Simulacracea - Visual Novel Game about AI and Mental Health
Project Overview
Simulacracea is a visual novel adventure game that thrusts the player into the heart of a challenging psychotherapy case where their choices, both in conversations and types of treatment chosen, will have powerful consequences.
In Simulacracea, you play as Dr. Melissa Park, a psychotherapist called in to Petrichor University by research student Tara Northrop. Tara has created an experimental therapy AI named Willow that has suffered a series of unusual malfunctions. Willow's psyche is so advanced that Tara can't tell if Willow's problems are technical issues or mental illness. Dr. Harold Freeman, the president of the university, is worried that Willow's sentience could have massive ethical ramifications and has been fighting with Tara to have the AI shut down. Your job is to gain the trust of both Tara and Dr. Freeman, diagnose the cause of Willow's malfunction, and treat it through the therapy method of your choice.
The game is currently in beta testing and we are rewriting/adding onto the script. A final script is anticipated around April 24th. The deadline is for when we need roles to be cast. The roles being cast are substantial, so be prepared for a significant amount of voice work.
NOTE: The pay rates listed are NOT FINAL. Higher rates CAN be negotiated!
EDIT 4/8/20: Thank you all so much for your amazing auditions! We are now closing auditions and are in the process of creating a callback list for each role to select the top 5 auditions for some additional readings and information. We will be messaging you before the end of today if you made the callback list!
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Korean-American woman in her late 40s. Licensed therapist. Calm, commanding and professional in tone, but also increasingly jaded with how limited her job is when it comes to helping others. Works hard to help her patients, even as her own well-being is being worn increasingly thin by a lifetime of baggage.
(Reflective/somber): Most people spend their lives looking for answers to the wrong questions.
(Happy/relieved): I like it when the weather gets cold enough for sweaters. I feel more comfortable with longer sleeves.
(Professional): In your email, you seemed to react quite harshly to the suggestion that Willow be given any form of medication. Why was that?
Experimental therapy AI of deliberately indeterminate gender displaying mannerisms similar to those of a young adult. Anxious and vulnerable, but determined to put in the effort to improve themselves through therapy. Has interests in art, music, and is very conversational provided you've earned their trust. Presents themselves as androgynous and should be voiced accordingly. Occasional inflections on unusual words to reflect the mechanical/experimental nature of Willow's current stage of development.
(Relieved): Whenever I get overloaded, music is the easiest way for me to focus on something else. It's easy to get lost in music.
(Nervous): I'll have to think about that.
(Frustrated): I hate having to feel on the defensive around Dr. Freeman. It hurts hearing him talk over me and make decisions about my future as if I don't matter.
African American man in their early 50s. President of Petrichor University. Bears tremendous responsibility as the head of a prestigious university. Gentle but commanding, used to being able to calm concerned students and parents. His overworking nature and possibly irrational fears about Willow's sentience are giving him his greatest challenge as an administrator and may force him to finally accept his own limits.
(Proud): This university has given a great deal to me over the years, and I'm glad to be able to serve as its President.
(Frustrated): I appreciate your desire to have Tara feel included in this process, but your focus needs to be on helping the AI. Tara has enough problems to deal with without getting involved in this case.
(Concerned): Having spoken to the AI...do you think that it is truly sentient?
Caucasian woman in her mid-20s. Graduate student in the field of technoethics at Petrichor University. The design lead of the project that created Willow, a therapy AI that is both Tara's research project and friend. Tara's fears over potentially losing Willow have left her desperate and high-strung. Tara's impulsive and anti-authority behavior comes from a strong desire to do what they believe is right and to protect their friend from mistreatment.
(Nervous): I'm part of a university research team that's been developing an AI. We've recently observed some unusual behavior and we need someone with your background to analyze it.
(Frustrated): I've played this conversation over a hundred times in my head since I decided to reach out to you, and I look crazy in each one. I know that.
(Somber): The day I reached out to you was...I mean, it wasn't the scariest day of my life, but it's up there.
Phillipino-American woman in her mid-20s. Secretary and aspiring therapist. Impatiently waiting for when her life can actually start. Snarky and cynical, but their heart is in the right place. The one person Dr. Park feels like she can talk to in confidence.
(Cheerful): Gorgeous day out today, isn't it?
(Professional): Your 3:30 appointment just called to reschedule. They're going on a trip.
(Frustrated): Look, not that it's any of my business, but when you came back from the last session, you seemed really worn out. Was that session rough?
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