Time to get organised
We've had about roughly four decades of games as we generally know them now, and yet somehow, so often their stories feel so limited in scope. I'm not talking about a lack of big, bold ideas, in fact there might be too many of those. I more mean that there are aspects to life that often go uncovered in games. For example, when was the last time you saw a game about a workers strike? Citizen Sleeper 2 has one questline about such a thing, but it's just what the entire game is about. A Line Held Tight, a mecha visual novel about a sci-fi miner's strike, may bridge that gap.
A Line Held Tight is being developed by Humble Grove, the studio behind the quiet but impactful No Longer Home. Narrative is at the forefront with this game too, albeit with an emphasis on the choices you make throughout the strike. You play as The Canary, a member of a mining colony who's been cut off by the rest of humanity, set in the 32nd century. "As a strike boils over you’ll help The Canary to decide where their heart and their loyalties lie," the game's Steam page explains. "A branching narrative weaves its way through the deep tunnels of the mine to meet the characters within it as outside influences make themselves felt."
Those aforementioned choices you make primarily affect The Canary's relationships with friends, family and other workers, a much more appealing concept mechanically than simply different endings or storylines. In the world of labour organising, it's the relationships you build with others that's really the key thing, so it's nice to see an emphasis on that both narratively and mechanically. The game has some pretty stunning hand-drawn charcoal art too, as well as a traditional folk soundtrack, a pretty unique combo for a game.
As it stands, A Line Held Tight doesn't currently have a release date. Where it makes up for that is a demo that you can try out right now as part of Steam Next Fest, at the very least. There's a nice little video talking through some of the thought process of making a game such as this one from Humble Grove that you can check out below too. And while you're doing that, whether you check out the demo or not, perhaps give the game a little wishlist on Steam.