The Westport Independent is a suspenseful thriller set in a post-war nation on the verge of a complete political transformation. The newly elected Loyalist Party is about to revoke liberties and is poised to introduce legislation that will completely destroy free expression within days. You play the difficult role of editor-in-chief of one of the town’s last independent newspapers.

Your daily routine isn’t about writing stories from scratch; it’s about manipulating the information you receive. Surrounded by four unique journalists—each with a strong political view—you’ll dig into raw documents about protests, government corruption, healthcare, and protest behavior. By changing headlines, deleting paragraphs, or choosing to bury articles altogether, you effectively change perceptions of rebel forces and dictatorships.

Key Features:

Powerful Text Censorship:

You have the power to completely alter the content of text without lying. By removing certain lines, you can turn a violent protest into a peaceful one, or frame a government protest as a necessary measure for public safety.

Deepened Professional Life:

Your four reporters aren’t crazy. They have families, political views, and a desire to work. Forcing a pro-government journalist to confront government propaganda will exacerbate their problems, potentially leading to resignation, persecution, or outright arrest by the secret police.

A Highly Dynamic World:

The city of Westport is divided into four distinct regions, each of which responds dynamically to your editorial choices. Your headlines undoubtedly influence public opinion, shifting the balance of power between Loyalists and underground rebels in real time.

Correspondence:

Receive chilling letters, advice, and frank warnings from opposition leaders, government officials, and citizens every day. These documents serve as a concise summary of how your newspaper has changed the society around you.

Intriguing Plot & Multiple Endings:

Every choice is covered in a detailed epilogue. Whether you choose to act like a loyal sycophant to help your crew, or risk your life to spark a full-blown revolution, the fate of Westport is entirely in your hands.

Conclusion:

The Westport Independent is a truly intelligent and thought-provoking book about press control, fake news, and political traps. The book brilliantly captures the same fleeting moral dilemmas that characterize games like Papers, Please, making every editorial change feel weighed down by consequence.