What The Under Presents is
The Under Presents is a theatrical, time-bending adventure from the makers of "Virtual Virtual Reality". You arrive as a guest, sneak backstage with a mysterious host, and gain entrance to The Under's Main Stage, where pre-recorded performances and multiplayer magic play out around you. The cast mixes live and pre-recorded characters, so the stage keeps moving whether you're watching or taking part. There's a lineup of acts to catch: Erin Markey singing "Wet Food", Shasta Geaux Pop thrusting exponentially, Ronald Peet navigating the fog, Deepali Gupta conducting murmurations, Sean Spada taking it slow, plus the animatronics known as The Lame Drivers and Apple Pie Bundy with some special friends he'd like you to meet.
Playing it with friends
This is a multiplayer experience, so you and the people you join up with share the same space and can watch the stage shows together. The magic on offer is meant to be performed alongside other guests rather than alone, and the store text describes multiplayer magic as part of the Main Stage experience. Beyond the stage, there's also online PvP listed as a Steam feature. The Under is built for VR, so everyone playing together needs a headset to be in the room.
Timeboat and the single-player campaign
The centerpiece act, "Timeboat!", runs as a single-player campaign where you manipulate time aboard the Aickman, a doomed research vessel trapped in Arctic ice. The crew vanishes one by one, and your job is to alter their fates by rewinding and replaying moments. You'll collaborate with your past selves to explore the crew's memories, and along the way you'll meet Gerald, described as a most unusual dolphin. This part is a solo story, so it's something you can do on your own between sessions with friends.
Before you start
Go in expecting a mix of watching and doing: some stretches are performances you observe, others are interactive, and the time manipulation in "Timeboat!" asks you to think about cause and effect across repeated attempts. It's an indie narrative adventure rather than a straightforward puzzle game, so the pace follows the story. One note from the staff of the Under: for everyone's safety, guests are discouraged from using ritual magic to enlarge the crobs.