Unaware in the City -v37b Basic (hereafter UiC) by the pseudonymous creator “Mr. Unaware” presents a compelling experiment in player-character dissonance. Unlike traditional urban exploration narratives that reward vigilance, UiC systematically denies the protagonist—and by extension, the player—critical contextual information. This paper analyzes how the “Basic” branch (v37b) uses constraint as a generative mechanic, forcing a playstyle based on inference, repetition, and social misreading. We argue that the game’s frustration is its primary aesthetic vehicle, commenting on modern urban alienation.
The "v37b Basic" designation is crucial. This is not the deluxe edition. Mr. Unaware has released over forty versions of this game, ranging from "v12a Sensory Overload" (which used haptic feedback to simulate subway crowds) to "v29f Noir" (a black-and-white detective reskin).
Version 37b Basic is, by admission of its creator, the most accessible entry point.
"Unaware in the City -v37b Basic-" is aimed at a broad audience, from casual gamers looking for a relaxing yet engaging experience to more serious gamers interested in exploring the depths of urban environments. The game's basic version serves as an excellent introduction to the series, making it accessible to new players.
The core concept of “Unaware in the City” is deceptively simple. You play as a character designated "Unit_734," a resident of a sprawling, unnamed metropolis—likely a post-post-modern interpretation of Tokyo, London, or New York. The game begins every session the same way: You wake up in a rented studio apartment. You have a dead smartphone that only receives weather updates. You have a commuter card with exactly 12 credits left. And you have a two-word objective floating in the top-left corner of the screen: **"Go to work."
The twist is in the game's primary stat: Awareness (AWR) .
Unlike traditional RPGs that track health or mana, “Unaware in the City” tracks how little you notice. The lower your Awareness, the better you function. High Awareness, conversely, is the game’s "insanity meter." If your AWR climbs above 80%, the city begins to glitch—not visually, but existentially. Door frames become trapezoids. Street signs read your childhood fears. Fellow commuters turn their heads 180 degrees to ask for the time.
The user, Mr. Unaware, describes the mechanic succinctly in the game’s readme file: “Happiness is a low-resolution understanding of your surroundings.”
Developer: Mr. Unaware Version: v37b Basic Genre: Adventure / Visual Novel / RPG
Overview: Unaware in the City follows the story of a protagonist navigating the complexities of urban life, often finding themselves in precarious and embarrassing situations due to a distinct lack of situational awareness (or clothing!). The game focuses on stealth, exhibitionism themes, and humorous narrative choices.
What's New in v37b Basic? This "Basic" release likely serves as a public or lite version of the latest update. Players can expect bug fixes, quality-of-life improvements, and potentially new scenes or areas compared to the previous version.
Key Features:
Download Info: (Insert download links here if available)
Notes: As this is the "Basic" version, some premium content or features available to supporters may not be included. For the full experience, consider supporting the creator.
Unaware in the City is an adult-themed, 2D open-world RPG and life simulation game developed by Mr. Unaware Studios. You play as a 21-year-old woman navigating a harsh metropolis where your choices, physical traits, and interactions directly impact the world and character development. Core Gameplay Features
Character Customization: Includes extensive options for name, body and breast size, face parts, hairstyle, and even moan type.
Life Simulation Systems: Manage stats like Health, Mood, Energy, Cleanliness, and Lust. Neglecting basic needs like sleep and food can eventually lead to a game over.
Open-World Choices: Players can decide where to work (e.g., at a diner, brothel, or on the streets), who to talk to, and how to perform duties.
RPG Mechanics: Features various backstories, perks, and traits that provide different starting items, stats, and unique dialogue effects.
Dynamic Interaction: NPCs have their own "Disposition" and "Lust" stats, which fluctuate based on Jane's behavior, clothing choices, and performance in various mini-games. The "Basic" v37b Version
Unaware in the City is a 2D open-world life simulation and role-playing adult game developed by Mr. Unaware Studios . The specific version you mentioned, v37b Basic , was released to the public on July 16, 2024.
As this is a video game and not an academic publication, there is no "full paper" in the traditional scientific sense. However, the developer provides extensive documentation regarding its mechanics, world-building, and update history through changelogs Game Overview and v37b Features
In the game, players take control of a 21-year-old woman named Jane who moves to a modern metropolis called "The City". The experience is non-linear, focusing on survival, career choices, and character development based on stats like Mr. Unaware Studios Key details from the v37b Basic update include: New Events
: Added multiple variants to the "hobo stress relief" events, including specific sexual interaction options like swallowing or spitting. Mechanical Changes
: Movement was restricted to left and right (side-scrolling) to improve performance and reduce bugs. Interaction Refinements
: Interacting with the world now causes Jane to move closer to objects automatically, replacing previous "out-of-reach" sound indicators. Stat Influence
: Character stats directly impact dialogue choices and how NPCs perceive the player—for instance, high Lewdness changes Jane's worldview and available dirty paths. Mr. Unaware Studios Access and Resources
If you are looking for the "full" content or technical documentation, you can find them through the following official channels: Official Devlogs
: Detailed progress reports and changelogs for every version (including v37b) are hosted on the Unaware in The City Itch.io devlog Steam Page
: The game is available for purchase and features community discussions and reviews on
: The developer, who works on the project full-time as their primary income due to a 2019 accident, offers early "Beta" access and an "Extended" version for supporters on installation requirements for this version?
Navigating the Urban Maze: A Deep Dive into "Unaware in the City -v37b Basic"
In the crowded landscape of indie gaming, few titles manage to capture the disorienting, rhythmic, and sometimes surreal nature of urban life quite like "Unaware in the City -v37b Basic". Developed by the enigmatic Mr. Unaware, this specific iteration serves as a foundational entry point into a series that has quietly built a reputation for subverting player expectations and challenging spatial perception. What is "Unaware in the City"?
At its core, "Unaware in the City" is an urban exploration and puzzle-solving experience that places players in the shoes of a protagonist navigating a meticulously crafted metropolitan environment. According to insights from Emerald Stellar Valley, the game is designed to test a player's wits and perception by using the city itself as both the playground and the primary obstacle.
The "-v37b Basic-" tag indicates that this version is a streamlined, essential build. While it lacks some of the hyper-complex layers of later iterations, it focuses on the "Basic" mechanics that define the series: movement, environmental interaction, and the constant feeling of being a small part of a much larger, uncaring machine. The Mechanics of Urban Disorientation
What sets Mr. Unaware’s work apart is the deliberate use of "unawareness" as a gameplay mechanic. Unlike most games that provide the player with a clear HUD, mini-maps, and quest markers, this title forces you to rely on:
Environmental Cues: You must read the city’s signage, architecture, and soundscapes to find your way.
Intuitive Navigation: The game encourages a flow-state where players stop overthinking and start reacting to the urban layout.
Minimalist Interface: By stripping away traditional gaming "crutches," the developer heightens the immersion, making the player feel truly lost—and then found—within the concrete jungle. Why Version -v37b Basic Matters
For newcomers to Mr. Unaware's portfolio, the -v37b Basic- version is often cited as the definitive starting point. It functions as a polished proof-of-concept that demonstrates how a simple urban setting can become a complex puzzle.
Foundational Gameplay: It introduces the core movement physics and interaction logic used throughout the series.
Performance Optimization: As a "Basic" build, it is designed to run efficiently while maintaining the atmospheric depth the creator is known for.
Narrative Subtlety: The story isn't told through cutscenes but through the "lived-in" feel of the alleys, storefronts, and rooftops. The Vision of Mr. Unaware
The developer's pseudonym itself is a commentary on the modern condition. By creating games where the goal is to navigate through a state of "unawareness," the creator highlights how much we miss in our daily lives. The game serves as a digital meditation on the nuances of urban life—the beauty in the grime and the logic in the chaos.
Whether you are looking for a unique puzzle challenge or an atmospheric walk through a digital metropolis, "Unaware in the City -v37b Basic" provides a compelling, stripped-back experience that stays with you long after you log off.
Unaware in the City -v37b Basic- By Mr. Unaware: A Comprehensive Guide to Urban Exploration
As humans, we often find ourselves navigating the complexities of urban life without a second thought. We go about our daily routines, rarely taking the time to appreciate the intricacies of the cities we call home. But what if we told you that there's a world beyond the surface level, waiting to be discovered? Welcome to "Unaware in the City -v37b Basic-" by Mr. Unaware, a thought-provoking concept that's about to change the way you experience urban exploration.
What is Unaware in the City?
"Unaware in the City" is a philosophy, a way of life, and a movement that's gaining traction worldwide. It's an invitation to slow down, observe, and appreciate the often-overlooked aspects of city living. By embracing this mindset, you'll begin to notice the hidden patterns, rhythms, and beauty that surround you. Mr. Unaware, the mastermind behind this concept, aims to awaken city dwellers to the magic that lies just beneath the surface of our concrete jungles. Unaware in the City -v37b Basic- By Mr. Unaware...
The v37b Basic Edition
The "v37b Basic-" edition of "Unaware in the City" is a distilled version of the core principles, designed to introduce newcomers to the world of urban exploration. This foundational guide provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the basics of city awareness, encouraging you to explore and interact with your surroundings in a more mindful way.
Key Principles of Unaware in the City
So, what can you expect to learn from "Unaware in the City -v37b Basic-"? Here are some of the core principles:
Practical Applications
So, how can you start applying these principles in your daily life? Here are some practical tips:
The Benefits of Unaware in the City
By embracing the "Unaware in the City" mindset, you can:
Conclusion
"Unaware in the City -v37b Basic-" by Mr. Unaware offers a refreshing perspective on urban living, one that encourages us to slow down, observe, and appreciate the beauty in the everyday. By adopting this mindset, you'll begin to uncover the hidden gems and secrets that lie just beneath the surface of your city. So, take the first step, and join the movement. Become more aware, more curious, and more connected to the world around you.
Get Involved
Ready to dive deeper into the world of "Unaware in the City"? Visit the official website to:
About Mr. Unaware
Mr. Unaware is a urban explorer, writer, and artist, passionate about sharing the joys of city awareness with the world. With a background in psychology and urban planning, Mr. Unaware brings a unique perspective to the world of "Unaware in the City". Follow him on social media to stay up-to-date on the latest developments and insights.
Join the Movement
Be part of the "Unaware in the City" movement. Share your experiences, tips, and stories with others, and together, let's uncover the magic that lies just beneath the surface of our cities.
The latest update for Unaware in the City is here. Version v37b Basic by Mr. Unaware brings essential stability and content refinements to the urban exploration experience. What’s New in v37b Basic?
This "Basic" iteration focuses on core gameplay loops and performance, ensuring the city feels more alive without taxing your system.
Optimized Pathfinding: NPCs navigate city blocks more naturally.
Bug Fixes: Addressed major collision issues in the Downtown district.
Visual Tweaks: Improved lighting and shadow textures for a grittier feel.
Balance Updates: Tweaked resource spawn rates for a fairer early-game. 🏙️ The Urban Atmosphere
Unaware in the City continues to push the boundaries of "clueless exploration." In v37b, the feeling of being a small fish in a massive, indifferent pond is more palpable than ever. The Basic version is perfect for players who want the standard experience without the experimental bloat of the Alpha builds. How to Install Download the v37b Basic zip file. Extract the contents to your main game directory. Launch via the Unaware_Launcher.exe. Enjoy the chaos of the streets. To help me tailor this post further, let me know:
Is this for a modding forum, a Patreon update, or a gaming news site?
Are there specific new features or story beats in v37b you want to highlight? Should the tone be mysterious, professional, or casual?
I can refine the depth and length once I know the target audience!
Yes, I can create a post for you about that game. Unaware in the City
" is an adult 2D open-world RPG developed by Mr. Unaware Studios. The game follows a young woman navigating a massive metropolis where players make choices regarding her career, relationships, and lifestyle. Version 37b is a public release build that heavily optimized movement mechanics and added detailed environmental interactions.
Below are two scannable options you can use for your post, depending on the platform you are publishing to. 🏙️ Option 1: For Gaming Forums or Reddit
Perfect for standard community boards like the itch.io community.
Title: Exploring "Unaware in the City" - Thoughts on v37b Basic by Mr. Unaware
Hey everyone! I wanted to highlight the v37b Basic public release of Unaware in the City created by Mr. Unaware Studios.
If you aren't familiar with this title, it is a highly customized 2D adult RPG where you drop a customized main character directly into a massive metropolis and choose exactly how she lives. 🕹️ What is New in v37b?
Side-Scrolling Movement: The dev shifted movement strictly to left and right, eliminating a lot of performance lag and standard bugs.
Better Interactions: Interacting with objects now makes your character move closer naturally rather than flashing an out-of-reach error.
Hobo Stress Relief Event: Expanded options for dialogues and scene outcomes.
Bolder Shop Interactions: New stage events added to the grocery store events depending on how often they are triggered. ⚖️ Basic vs. Extended
The Basic Version: The free, standard gameplay loop without experimental access.
The Extended Version: Unlocks cheats, body sliders, forced nudity, and stat manipulation.
This game is a fantastic project from a solo developer who works on it full-time despite major real-life hurdles. Have you tried out v37b yet or did you grab the Steam Extended Bundle instead? Let me know your thoughts! 📱 Option 2: For Social Media (X / Twitter) Perfect for short, punchy engagement with links. Living life in the concrete jungle! 🏙️
Checking out Unaware in the City (v37b Basic) by Mr. Unaware Studios. If you like open-world adult RPGs with deep character customization, this indie title is definitely worth keeping on your radar. 🔥 What's cool about v37b: Polished 2D left/right movement for smoother gameplay Improved interaction distances in environments New dynamic events at the diner and local shops
Check out the full game and devlogs directly on the Official itch.io Page or grab it over on Steam! #UnawareInTheCity #AdultRPG #IndieDev #Gaming If you want to look at more specific details, let me know:
Is this post for a review, a tutorial/guide, or a social media shoutout?
Are you wanting to focus on the free Basic version or the paid Extended version?
I can easily rewrite the post to match your preferred angle! Unaware in The City by Mr. Unaware Studios
Unaware in the City is an adult open-world simulation RPG developed by Mr. Unaware Studios. In the game, players take control of a 21-year-old woman named Jane and guide her through a sprawling metropolis known as "The City". The v37b Update Overview
Released in July 2024, the v37b Basic update focused on expanding specific gameplay events and refining core mechanics to improve performance.
Expanded Hobo Events: The update added variants to the hobo "stress relief" event at the Bunker, including options for Jane to swallow or spit. Unaware in the City -v37b Basic (hereafter UiC
Gameplay Simplification: Movement was restricted to a left-and-right axis to reduce bugs and enhance performance.
Economic Tweak: The price of the Metro VIP Card was significantly reduced from $3,000 to $1,000 to make city navigation more accessible.
Interaction Refinements: The interaction distance was reduced by 20%, and Jane now automatically moves closer to objects when interacting with them. Core Gameplay Mechanics
The game is built on a foundation of freedom and player choice, designed to be a "city-girl sim" that is complex but easy to play.
Character Stats: The two primary stats are Charm and Lewdness. High Charm makes seduction easier but can attract unwanted attention from thugs, while high Lewdness opens "dirty" paths and changes how Jane perceives the world.
Freedom of Life: Unlike many sims, players can save anywhere and are not forced to sleep only at night. If Jane ignores her energy needs for too long, she may pass out in a random location.
Backstories & Perks: Players choose from various backstories (e.g., Mother, Drifter) that provide unique starting items and dialogue. As Jane gains experience, she unlocks perks and traits that provide permanent bonuses.
Work & Mini-games: Jane can work at the local diner, which involves a "cooking mini-game" where her boss, Kevin, may attempt to distract or tease her based on his Lust stat. Developer and Future Plans Progress Report #134 - Unaware in The City: Revisited plans
Here is the complete story, as requested.
Unaware in the City - v37b Basic - By Mr. Unaware
Chapter One: The Morning Commute
Arthur Pendelton believed he had a gift. It wasn’t for music, or mathematics, or remembering birthdays. It was for noticing. He noticed the way the steam rose from his coffee in a perfect double helix. He noticed the faint amber hue in the fourth streetlight from his apartment. He noticed that Mrs. Gable’s cat, Figaro, had developed a slight limp in its left forepaw, favoring it only when it thought no one was looking.
This morning, as he stepped onto the crowded crosswalk at 5th and Main, he noticed the air was unusually still. A plastic bag hovered mid-roll, caught in a moment of indecision. He saw a man in a lime-green tracksuit drop a single earbud, which bounced twice and rolled into a storm drain. He saw all of this with the crisp clarity of a high-definition television.
What Arthur did not notice was the sky.
He did not notice that the sky had turned the color of oxidized copper, a sickly green that made pigeons veer into walls and car alarms chirp in sympathy. He did not notice the absolute silence that fell after the last car engine died. He did not notice the shimmering, gelatinous quality of the air itself, as if the city had been submerged in a giant’s drinking glass.
“Excuse me,” he said, sidestepping a woman frozen mid-stride, her phone held aloft. “Pardon me,” he added, stepping over a briefcase that had inexplicably stopped falling.
He arrived at his office, a sleek tower of mirrored glass, and tapped his security badge. The reader beeped red. He tapped it again. Red.
“Must be a glitch,” he muttered, pulling the heavy fire door open manually. The alarm that should have blared was silent. Inside, the lobby was a tableau of arrested motion. The security guard, Carl, was leaning back in his chair, a donut halfway to his lips. The receptionist, Linda, was mid-blink. The potted ficus was… vibrating.
Arthur frowned. “Rough night, Carl?” he asked, waving a hand in front of the guard’s face. Carl’s eyes didn’t track. “Right. Well. I’ve got spreadsheets.”
He took the stairs. The elevators were, he noted with a sniff, “probably under maintenance.” The stairwell was dark, lit only by emergency strips that pulsed a deep, ominous magenta. Arthur clicked his tongue. “Needs a bulb change.”
On the third-floor landing, he passed a young woman in a bike helmet. She was frozen mid-spring, leaping over a puddle of what looked like liquid shadow. The shadow was crawling up her leg, slowly, like cold molasses. Arthur stepped over her cleanly. “Careful there,” he advised the statue. “That’s a trip hazard.”
Chapter Two: The Office
The 14th floor was his domain. Or rather, the domain of Pendelton, Griswold & Finch, Actuarial Services. Arthur was a senior risk analyst. He thrived on outliers, on anomalies, on the data points that didn’t fit the curve.
Today, the entire floor was an outlier.
His colleague, Brenda, was frozen in the breakroom, her hand extended toward the coffee machine. But the coffee wasn’t coming out. Instead, a single, crystalline droplet hung in the air between the spout and her mug. It glowed with a soft, internal light.
“Decaf again, Brenda?” Arthur chuckled to himself, pouring himself a glass of water from the cooler. The water poured, but it didn’t splash. It formed a perfect, wobbling sphere in his cup and then settled, slightly askew. “Huh. Surface tension,” he nodded, satisfied with his deduction.
He sat at his desk. His computer monitor displayed a single, blinking line of code: TIME_STOP.exe - PAUSED? Y/N
Arthur squinted. “That’s not my timesheet template.” He moved the mouse. Nothing. He pressed the spacebar. The cursor blinked again. He sighed, pulled a physical calculator from his drawer, and began his work by hand. He was halfway through calculating the quarterly risk projection for a poultry conglomerate when the man in the lab coat appeared.
He didn’t walk in. He phased through the wall.
He was tall, gaunt, and vibrating at a frequency just above reality. His lab coat was stained with what looked like starlight and ozone. He held a clipboard that was on fire, yet not burning.
“Pendelton,” the man said, his voice a chorus of static and dripping water. “Arthur Pendelton. You are an anomaly.”
Arthur looked up. “Do you have an appointment? The front desk is… well, Linda’s having a moment.”
“The Chronos Dilation Field is at 37b,” the man continued, ignoring him. “Baseline reality is frozen. Everything organic, inorganic, and conceptual within a twelve-mile radius is locked in a temporal stasis. Except for you.”
“I see,” Arthur said, tapping his pen. “And what’s your name? For my log.”
The man stared. “I am the Keeper of the Unraveled Minute. I have shepherded frozen epochs for ten thousand years. And I have never… never… seen anyone so utterly, blissfully, catastrophically unaware.”
He gestured with his flaming clipboard toward the window. “Look. Look at the sky.”
Arthur looked. “Bit overcast. Might rain later. I brought my umbrella.” He pointed to the corner. “See? Navy blue. Good for wind.”
The Keeper made a sound like a dying star. “The sky is the color of forsaken hope! The people are statues! The city is a photograph! A glitch has occurred! The v37b Basic Field was only supposed to pause time for system maintenance, but it’s leaking! If I don’t reboot the core processor at the top of the Transamerica Pyramid in the next forty-seven minutes, this timeline will collapse into a pocket universe of eternal, silent Mondays!”
Arthur checked his watch. “Well, you’d better get going, then. Traffic’s a nightmare, even when it’s… you know. Not moving.”
Chapter Three: The Unlikely Solution
The Keeper tried everything. He warped gravity. Arthur remarked that his chair felt “a little wobbly.” He conjured a temporal echo of Arthur’s future self, a haggard ghost who screamed, “Don’t ignore the shimmer!” Arthur asked the ghost if it had considered decaf. He even stopped time inside Arthur’s brain, a procedure that should have induced a coma. Arthur simply blinked and said, “Sorry, I zoned out for a second. You were saying?”
Finally, the Keeper slumped against a filing cabinet. “It’s no use. Your awareness filter is self-sealing. You don’t ignore the extraordinary. You reclassify it. A time-stopped woman becomes a clumsy pedestrian. A green sky becomes overcast. A literal god of temporal mechanics becomes a man with a weird coat and a fire hazard.”
Arthur smiled. “I’m a detail-oriented person. It’s my job.”
And then, the Keeper had an idea. A terrible, beautiful, last-ditch idea. He couldn’t force Arthur to see the crisis. But perhaps he could make the crisis look like a minor inconvenience.
He snapped his fingers. The temporal stasis flickered.
“Mr. Pendelton,” the Keeper said, his voice now smooth and corporate. “Your quarterly risk projection for the poultry conglomerate has a rounding error in cell F7.”
Arthur’s head snapped up. His eyes, previously soft and oblivious, became laser-sharp. “A rounding error? On the feed conversion ratio? That’s a material misstatement. Show me.”
The Keeper led him to the window. “The error,” he said, pointing at the copper sky, “is out there.” Download Info: (Insert download links here if available)
Arthur peered. He squinted. He tilted his head. “I don’t see a spreadsheet.”
“Look closer. The sky isn’t green. It’s a pivot table gone wrong. The people aren’t frozen. They’re unvalidated data fields. The entire city is a corrupted workbook, and unless we go to the top of that building and press the ‘Recalculate’ button on the mainframe, your F7 cell will be wrong forever.”
For the first time, Arthur’s face showed genuine distress. “A rounding error. On my watch.”
He strode toward the fire door. “Let’s go. I have a system for this.”
Chapter Four: The Reboot
They walked through the frozen city. The Keeper phased through stalled cars. Arthur walked around them, carefully checking his reflection in their motionless windows to ensure his tie was straight. When they reached the Transamerica Pyramid, the doors were sealed by a lattice of hard light.
“It’s a locked door,” Arthur observed. “Probably a fire code violation.” He pulled a small multi-tool from his pocket, wedged it into the seam, and jiggled it. The hard light shattered like sugar glass.
The Keeper stared. “That’s a nail file.”
“It’s a precision instrument,” Arthur corrected.
At the top, in a penthouse that existed outside of geometry, a single, glowing button sat on a pedestal. Beside it, a timer read: 00:03:12.
“Press it,” the Keeper urged. “Reboot the core. Reset the v37b Basic Field. Save the city.”
Arthur walked up to the pedestal. He examined the button. He read the tiny, engraved text around its rim. He pulled out his reading glasses.
“Hold on,” he said.
The timer hit 00:02:00.
“What? What?” the Keeper shrieked.
Arthur pointed at the engraving. “This button. It’s labeled ‘Push to Resume.’ But the label is in Comic Sans. Comic Sans is typographically unacceptable for any mission-critical interface. I’m going to need to file a change request.”
The Keeper began to weep temporal tears.
“Fine,” Arthur sighed, pulling out a permanent marker. He carefully crossed out the Comic Sans and wrote, in crisp Helvetica, DEPRESS TO REINSTANTIATE STANDARD TEMPORAL FLOW.
The timer hit 00:00:05.
He pressed the button.
Chapter Five: The Aftermath
The world lurched. Sound returned as a tidal wave of car horns, chatter, and the shriek of a thousand simultaneously-unfrozen coffee makers. The sky bleached back to a normal, boring blue. People stumbled, caught their balance, and continued their days, vaguely aware that they had just experienced the best blink of their lives.
The Keeper vanished, leaving behind only a faint smell of burnt toast and a sticky note that said: “Do not deploy v37c until Pendelton retires.”
Arthur walked back to his office. He sat down. Brenda walked past, holding her coffee.
“Morning, Arthur,” she said.
“Morning, Brenda. You have a little… something on your sleeve,” he said, pointing to a faint, shimmering residue that looked like frozen starlight.
Brenda looked. “Oh, that. Spilled some glitter glue this morning.”
“Ah,” Arthur nodded, satisfied.
He opened his spreadsheet. He found the rounding error in cell F7. He fixed it. He saved the file, leaned back in his chair, and looked out the window at the perfectly ordinary, blissfully unremarkable city.
He noticed a single, copper-colored leaf drift past the 14th floor.
“Huh,” he said. “Early fall.”
And he got back to work, unaware to the last.
THE END
In the bustling sprawl of , a 21-year-old woman named Jane arrives with little more than a suitcase and a hazy plan. Unaware in the City
follows her journey as she navigates the complexities of urban life, where every decision—from where she works to how she interacts with the local residents—shapes her reputation and future. A New Beginning Jane settles into a cramped apartment block managed by
, a landlord always on the lookout for new tenants. To pay the rent, she takes a job at the local diner, working under
, who is known for making moves when the atmosphere gets a bit too charged. Her days are a blur of taking orders and navigating the social dynamics of the regulars, while her nights are spent with her goth flatmate, , who is just as cynical about The City as Jane is hopeful. The Weight of Choices As Jane explores different districts—from the neon-lit Main Street to the grittier
—she realizes that staying "unaware" is no longer an option. She faces constant pressure to maintain her health and mood while managing her growing fame (or infamy). Social Dynamics
: Choosing to be charming can open doors at the high-end shops, but falling into bad habits might leave her sleeping on a park bench. Consequences
: A single missed meal or an ignored desire won't end her journey immediately, but the "v37b" world is unforgiving; failures stack up, and The City has a way of swallowing those who lose their footing. Urban Survival
The story is one of adaptation. Jane must decide if she will remain the innocent girl who first stepped off the train or if she will lean into the city's darker temptations to survive. Whether she's dealing with the arrogant
or trying to avoid "Experiments Gone Wrong" in the alleyways, Jane’s path is entirely in her hands. for Jane, such as her career at the or her friendship with AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more Progress Report #134 - Unaware in The City: Revisited plans
To succeed in “Unaware in the City,” you must fail at observation. The game uses a unique "Drift" mechanic.
The Morning Commute: You board a procedurally generated subway car. If you look at the other passengers (increasing Awareness), you will notice that many of them have the same face. Some have no mouths. One in the corner is crying glitter. To keep AWR low, you must select the "Stare at floor" option repeatedly. The game rewards you with "Stability Points" for successfully ignoring the impossible.
The Office: Level two is a cubicle farm. Your task is to enter spreadsheets. The letters on the keyboard sometimes reorganize themselves. The clock on the wall ticks backward every seventh minute. If your Awareness remains below 15%, the spreadsheets auto-fill, and you receive your "Paycheck" item (which is just a slip of paper reading "Do it again tomorrow").
The Return Home: This is where Basic shines. As the sun sets (the game runs on a real-time 24-minute day/night cycle), the city becomes more abstract. Streetlights flicker in morse code that spells out "You are alone." Pizza rats speak in complete sentences. If you manage to return to your apartment with an Awareness level of exactly 0%, you achieve the "Peaceful Slumber" ending—which is just a black screen and the sound of rain.
If you return with high Awareness, the apartment door leads back to the subway station. There is no escape. There is only the loop.
The identity of the developer remains one of the great mysteries of the indie scene. Mr. Unaware does not give interviews. Their Patreon page features only a line drawing of a forgotten umbrella. The "About" section of the game’s website reads:
"I started making this game because I missed my train stop three times in one week. I was reading a book. I didn't notice the doors closing. I liked that feeling. The city is nicer when you don't see the wounds. v37b Basic is my love letter to not paying attention."
Critics have speculated that Mr. Unaware is either (A) a former AAA developer from Ubisoft, (B) a collective of philosophy graduates from the University of Tokyo, or (C) an AI trained exclusively on the works of Franz Kafka and the lyrics of The National.