Side Effects

Side Effects is a turn-based strategy game set inside a mysterious and high-risk pharmaceutical trial. Two patients are locked into a deadly loop of consuming pills, each with unpredictable consequences. One pill might restore resistance, another might induce hallucinations, and some may be fatal instantly. The game strips away certainty and forces players to act with incomplete information, relying on risk assessment, bluffing, and adaptation. With each new round, players edge closer to survival or collapse, knowing that only one can leave the facility alive.

Resistance and Risk Management

At the center of the game is a single, vital resource: resistance. Every pill you consume affects this stat, which represents your body’s ability to endure chemical impact. If resistance drops to zero, your trial ends in failure. This mechanic adds an ongoing pressure that makes each choice significant. Even when you’re ahead, one bad decision can flip the outcome. The uncertainty forces players to think beyond simple survival—should you play conservatively and heal, or take a calculated risk that might push your opponent into making a mistake? Strategic tension escalates with every turn.

Items, Treatments, and Effects

Outside the main rounds of pill-taking, players gain access to experimental items. These tools shift the odds and introduce new layers of decision-making. Some reduce incoming damage, others block pill intake, and a few disrupt the opponent’s choices. Between choosing pills and deploying these enhancements, each round becomes a puzzle. The right item at the right time can give you just enough of an edge to outlast the competition. But every benefit comes with its own risk — using an item too early or too late can cost you the match.

·         Single player mode for solo strategy

·         Endless mode titled Free Healthcare

·         2-player local multiplayer mode

·         9 strategic experimental items

·         6 unpredictable pill types with randomized effects

Opponent Behavior and Psychological Play

Your rival is not a background figure—they are an active threat. The opponent adapts to your choices, bluffs, and uses items of their own. Reading their intentions and reacting accordingly becomes just as important as managing your own stats. Each session becomes a psychological contest, where misdirection and memory play as big a role as tactics. The longer the game continues, the more each action feels like a gamble with your life.