Sara is Missing

Sara is Missing is a mobile horror game developed by Monsoon Lab (Now Kaigan Games) - a studio based in Malaysia. The game was released in 8 October 2016 on PC, however after overwhelming success on PC platform the game re-released for android and iOS. Sara is Missing obtained multiple awards in 2016 International Mobile Gaming Awards as "Best Upcoming Game" and "Jury's Honorable Mention" .

## Story

> *You found a phone belonging to a missing person. What would you do?*
> *Sara has disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and your only lead is her mobile phone.Search for clues by investigating Sara's personal messages, notes, emails, pictures and videos while trying to piece together her final days. Unlock password protected files, uncover hidden messages and decrypt lost data and figure out where she went, what she did, and how someone can disappear without a trace so suddenly.*
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The narrative of Sara is Missing begins with the player stumbling upon a misplaced phone that belongs to a person named Sara. Intrigued by this discovery, the player attempts to unlock the phone, only to receive a message from a program called IRIS. This message reveals that Sara is missing and IRIS demands the player to find her. In an effort to recover lost information and data, IRIS starts restoring back-ups from the phone.

The sudden realization came when the player learns that Sara was involved in investigating a cult. A woman named Irizu had reached out to Sara, seemingly offering guidance and support to make her life more comfortable. However, it becomes apparent that this connection between Irizu and Sara involves a life-or-death situation. The player is faced with a crucial decision, where they must determine the fate of Sara and potentially the life of another individual.

## Gameplay

The game heavily involves around the player navigating through Sara' smartphone. Players can accessed through numerous apps provided by the smartphone. Each app can help the player to solve the mysteries behind the disappearance of Sara. Most of the game is interacting with message app and scrolling through certain app to find clues and solve the mystery.

## Development

According to the game producer Shahrizar Roslan, idea of Sara is Missing came when a random idea hits in the combination of parts and never finds out what the system was" . The game intended to create a simulation of mobile phone in order to dive into immersion and gimmick of iOS smart phone. Kaigan Games game designer Jeremy Ooi said “Some of the best games have only a handful of mechanics, it is what you do with them that makes a game fun. Take Megaman for example, where you can only run, jump and shoot. It is currently one of the biggest game franchises in the world and the mechanics is pretty much the same". The game development went as what they expected and no deadlines were set. The team made several demos that tested internally in order to receive feedback to improve the game. One issue they saw is the demo is too linear and the team take the issue as significant decision in the final game.

The concept of Sara is Missing story is based on the rise of horror technology mainly Artificial Intelligence. Shahrizar Roslan stated "humannity is heading toward an era where A.I can predict everything. The game's incredibly human A.I named IRIS was born under this believe. [...] Rizar thought that according to the trend right now, A.I like IRIS might even become real in five years".

## Trivia

* During interview in Level Up KL 2019, Sara is Missing game producer Sharizar Roslan stated the game is inspired by Replica by SOMI as one of pionners to "Lost Phone" genre
* In SIMULACRA franchise, IRIS is not only a phone assistant but a sentient Artificial Intelligence watching its user and made grey decision.
* Sara is Missing is a predecessor to the next game based on the same mechanic and story called SIMULACRA.
* According to the game producer Shahrizar Roslan, IRIS is based on the inevitable rise of Artificial Intelligence and someday dominates the humannity

## Official Links

* Sara is Missing Gamejolt Page
* Sara is Missing Itch.io Page
* Sara is Missing Google Play Page
* Kaigan Games Official Twitter
* Kaigan Games Official Website
* Kaigan Games Official YouTube
* Kaigan Games Official Instagram

## Gallery

A video from Sarah's SmartphoneHome tab of Sarah's phoneList of contacts saved by SarahIRIS, one of "companions" aiding investigator to find Sarah
## References

1. ↑ https://www.imgawards.com/games/sara-is-missing/
2. ↑ https://saraismissing.itch.io/sim
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://vulcanpost.com/602472/sara-is-missing-monsoon-lab-interview-update/
4. ↑ https://news.qoo-app.com/en/post/9988/qoo-news-sara-missings-ceo-talked-true-horror-players-theories-speculations
5. ↑ https://gamermatters.com/level-up-kl-2019-interview-with-kaigan-games-ceo/