Alawar has announced Beholder IV, a new installment in its dystopian narrative series, as part of the franchise's 10th anniversary celebrations. According to Gematsu, the game is coming to PC through Steam, with players taking on the role of a Ministry official secretly working for the underground resistance.

The announcement also includes a new digital comic, Beholder: The Landlord's Handbook, and a 90% discount on the original Beholder. Both releases are available through Steam.

In Beholder IV, players work for the Ministry while secretly supporting the underground resistance. Their responsibilities include processing citizens' files, signing orders, gathering intelligence, and sabotaging government operations.

The game features exploration across the Ministry's halls and restricted offices. Players can eavesdrop on conversations, spy on colleagues, steal keys, crack safes, forge documents, and plant listening devices. Information gathered about other employees can also be used for blackmail or to assist the underground.

Assignments from both sides can place players in conflicting situations. For example, the Ministry may order them to identify a traitor among their colleagues, while the underground asks them to help that same person escape.

Career advancement also comes with responsibilities, including signing arrest orders and gaining access to classified archives. Players must decide how to handle assignments, gather intelligence, and choose which side to support.

Returning home after work does not guarantee safety. Police officers can arrive to search the player's apartment, forcing them to hide evidence connected to their underground activities.

Players can conceal stolen documents and other incriminating items in vents, under mattresses, and in different hiding places. They can also destroy documents, although lost information cannot be recovered.

During searches, players can attempt to deceive officers, make excuses, or use their official position to avoid exposing their activities. Police searches become more persistent over time, and officers may eventually arrive knowing exactly what they are looking for.

Beholder IV also introduces romantic relationships with four women, each with different personalities, beliefs, desires, and secrets. Players can get to know them, help with personal problems, flirt, go on dates, and develop relationships.

Some characters work for the State, while others belong to the resistance. Their allegiances can create conflicts when personal relationships clash with official assignments.

The game features choices that affect characters, relationships, underground operations, and the direction of the story. Players can prevent arrests, sign orders against others, assist resistance operations, or pass their plans to the State.

Other available actions include stealing documents, changing patrol schedules, and warning people about potential danger. Players can also choose not to intervene.

According to the Steam description, decisions are remembered by the game and influence how the story unfolds. Different choices can lead to different outcomes during subsequent playthroughs.

Beholder IV is available to wishlist on PC through Steam.