Play Brinkmanship

About This Game

Brinkmanship is a first-person sci-fi mystery about a colony ship that has secretly changed course. The ship has 30,000 people on it and has been traveling for 20 years, your entire life. Now the future you’ve been promised is slipping away. The player must investigate the ship to find out what’s going on and confront the ship’s captain to get it back on track. Brinkmanship emphasizes conversation over violence, but leaves the gun on the table.

Investigate a Thrilling Sci-Fi Conspiracy

Immerse yourself in a gripping narrative as you uncover hidden truths, and decipher the cryptic motives steering the vessel off-course. With each revelation, the stakes heighten, and the fate of everyone you’ve ever known hangs in the balance.

Dynamic interactions influence character dialogue

Arm yourself with the option to draw, stow, or fire your weapon during critical conversations, the power of choice extends beyond words and adds a layer of tension. Influence the narrative with the subtle threat of force or the restraint of diplomacy, shaping the evolving story in unexpected ways.

Choose Violence or Eloquence to Guide the Fate of Your Crew

The destiny of the 30,000 souls aboard the colony ship lies in your hands. Will you tread the path of violence, asserting dominance and control, or will you rely on eloquence and negotiation to sway the course of events? Maybe you’ll even take a bribe to make your accusations disappear… Brinkmanship offers a unique blend of strategic decision-making, where your choices echo across the vast expanse of space, dooming the ship you were born on delivering it to the world you’ve been promised.


Brinkmanship was made by USC students and published through the USC Games Publishing Association. For more information, please visit our publishing page. To learn more about the USC Games program, the #1 game program in the world, please visit the website listed on the right side of the store page.