Overview
Roman Sands RE:Build is an adventure game developed by Arbitrary Metric, the studio behind the IGF Award-winning Paratopic, and published by Serenity Forge and Beep Japan. The Steam version launched on 16 September 2026. The game revolves around two overlapping realities: a luxury resort and a decaying underground research facility. It blends adventure, visual novel, puzzle solving, survival simulation and horror.
OtaHub's take
In the first half, players are stuck at the resort serving four demanding guests: fetching and delivering items, cleaning, and unlocking new tools and areas. When the day ends, everything resets. The loop is designed to be addictive yet satirical, aimed at how many games use scores and rewards to keep players hooked, and it also touches on the theme of service labor.
The visuals are drenched in neon with a vaporwave and Y2K look, the music shifts between lo-fi and hyperpop, and reward effects are exaggerated. The more players explore, the more the glamour seems to hide something wrong. Puzzles gradually open cracks in reality, and according to Steam the two storylines eventually intertwine.
The second half is almost a different game: players act as caretaker of the research facility, repairing machines, finding parts, managing oxygen and solving puzzles in low light, while a parasite threatens the systems and a voice on the radio keeps them company. The OtaHub article cites the Guardian's remarks about crashes and some unclear puzzles, so this is a niche experience rather than a mainstream game.
