Avinash Rohra 
Picture this: you’re broke, behind on rent, and your job search has become a full-time occupation in futility. Then your aunt throws you a lifeline – a position at the prestigious SMYRNACORP. What could go wrong? If you’ve ever watched Severance and thought “that workplace looks pretty chill actually,” then Inhuman Resources: A Literary Machination is here to recalibrate your corporate horror expectations. This isn’t just another day at the office; it’s a psychological thriller masquerading as a job interview that makes Lumon Industries look like a progressive startup with decent health benefits.
After diving deep into SMYRNACORP’s fluorescent-lit halls of madness on PC, I can confirm this indie gem delivers corporate horror that’s both hilariously relatable and genuinely unsettling. It’s like someone took every toxic workplace experience you’ve ever had, cranked the dystopian dial to eleven, and served it up as interactive fiction with a side of existential dread.
What Fresh Hell Is This? A Corporate Nightmare in Digital Form
Inhuman Resources: A Literary Machination is what happens when choose-your-own-adventure books grow up and get really, really dark. Developed by FinneganDev and published by Indie Asylum, this isn’t your typical horror game – there are no jump scares, no monsters lurking in shadows, just the pure, unadulterated terror of modern employment taken to its logical extreme.
Think of it as interactive corporate horror fiction that plays like a twisted love child between The Stanley Parable and Papers, Please, but with the psychological depth of Severance. You’re not just clicking through dialogue trees; you’re making choices that shape your “employee profile” while navigating a corporation that makes dystopian fiction look like wishful thinking.
The game positions itself firmly in the visual novel RPG hybrid category, where your choices actually matter and every decision could be the difference between corporate advancement and, well, let’s just say “early retirement”.
SMYRNACORP: Where Dreams Go to Die (Literally)
The setup is beautifully, horribly simple: you’re a struggling job seeker who finally lands an interview at SMYRNACORP after your aunt pulls some strings. If this sounds familiar to anyone who’s watched Severance, you’ll immediately recognize the red flags – but unlike Mark Scout and his severed colleagues, you’re walking into this nightmare with full knowledge of what the outside world looks like.
SMYRNACORP isn’t just another evil corporation; it’s a time-displaced fever dream that feels like stepping into the 1940s if the 1940s had been designed by someone with serious psychological issues. The aesthetic is deliberately unsettling – grillage elevators, vintage typewriters, and statues of contorted figures create an atmosphere that screams “this is definitely not a normal workplace”. Even the Latin phrases etched into the reception desk (MEMORIAE. PERPETUITAS. MUTATIO – Memory. Perpetuity. Change) hint at something far more sinister than quarterly earnings reports.
The story tackles mental health, job instability, and corporate dehumanization with the kind of dark humor that makes you laugh and cry simultaneously. One of the first achievements you can unlock? “Clinical Depression” – a darkly brilliant joke that’s both hilarious and uncomfortably accurate for anyone who’s survived modern job hunting. It’s corporate satire that hits harder than a performance review after a bad quarter.
As you dig deeper into SMYRNACORP’s true purpose – reshaping reality through disinformation, assassinations, and complete human replacement – the Severance comparisons become even more apt. But while Lumon’s employees have the luxury of memory wipes, you’re stuck with full awareness of every morally questionable decision you make to survive.
Playing the Corporate Game: Mechanics That Actually Work
Don’t expect traditional gameplay here – Inhuman Resources operates like an interactive novel where your choices have genuine consequences. The core experience revolves around reading (lots of it) punctuated by decision points that feel weighty rather than arbitrary. It’s like Disco Elysium decided to get a corporate job and immediately regretted every life choice that led to that moment.
The choice system is where this game truly excels. Rather than simple good/evil binary options, you’re presented with complex moral dilemmas that reflect real workplace scenarios. Do you report suspicious activity and risk becoming a target? Do you help a colleague or protect yourself? The game forces these decisions through hundreds of branching storylines, ensuring your corporate survival strategy feels personally crafted.
Character progression works through skill development and discovery – you build your employee profile by making choices and uncovering hidden items that unlock secret story branches. Think of it as leveling up your capacity for corporate compromise. The puzzle elements are cleverly integrated too – analysing footage, hacking computers, and cracking safes all feel like legitimate workplace tasks rather than random mini-games.
Meet Obuya Burgard, the senior supervisor who embodies everything wrong with middle management. His philosophical gem – “How can we think outside the box if we lack the tools to grasp how big the box has become?” – perfectly captures SMYRNACORP’s inability to adapt to reality. It’s the kind of corporate speak that would make even Severance‘s wellness sessions seem refreshingly honest.
The Good, The Bad, and The Bureaucratic
What Works:
- Exceptional writing that balances psychological horror with razor-sharp corporate satire
- Meaningful choice system where decisions actually impact your story trajectory
- Unique aesthetic that makes office environments genuinely terrifying
- Brilliant thematic content addressing real anxieties about modern employment
- High replay value with multiple endings and hundreds of branching paths
- Perfect pacing for its 2-3 hour runtime – just long enough to get under your skin
What Doesn’t:
- Limited interactivity outside choice selection and light puzzle-solving
- No voice acting means you’ll be doing a lot of reading
The game’s greatest strength – its focus on narrative depth over mechanical complexity – is also its potential weakness. If you’re looking for traditional horror game mechanics or constant action, SMYRNACORP might feel more like actual work than entertainment.
Who Should Apply for This Position?
Inhuman Resources is perfect for fans of narrative-driven experiences and corporate dystopian fiction. If you’ve binged Severance, enjoyed The Stanley Parable, or found yourself nodding along to Office Space, this will scratch that very specific itch. It’s also ideal for players who appreciate psychological horror that comes from recognizing uncomfortable truths rather than supernatural threats.
Interactive fiction enthusiasts will find this a standout entry that proves choose-your-own-adventure can be genuinely sophisticated. The writing quality elevates it above typical visual novels, while the corporate setting provides a fresh take on existential horror.
However, this definitely isn’t for players seeking traditional gameplay mechanics or those who find reading-heavy experiences tedious. If you need constant visual stimulation or action-packed sequences, you might find yourself checking the clock like its actually Monday morning at your real job.
Final Verdict: Your New Favorite Workplace Horror
Inhuman Resources: A Literary Machination succeeds brilliantly at creating a uniquely unsettling corporate nightmare that lingers long after you’ve logged off. The writing is sharp enough to cut through the thickest corporate jargon, the themes hit uncomfortably close to home, and the choice system provides genuine agency in a world designed to strip it away.
While the text-heavy format won’t appeal to everyone, those willing to embrace its literary approach will discover a rare gem that treats horror fiction with intelligence and respect. It’s a game that trusts its audience to engage with complex themes while delivering genuine scares through pure atmosphere and narrative tension.
At around $15 on Steam, it offers excellent value for money – the multiple endings and branching paths encourage exploration, while the quality writing makes each playthrough feel fresh rather than repetitive. It’s shorter than your average work week but infinitely more entertaining (and slightly less soul-crushing).
A masterclass in corporate horror that proves sometimes the real monsters are the middle managers we meet along the way. Just maybe don’t play it during your lunch break – you might start seeing your own office in a very different light.
Score: 4.3/5
Inhuman Resources: A Literary Machination is available now on Steam for PC. Side effects may include increased paranoia about workplace wellness programs and an inexplicable urge to update your resume.
This review of Inhuman Resources is based on the PC version, with a code provided by the game’s publisher.
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