Not Tonight (video game)

Did You Know?

• A downloadable content game called Not Tonight: One Love was released for Steam on 25 June 2019.
• A sequel, Not Tonight 2, was announced in August 2021 and released on 11 February 2022.
• Not Tonight 2 is set in a future dystopian United States ravaged by a second Southern secession, climate change, and a pandemic.

Gameplay

The gameplay centers on the duties of a bouncer in Albion (England), where the player character, a person of European heritage stripped of British citizenship, must check guests' identification cards for validity, age, expired documents, fraudulent information, contraband, or mismatched photographs. As the game progresses, additional rules are imposed by venues or the state, such as barring certain nationalities, clothing, or those not on guest lists. The player may accept bribes or sell drugs for immediate money at the cost of social credit. Failing missions also reduces social credit, which can limit job opportunities or lead to deportation if it reaches zero. Between missions, the player returns to their flat to interact with characters, pay rent, and purchase items. Story-affecting decisions are made throughout.

Plot

The game is set in England under the nativist Albion First party and Prime Minister Simon Tavener. Following a post-Brexit economic crisis, the government strips citizenship from Britons with EU ancestors, relocating them to slums for deportation. The player, designated Person of European Heritage #112, works as a bouncer on 31 December 2018 at a New Year's Eve ball at the British Museum when a terror bombing occurs. The story then rewinds to 1 January 2018, where #112 takes bouncer jobs to appease immigration officer Jupp and delay deportation. The player may support the government or a resistance. Jupp conscripts #112 into his side business, Jupp Security. If #112 avoids deportation, he is arrested after the bombing and faces a televised court hearing. Witnesses, including Jupp, assess his character; if most speak positively, the judge investigates, finds Jupp guilty of illegal furniture import, and accuses Tavener of conspiracy and electoral fraud, toppling the government.

Reception

Not Tonight received mixed or average reviews on Metacritic, while the Take Back Control Edition received generally favorable reviews. Screen Rant gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Trusted Reviews noted that the Papers, Please formula works in a less Soviet setting but is slightly diminished by the transplant, while praising its eccentric characters, landscapes, and haunting music. Many reviewers compared the game to Papers, Please.