THE DEADSEAT

The Deadseat begins during a car ride. The player is seated in the back, holding a handheld console. At first, the setting feels limited — a quiet ride, a simple game. But something begins to change. The events inside the game start reflecting what’s happening outside the screen. The car, once just a background, becomes active. The game is no longer a distraction. It’s connected to the moment, and ignoring it—or relying on it too much—leads to consequences.

Managing Two Realities at Once

Players must constantly switch between interacting with the handheld and observing their surroundings. What begins as routine gameplay becomes part of a larger structure. The car may shake. The environment may shift. The handheld becomes a tool, but it cannot be trusted entirely. Decisions must be made quickly, and awareness is always divided.

Core Mechanics and Features of The Deadseat

•         Dual focus gameplay: handheld interface and in-car surroundings
•         Environmental response to player input and inaction
•         Time-sensitive events that reward observation
•         Narrative progression shaped by choices under pressure
•         One-sitting design, meant to be played without pause
•         Additional Hard Mode that changes pacing and events
•         Subtle use of sound to guide player attention
•         Limited player control over space, encouraging stillness
•         Themes of uncertainty, distraction, and boundary collapse
•         Visual transitions between calm and stress without jump scares

These mechanics create a structure where stillness becomes part of the challenge.

Awareness as the Only Defense

There are no weapons in The Deadseat. No open world to explore. Everything takes place in a moving vehicle with limited vision and few tools. The only way forward is through attention. The screen may help, or it may deceive. The car may hold answers, or it may trap the player further. Tension builds not from what is seen, but from what is nearly seen. The player’s ability to survive is tied directly to how well they understand the rhythm between both spaces.

Endings Without Resolution

The Deadseat concludes not with a solution, but with a question. What happened during the ride is never explained directly. The player is left with fragments — moments where the line between game and environment blurred. The car continues on, but something about the ride has changed. The experience isn’t about clarity. It’s about tracking the point where the two layers stopped being separate, and recognizing that it may have started earlier than expected.