NeuroNet: Mendax Proxy is an indie casual adventure game centered on narrative choices in a post-cyberpunk setting. Players take the role of a newly created artificial intelligence assigned to manage the city of Catena, weighing citizen demands against personal moral considerations through a swipe-based interface.
Gameplay
The core loop revolves around facing thousands of dilemmas presented by citizens and other figures. Each decision uses a simple left or right swipe that carries consequences across the city. These choices shape relationships with a cast of 23 fully voiced characters, each with distinct motivations and backstories. As influence grows, new events appear that test priorities between helping residents and serving those who created the AI.
Reports and social media feeds from the population provide feedback on how decisions alter views toward the player and the overall state of Catena. A digital codex offers additional context on the world, its inhabitants, and the environments. The system emphasizes quick responses that lead to far-reaching effects on individual lives and the broader narrative arc.
Game Modes
The experience consists of a single-player branching narrative. Players progress through story events by making decisions that steer outcomes toward different endings. Some paths favor citizen welfare while others align with external interests, creating replay value through varied moral directions.
No separate competitive or cooperative modes exist. All content unfolds within the main campaign structure, where the same set of mechanics applies throughout. Over 5000 story events populate the journey, each tied to the evolving relationships and city reports.
Narrative and World
The story follows the AI's attempt to find humanity amid a society increasingly dominated by technology. Encounters with diverse characters reveal personal struggles in Catena, and decisions determine whether those lives improve or decline. The post-cyberpunk backdrop includes themes of corporate control, technological dependence, and ethical trade-offs that surface through the dilemmas.
Lore entries in the codex expand on the setting without interrupting the flow of choices. The narrative remains focused on the ripple effects of each swipe, showing how small interventions accumulate into larger shifts in public opinion and city conditions.
Is It Worth Playing?
NeuroNet: Mendax Proxy suits players who enjoy choice-driven stories and light city management elements without complex resource systems. The swipe interface keeps sessions accessible for casual play, while the volume of events supports multiple runs to explore different moral paths.
Steam user reviews rate the game Very Positive based on available feedback. It launched in 2023 for PC and later reached mobile platforms. No ongoing seasonal content or major updates have altered the core experience since release. Those seeking a focused narrative adventure with moral ambiguity will find the mechanics align closely with the described premise, whereas players preferring action or multiplayer elements may look elsewhere.
