Stay alert! Trust no one! And welcome to Alpha Complex. In Black Shamrock & Cyanide’s upcoming game Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory, players enter a world of dark humor, treason, and berserk robots.
If you’re into the tabletop gaming scene, this might not be your first time hearing about Paranoia. The series has been around since the 1980s, and a new version came out in 2017. Still, this is the first time a game has made it onto the computer and I’m excited to see how the gameplay adapts to a video game.
In Paranoia, players take control of characters called Troubleshooters. Their name is fairly self-explanatory: they find trouble and they shoot it. Troubleshooters work in service of Friend Computer, the AI that controls Alpha Complex. Alpha Complex is the last idyllic bastion of humanity in the world of Paranoia, and Friend Computer guards it viciously.
What sort of things are Troubleshooters finding and shooting? Traitors, clones, and aggressive drink dispensers according to the game’s official listing. While the specific enemies have changed over the years, the goal remains the same: protect Friend Computer and Alpha Complex from any and all threats.
You may be wondering why the game is called Paranoia, though. If it’s anything like its tabletop counterpart, it’s because traitors and treason are everywhere – including in your own team. In fact, you yourself could be a traitor.
Do you have what it takes to survive in the world of Paranoia?
