Exploring Binary Smoke's mysterious sci-fi dystopia
4.21.2025
By Aron Garst, Contributor
The action was amazing, and the filmmaking as revolutionary as anything he'd seen before, but finally receiving the answer to that question—that the Matrix was a simulated reality run by sentient machines, and humans were the batteries—was mind-blowing. Nothing like it had been done before. Buckmiller, who's now close to releasing the first part of his upcoming sci-fi action game Binary Smoke, is trying a similar approach. He wants everyone to go into the experience with as little knowledge of the world and its stakes as possible.
"Chapter 1 of Binary Smoke plays out like a prologue," Buckmiller said. "An immersive introduction to the universe, its rules, and the forces at play. Themes of distorted memories, reconstructed truths, remote viewing, and prophetic premonitions shape the game’s storytelling aesthetic, immersing players in a world where perception can’t be trusted.
"Many of the gameplay mechanisms in the game are about recovering your memories," he added. "Diving deep and learning your past by playing through moments of your past."
Even the main character knows nothing as they wake up during the game's opening sequence. What does Buckmiller want the player to know before they jump in?
"Nothing," he said with a smile. "It'll be like Memento meets Inception, the game is not just about reality manipulation. It's about non-linear storytelling and memory recovery."
Binary Smoke, as you might have imagined, is set in a dystopian future that's little like the world we live in now. You play as a Binary, a synthetic human hybrid that's artificially created. Your main driver after waking up will be finding out what happened to you and how you might be able to change the fate of everyone around you.
"The narrative explores a rising rebellion—a movement born from beings considered subhuman by society," Buckmiller said. "These hybrid people, once created to serve, are now fighting for their freedom and dignity."
So, what can we expect from Binary Smoke despite some of the game's key points—including the background of its main character, the identity of any and all antagonists, and so much more—being shrouded in mystery?
"Imagine Christopher Nolan and Ridley Scott got together to make an indie game inspired by Metal Gear Solid, Death's Door, and Hyper Light Drifter," Buckmiller said. "I love the non-linear storytelling Christopher Nolan does."
True to these influences, this third-person adventure game with a fixed camera will have stealth components inspired by Hideo Kojima's work and action sequences similar to Hyper Light Drifter and Dead Cells. You'll become familiar with a hub city similar to Kakariko Village in The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past, with just enough secrets to keep you wanting more.
"Binary Smoke rewards exploration with a rich array of secrets and hidden content," Buckmiller said. "Players will uncover secret areas, collectible artifacts, unlockable lore, hidden levels, and optional story content that deepens the narrative. These discoveries are woven into the environment, encouraging players to look beyond the main path to piece together the world’s full history."
Players will begin Binary Smoke in a weakened state, with much of the initial chapter focusing on restoring the player character's memories and powers. As they progress through the game, they'll unlock a stealth cloak, a rapid dash, precision melee strikes, and energy-based projectile attacks.
"Each ability brings players closer to the full potential of iO’s design and deeper into the truth she was built to forget," Buckmiller said. "You're essentially rebooting her core systems."
Outside Games' upcoming title has other elements that resemble the storytelling strategies of books and movies, including The Matrix and the original Aeon Flux TV series. Binary Smoke will be released in three parts. The first part will be coming to Epic Game Store in April as a short experience. The second and third parts will come later, both at once, as additional content. All three parts will tell the complete, mysterious story of Binary Smoke while expanding on gameplay mechanics and systems established in Chapter 1.
"The city plays a smaller role in Chapter 1, where most gameplay focuses on stealth, combat, and platforming-heavy environments," Buckmiller said. "But as the story progresses into Chapters 2 and 3, the city will expand into a dynamic, evolving space—transforming from a seemingly peaceful utopia into a militarized, authoritarian warzone. Players will witness and influence this transformation as tensions rise and the world unravels."
Buckmiller and the variety of developers who have worked with him and developed the idea of Binary Smoke over the past six years take a lot of inspiration from iconic filmmakers in the sci-fi space. Besides the similarities his story might have with movies by Scott and Nolan, one piece of advice he got from a video nearly two decades ago has stuck with him.
J.J. Abrams, in a TED talk given 17 years ago, presented his idea of the "mystery box." He spoke about a mystery box that he and his grandfather bought decades before at a magic shop in New York City. He never opened it, instead arguing that the mere idea of the box provided infinite hope, infinite possibility, and infinite potential. The mystery is always more compelling than the answer.
It's one of the primary concepts that pushed shows like Lost, where questions and mysteries continued to pop up while the audience was begging for answers. They rarely got those answers, but the show continued to captivate millions.
Buckmiller has narrative twists and turns choreographed through the three chapters of Binary Smoke, and each serves a unique purpose. Chapter 1, as he repeated multiple times, focuses on restoring the player character iO. Their story, which seems small at first, will have implications that send waves that continue rolling and cresting through the following chapters.
While most players will naturally ask for answers, the goal of Buckmiller and Outside Games Studios is to provide a constant flow of questions for the player to consider as they play Binary Smoke.
"I want the player experience to be as genuine as possible, like watching a movie. I’d like players to finish wanting more, and excited to see the full potential of iO’s journey realized over time,” Buckmiller said. "That's what we're trying to do with this. Use a little bit of sleight of hand, make people think one thing is happening when something else is happening. We want them to feel that surprise, to get that chill down their spine when they realize how something really is when they thought it was something else."
Buckmiller emphasized that Chapter 1 will be a short experience compared to the later installments. It'll set the stage for Chapters 2 and 3, both launching in 2026. Gameplay elements—including the fully explorable city, an expansive upgrade tree for progressive abilities, an abundance of hidden content, and customization—will be built out across all three parts.
While Buckmiller wants players to experience stellar combat and gripping stealth sections, more than anything, he wants the game to connect with players on an emotional level. The story of iO is one of resilience and oppression—something that's relatable to many in 2025.
"Binary Smoke is a story of awakening, resistance, and the search for identity in a fractured world ruled by illusion," Buckmiller said.
The first chapter of Binary Smoke is coming soon to Epic Games Store.