Papercoda Games, a women-led indie studio dedicated to creating impactful and thought-provoking titles, is proud to announce their new project: Media Circus — a unique narrative-strategy game where players launch a newspaper as editor-in-chief and fight to survive in the ruthless news business of a satirical animal world.
Fresh off its win of the Best Spiel Award at Indie Game Fest 2025, Media Circus will be featured at the Games for Democracy stall in the Indie Arena Booth at Gamescom 2025. An early demo has already made waves at festivals including A MAZE. / Berlin 2025, DoKomi 2025, and Reboot Develop Blue 2025, where players praised its freedom of choice, with one noting the thrill of being able to “publish anything,” another admitting they were tempted to “sell their soul,” and others reveling in the ability to “do propaganda.”
Inspired by the designer’s real-world experience in journalism and her disillusionment with the industry, Media Circus combines sharp satire with deep strategic gameplay. “We made this game because we want to remind everyone what’s at stake when the Fourth Estate falters,” said the team at Papercoda. “But we also want to do it in a way that’s engaging, thought-provoking, and above all, fun.”
About the Game
Media Circus — Control the Story, Control the World!
Take charge of your own newspaper in a world run by animals, where headlines can sway the masses and factions fight for control of the front page. Direct reporters, balance profit against integrity, and manipulate public opinion while navigating the dangerous politics of the press.
Key Features
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Plan Your Newspaper – Decide what becomes news and how to present it with creative newspaper design mechanics.
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Grow Your Influence – Build readership, outpace competitors, and secure profits to stay afloat.
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Shape a Satirical Animal World – A modular narrative system reacts dynamically to your editorial and financial choices, offering endless replayability.
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Forge Your Identity – Become a money-hungry tabloid, a fearless investigative journal, a propaganda machine, or something in between. Your choices lead to hundreds of unique outcomes.
Release Details
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Platforms: PC first, with console versions planned
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Engine: Godot
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Planned Release: Early 2027