After mysteriously vanishing for five years, a ship (the Obra Dinn itself) washes ashore. As an insurance adjuster, you’re tasked with discovering what has happened to its crew members. However, your method of investigation is not typical; you’ll use a time-travel device to back to the scene – and discover the grim fate of those aboard.

Pope is best known for 2013’s renowned Papers, Please, an arguably strange game that puts you in the shoes of a border crossing agent/immigration officer. Papers, Please was critically acclaimed by reviewers and players alike.

In 2014, Pope announced Return of the Obra Dinn on TIGForums with a strong aesthetic in mind: “I’d like to capture the detailed black & white look of old Mac games in a realtime 1st [sic] person game”.

Four and a half years later, his vision has finally been realized.

A playable demo of Return of the Obra Dinn is available on Pope’s website. The game will retail at $19.99 when it releases next week.