F0llowing up the May reveal of their dark, horror-infused reimagining of the classic hand game in Rock, Paper, Severed, Buzzin’ Games has kicked off a series of character reveals leading up to the game’s release later this year. The first of four damned souls is former police officer turned private investigator, Michael “Mike” Dowd, whose tragic past has led him into the clutches of The Old Sire, an ancient entity offering sinners one final chance at redemption through a deadly game where every decision carries a horrifying price.
Once an idealistic police officer, Mike believed justice was worth fighting for. As the first Black officer recruited into Kent Police’s Margate division, he entered the force determined to make a difference. Instead, he found corruption, prejudice and impossible choices that would ultimately destroy everything he cared about. Scarred by the consequences of a single terrible decision and estranged from the family he once fought to protect, Mike now survives as a struggling private investigator, taking on whatever work comes through the door while searching for a redemption he fears he no longer deserves.
Known as “Gauze” in Rock, Paper, Severed, Mike serves as the player’s introduction to The Old Sire’s terrifying world. His journey begins with what appears to be a routine missing persons case involving psychiatrist Dr. Amy Chen, but as the deadly trials unfold, players gradually uncover the choices, tragedies and hidden connections that brought Mike, and three other damned souls, to The Old Sire’s table.
Inspired by British folklore and the forgotten tradition of Sin-Eating, players in Rock, Paper, Severed are summoned before The Old Sire, an ancient entity that offers sinners one final opportunity for absolution through a series of horrifying trials. Every throw carries consequences. Every defeat comes at a terrible cost. Lose a round, lose a finger.
Throughout the single-player experience, players face The Old Sire directly as the stories of four damaged souls gradually unfold through dialogue and their encounters around the table, revealing the choices, tragedies and sins that brought each of them to this moment.
Beyond the single-player campaign, multiplayer casts The Old Sire as the sinister master of ceremonies, presiding over deadly contests where strategy, deception and survival become just as important as the throw of a hand.
Look for Rock, Paper, Severed later this year on Steam.