Identity V

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Four Survivors against one Hunter in a gothic Victorian manor.

Platforms: iPhone, Android
Price: Free to play
Rated: 4.7 of 5 from 132,758 ratings on the App Store; 2.7 of 5 from 807,185 ratings on Google Play
Players: 5 online (4 Survivors and 1 Hunter)
Made by: NetEase Games
Released: 2018

Visit the game's site App Store Google Play

What frightens Four Survivors hide, run and repair cipher machines on a gothic Victorian map while a Hunter with killing powers stalks them. Being spotted means a chase through the map, and the Hunter can catch and torture its prey.
Content: violence, online play with strangers.

An asymmetrical horror game from NetEase for phones: in each online match four Survivors decode cipher machines and try to escape through the gate while one Hunter tries to catch them. It has a gothic Victorian look and a mystery story about a detective searching an abandoned manor.

About Identity V

Identity V is a free-to-play mobile game from NetEase Games, released in 2018, which NetEase calls its first asymmetrical horror mobile game. It pits one player against four in a gothic, Victorian-era style.

As a Survivor you work with three teammates. Spread across the map are cipher machines; decode enough of them and the exit gates power up, and you can open one and escape. All the while you watch for the Hunter, running and breaking line of sight when you are chased and helping teammates who are caught. As the Hunter you learn your character's killing powers and try to catch the four before they get out. Maps change from match to match, and each side has many characters with their own strengths.

The framing story begins with you as a detective who receives a mysterious letter asking you to investigate an abandoned manor and find a missing girl, and what you find gets darker the closer you come to the truth.

Identity V plays more like a competitive online game than a story you finish: global matches, costumes and characters to unlock, with in-app purchases. Its look is stylised, with puppet-like characters rather than gore. It suits players who want the tension of hiding and being hunted with or against other people.

How to play Identity V

Pick whether to play as a Survivor or the Hunter, then choose a character.
As a Survivor, find cipher machines and decode them with your team while watching for the Hunter.
Run, use the map's obstacles and break line of sight when the Hunter chases you, and rescue caught teammates.
When enough machines are decoded, open an exit gate and escape.
As the Hunter, use your character's powers to find and catch the Survivors before they get away.

Screenshots

Identity V store image: a match screen of characters in front of a circus tent, framed by a Survivor in a top hat and a dark winged Hunter

Identity V store image: a costume screen for the Painter, beside a winged Hunter in a top hat with glowing purple eyes

Tips

Try several Survivors and Hunters; each character plays differently, so pick one that suits your strategy.
Talk with your team about which cipher machines each of you is working on.
Learn a map's layout, but expect it to change from match to match.
When the Hunter chases you, lead it away from teammates who are decoding.