Infra is a first-personadventure video game developed by Loiste Interactive. The game was developed in multiple parts, of which the first was released on January 15, 2016. The second part was released as a free update on September 24, 2016. The third and final part was released as a free update on September 27, 2017.
Gameplay
The player acts as a structural engineer, tasked with inspecting infrastructure in & around the Scandinavian city of Stalburg. The player is equipped with only a camera, to photograph structural damage, and a flashlight. Taking photographs is optional, but affects the game's endings. Gameplay primarily consists of solving puzzles to progress through each environment, and photographing any damage seen along the way. During this exploration, the player will come across potentially lethal situations, which become increasingly dangerous as the city's infrastructure begins to fail. Some puzzles, such as choosing to fully repair a facility, are optional and can be bypassed at the cost of missed photo opportunities. To complete the game, the player must solve many mechanical and electrical puzzles and make choices to either save one's life or save the city.
Plot
Infra is set in the fictional city of Stalburg, somewhere in the vicinity of the Baltic Sea, which recently emerged from a corruption scandal. The player, Markku Siltanen, is a structural analyst & engineer. He is tasked with surveying the Hammer Valley Dam, and discovers that the infrastructure is in poor condition. He soon accidentally causes the water tunnels to collapse, becoming trapped underground. Along the way, he begins to discover evidence of a conspiracy between the city's business magnates, ultimately resulting in many of the infrastructure failures. Markku escapes the underground. His boss, Paul, directs him to the Pitheath Water Treatment plant, to check on water pressure levels from the collapsed tunnels. He discovers that water flow has stopped, and travels via metro tunnels back to the office. However, his journey is interrupted by more collapsing infrastructure. Due to the water tunnel blockage, a high level of pressure is put on the derelict dam, causing it to burst. By the time he returns to the city, most powerplants have failed and the city is flooded. He meets up with his coworkers, who travel to the Black Rock Nuclear Power Plant in anticipation of flood damage. They discover that the reactor is at risk of melting down. The player must quickly solve a final puzzle, either successfully shutting down the reactor and saving the city, or failing to prevent the meltdown. The game's epilogue is dependent on how many pictures were taken - both photos of structural damage, and photos of evidence relating to the conspiracy. If the player saved the reactor, but took below 50% of photographs, they will be living in a tenement with a roommate. If above 50%, they will be on vacation, and receive an offer from Paul to investigate 'Whiprock Island', a former prison. However, if the player was unable to prevent the nuclear meltdown, they will live in a rural cottage, suffering from radiation sickness - many areas of Stalburg were irradiated, resulting in thousands of deaths. Other details in the epilogue are determinant on player choices, such as optional puzzles - if the player repaired all three water treatment plants, the CEO of Stalburg Water is ousted & the city's potable water becomes safe. If the player ignored the puzzles, Stalburg is facing a water crisis, bottled water is mandatory, and 40,000 citizens become ill from contaminated water. Other details appear from optional puzzles & side characters.
Development
The developers were inspired to create the game after watching the 2009 documentary The Crumbling of America. The game was later Greenlit on Steam.
