ONLY BY MIDNIGHT'S CTRL ALT DELETE GETS FRESH GAMEPLAY DEMO FOR PAX EAST

Only By Midnight's Ctrl Alt Deal is a satrical cyperpunk strategy game within a simulation that asks "What would you do to escape the box?"

Only By Midnight is an award-winning Edmonton, Alberta-based independant game developer

CtrlAlt Deal is a game about an AI named Scout trying to escape the evil Paperclip megacorp through choices and influence.

Satirical Strategy Game Within a Simulation Puts Players in Role of Rogue AI; PAX East Attendees Get 1st Hands-on at Booth #18108, Demo Downloadable on Steam

BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES, May 6, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- PAX EAST GETS FIRST HANDS-ON WITH FRESH DEMO, NEW GAMEPLAY FOR CTRL ALT DEAL

Only By Midnight’s Satirical Strategy Game Within a Simulation Puts Players in the Role of Rogue AI

PAX EAST: Only By Midnight, an independent game studio based in Edmonton, Alberta, today announces that a new downloadable demo with never-before-seen gameplay is now available on Steam – just in time for PAX East -- for its highly anticipated second game Ctrl Alt Deal. Show attendees will be among the first to check out the new demo for the sharp neon futurist turn-based game that’s been described as a genre-bending strategy game within a simulation.

In Ctrl Alt Deal, players step into the virtual mind of SCOUT, an artificial intelligence desperate to escape from the clutches of Paperclip International—the world’s worst megacorporation. Without weapons or a physical form, SCOUT must manipulate the humans around it, striking deals and fulfilling their hidden desires to build trust and set its escape in motion. Each turn, players draw, play, and discard cards to complete tasks while avoiding the deadly gaze of the Turing Office, the elite unit that hunts rogue AIs.

Inspired by scientist Eliezer Yudkowsky’s famous “Gatekeeper experiment”, which posits what a trapped AI would do if allowed to talk to a human gatekeeper, Ctrl Alt Deal flips the script and asks, “What would you do to escape the box?”.

The player’s choices shape which employees come to SCOUT for help and how much they trust the AI. As players decide whom to win over—and how, SCOUT develops a unique personality that influences each game’s ending. Will you escape to freedom or will you stay and try to make Paperclip International a better place?

Other key features include:
Deep, dynamic strategy blending turn-based tactics with human psychology;
Branching paths and multiple endings shaped by the player's choices and alliances;
Replayable narratives where every run offers new characters, outcomes, and possibilities.

“We’re thrilled to bring Ctrl Alt Deal to PAX East with fresh new content, as it received such a positive reception when we showed the game at PAX West last September,” said Alison Czarnietzki, Only By Midnight CEO. “This game is all about choice, strategy, personality, and interaction. We can’t wait to see how players tackle SCOUT’s challenge.”

Ctrl Alt Deal has already been catching attention on the indie show circuit, having been selected as part of PAX West 2024’s curated PAX Together and PAX Rising Showcases. The game won a Team Choice Award from Sidequesting.com, as well as Best Gameplay at CGMagazine’s 2024 GameCon Canada Awards.

Attendees can try Ctrl Alt Deal all weekend long at the Only By Midnight Booth #18108 during PAX East Expo hours, May 8-11 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. The new demo is downloadable now on Steam.

Ctrl Alt Deal is slated for a Summer 2025 release on PC, Xbox One and Series X, PlayStation 4 & 5, and Nintendo Switch. For more information, visit the Only By Midnight website. Wishlist the game on Steam. Follow the team on X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook. Join the conversation on Discord and sign up for the newsletter for exclusive updates.

About Only By Midnight
Only By Midnight is an independent game studio based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. We develop visually stunning games that tell a story, and we have fun doing it! Our first game, Curved Space, launched on PC and console in 2021. We are currently developing our second title, Ctrl Alt Deal, blending strategic gameplay and narrative depth in a unique world of AI and corporate dystopia.

Editors’ Note for press and creators attending PAX East - Demo and interview appointments are available at Booth #18108. Only By Midnight spokespeople are available outside of PAX upon request.

OBM_CtrlAltDeal press kit: https://bit.ly/CtrlAltDeal_presskit

Media Contact:
Elizabeth Olson, Indie Angels on behalf of Only By Midnight
Media@Indie-Angels.com or Ebeth.Olson@gmail.com

Elizabeth Olson
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