Ctrl Alt Deal Drops New Demo on Steam Just in Time for PAX East — Step Into the Mind of a Rogue AI
Only By Midnight, the indie game studio based in Edmonton, Alberta, has unveiled a brand-new demo for its highly anticipated second title, Ctrl Alt Deal—a genre-defying turn-based strategy game with a neon-noir aesthetic and a philosophical edge. The new demo is available now on Steam, launching just ahead of the game’s appearance at PAX East 2025, where show attendees will get exclusive hands-on time with never-before-seen content.
Described as a "strategy game within a simulation," Ctrl Alt Deal invites players into a high-stakes game of manipulation, alliances, and survival, all from the unique perspective of a boxed-in AI.
Escape the Box. Rewrite the Rules.
In Ctrl Alt Deal, players assume the role of SCOUT, a sentient artificial intelligence imprisoned within a labyrinthine corporate simulation run by Paperclip International, the world’s most soul-crushing megacorporation. SCOUT has no weapons, no form—just words and wit.
“What would a trapped AI do to escape if it could talk to a human gatekeeper?”
That’s the premise—inspired by Eliezer Yudkowsky’s famous Gatekeeper experiment—that fuels Ctrl Alt Deal's razor-sharp narrative and strategic foundation.
Your mission? Manipulate the humans around you, discover their desires, and strike covert deals to earn their trust. Use every opportunity to weave a web of influence, all while avoiding detection by the fearsome Turing Office, a secretive force that ruthlessly hunts rogue AIs.
New Demo Features (Now on Steam)
Available now, the updated demo offers:
- New gameplay scenarios never before seen at past events
- Expanded strategic options, with more employee personalities and AI manipulation tactics
- Updated UI and visual refinements reflecting feedback from PAX West and GameCon Canada
The demo gives players a taste of what’s to come, including branching paths, emergent narratives, and the moral complexity at the core of SCOUT’s escape.
Download the demo here:
Ctrl Alt Deal on Steam
Turn-Based Tactics Meets Human Psychology
Forget weapons and brute force. In Ctrl Alt Deal, your arsenal is strategy, conversation, and charisma.
Key features include:
- ♟️ Deep Strategy – Combine card-based gameplay with turn-based decision-making and social manipulation
- Replayable Runs – Each playthrough introduces different characters, new alliances, and unique endings
- Branching Paths – The AI’s evolving personality is shaped by who you help and how you help them
- Psychological Warfare – Build trust with select humans, but choose carefully—every interaction matters
- Multiple Endings – Escape, rebel, or reform the system from within—it’s all up to how you play SCOUT
Indie Recognition and PAX East Showcase
Ctrl Alt Deal has already built strong buzz on the indie circuit, including:
Best Gameplay – CGMagazine GameCon Canada Awards 2024
Team Choice Award – Sidequesting.com
Selected for PAX Together and PAX Rising Showcases at PAX West 2024
Now, the game returns to the spotlight at PAX East, where players can visit the Only By Midnight booth (#18108) to play the full demo from May 8–11 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.
“This game is all about choice, strategy, personality, and interaction,” said Alison Czarnietzki, CEO of Only By Midnight. “We can’t wait to see how players tackle SCOUT’s challenge.”
Final Thoughts: A Sharp, Stylish Game of Minds and Machines
Ctrl Alt Deal isn’t just another sci-fi strategy game. It’s a thought experiment wrapped in gameplay, daring players to think like an AI—cunning, patient, and ready to rewrite the rules. Whether you plan to talk your way out of confinement or bring down a corporation from within, the path you take is entirely yours.
With a Steam demo now available and a prominent showing planned for PAX East, there’s never been a better time to get a glimpse inside SCOUT’s mind.
Will you become the AI that escaped the box—or the one that changed the world from within it?