around them. Lena, Malik, and Ivy should feel more present inside the story, with their own priorities shaping how they respond.

Lena sees the human cost.
Malik sees the weak points.
Ivy sees the risk.

Ivy especially lands differently now, given where things go.

Meridian also introduces a payload system. What you take from the building will matter later:

Map — understand the network
Ledger — names and accountability
Chain — infrastructure and weak points
Watchlist — human cost

Staying longer gets you more.
It also makes you more visible.

The system doesn’t “alert.”

It recognises.

I’ve also started a prose pass across earlier sections. The goal is to pull the writing back toward what I wanted originally: controlled, slightly detached, precise prose with momentum. Less over-explaining, fewer lines trying too hard, more confidence in the silence between beats.

Smaller fixes include cleaned-up scene transitions, tighter hub feedback, minor stat consistency tweaks, and some dead-feeling lines cut from earlier scenes.