If you’re a glutton for punishment and the monotony of being a slave for a corporation, CorpoNation: The Sorting Process is the perfect game that encapsulates it all. It makes for an interesting adventure by combining elements from indie games such as Papers, Please and Not Tonight. Instead of sorting people, you are sorting Genomes. On the surface, this may not raise any eyebrows, but you begin to ask yourself, “Why are we sorting genomes?”
It’s not long until the rest of your colleagues start asking questions. You then begin to get some very suspicious emails. It’s time to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Corporation Kindness
While being paid the bare minimum, you have excessive bills you must fork out for regularly. On top of that, you have to choose whether you want to decorate the room you live in or spend your money on a gaming addiction. Your credits are precious and are given in small amounts. If you struggle, the options menu may have some answers for you.
You can change the Cost of Living modifier to be kinder or even harsher if you’re a glutton for punishment. Adjusting the difficulty results in a completely different experience. Not only that, but you can change the length of your shifts if time passes too quickly. There are multiple modifiers and alterations that you can add to your experience, which I really appreciate, as these games can get quite stressful and difficult when you’re racing against the clock.
The dystopia sets in on the first night when you return to your pod and find that your only activities are reading the news and state-approved gaming. That being said, the minigames available are a lot of fun. Admittedly, I did struggle with the fighting minigame initially, as there was no explanation on what to do, but then common sense kicked in, and I could win a few games here and there.
Heightened Suspicions
After the first week, the game quickly takes a turn and has you on your toes. Within the first few days, you’re already receiving weird emails. Your co-workers are beginning to plant thoughts into your head about the company you’re really working for. As soon as this started to happen, I knew that I was in deep. I had to play this and find out what happened.
Things quickly spiral out of control, and suspicions are heightened. Who is this company that I’m working for, and should I trust them at all? Ash was asking all of the right questions but ultimately paid the price.
Wrapping Up
CorpoNation: The Sorting Process is a fantastic dystopian game with a deliciously dark story that has a realistic feel but also feels disjointed from reality. The gameplay is a great timesink, especially if you are like me and enjoy organization in games. It does ramp up quickly, though; you’re soon working with numbers, patterns, and even splicing. For those who find it challenging to keep all of that memorized, the game allows you to read back the instructions in the guide as many times as you need, and time doesn’t pass as this happens.
While there are games similar to this, CorpoNation feels the kindest and most accessible while providing a challenge to the gamer. With options to change the colors of the game screen to make it easier on the eyes, as well as the modifiers to make the days longer or the cost of living lower, this fantastically dystopian title allows you to enjoy it for the story rather than the challenge. If you want a challenge, you can always increase the cost of living and make the days as short as possible if you want extra suffering!
Overall, my experience with CorpoNation: The Sorting Process was delightful. It scratches a very particular itch in gaming that hasn’t been able to be scratched since the release of Papers, Please. Maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment and being a slave to society, but it’s enjoyable either way!
