GameWiki
GET YOUR BEARINGS
About PROXIMATE
PROXIMATE is a dread‑driven narrative adventure set in a deep‑sea laboratory. Players wear the SONA visor, which supplies only minimal visual data, forcing reliance on text logs, proximity readings, and ambient audio to build a mental map of the environment.
The experience is a single‑player assignment limited to ninety minutes, featuring voice calls from a manager, a cast of queer characters, and a corporate backstory about a failed AI‑driven labor project. Full controller support is listed, and the game runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
01 / THE GUIDE
Visor Information
The SONA visor displays only the bare minimum visual cues, such as labeling a red stain as ketchup. It may withhold details that the player must infer from surrounding text logs, proximity data, and ambient sounds, encouraging active interpretation.
Because the visor can fail at critical moments, the design pushes players to cross‑check its output with other sensory information. This creates tension and requires a mental map rather than full visual certainty.
- When the visor provides a label, pause to consider surrounding audio or text that might confirm or contradict it.
- Use proximity data to gauge distance to objects the visor does not explicitly name.
02 / THE GUIDE
90‑Minute Assignment
The investigation is explicitly timeboxed to ninety minutes, with the description noting that staying longer could affect pay. This timer adds pressure to complete objectives within the allotted window.
If the limit is exceeded, the description jokes that pay might be docked, reinforcing the urgency of efficient exploration and analysis.
- Keep an eye on any in‑game clock to balance exploration with log collection.
- Prioritize tasks that seem to unlock new areas early in the timer.
03 / THE GUIDE
Manager Voice Calls
Luke Austin voices a manager who contacts the player throughout the investigation, offering assistance that can be ambiguous. These calls are intended to feel supportive while leaving room for player judgment.
The manager’s tone sometimes suggests unreliability, prompting players to weigh the spoken advice against other clues before acting on it.
- Listen for specific location references that match your current position.
- Treat vague suggestions as background flavor rather than mandatory direction.
04 / THE GUIDE
Queer Character Cast
The game features a cast of queer characters whose presence is highlighted as a cared‑for element of the narrative. Their dialogue contributes emotional texture to the story.
The store description highlights these characters as a cared-for element of the narrative rather than detailing any specific mechanics tied to them.
- Pay attention to each character’s statements for contextual hints about the lab’s condition.
- Consider how their perspectives might contrast with the corporate narrative.
05 / THE GUIDE
Corporate Backstory
After labor movements in India and Southeast Asia, Melbourne startup Neuras attempted to install AI drives into the freshly dead to create cheap labor. The project failed, and the lab cut contact with investors, prompting the investigation.
As a contractor for a large investment firm, the player is tasked with recovering IP and assessing the SONA visor, which may become a larger problem than the missing workers.
- Use the backstory to infer why certain equipment appears in the lab.
- Link environmental details, like the red stain, to the corporate narrative for thematic insight.
COMMUNITY
Player discussion