Job Simulator has long been one of the best reasons to own a VR headset, and it might be bringing the glory days of working behind a counter–or cubicle hell–to a flat screen near you. Homeworld: Vast Reaches developer FarBridge has announced Job Simulator: Human Relations, which will see up to four players work together to complete tasks during their virtual eight-hour shift, like competing for resources or surviving natural disasters to appease their robot overlords. While you won’t be playing as squishy humans in this co-op chaos game, you will be piloting several robots attempting to navigate the human workplace.
The project is seeking crowdfunding to help make it a reality, as FarBridge has launched a Kickstarter campaign for it. If the studio successfully raises $150,000, the funds will be used to support the game’s development. Backers can expect invites to private playtests, exclusive development, and VIP Discord access as they contribute to the game. An “employment package” starts at $10, and higher tiers will include a Steam copy of the completed game, in-game recognition, and an opportunity to design a JobBot face or corporate motivational poster. If stretch goals are met, the game will expand with additional disasters, customization options, jobs, and more.
“Job Simulator has always been good at finding the joke in the everyday nonsense of work,” FarBridge CEO and founder Patrick Curry said in a press statement. “With Job Simulator: Human Relations, we started wondering what that would look like if you had to deal with all of it alongside your friends. That idea opened up a lot of possibilities, and we don’t want to figure them all out behind closed doors. Kickstarter gives us a way to keep building the game with players involved from the beginning.”
Owlchemy Labs CEOwl–no, really, that’s their title–Andrew Eiche added that with Job Simulator turning 10 this year, the studio wanted to grow the cult-classic. FarBridge was a natural fit, given that they had already worked alongside Owlchemy on several projects and gelled with the developer’s vibe. “They get our sense of humor, they understand how we build playful systems, and we trust them to bring that spirit to a new kind of experience for fans new and old,” Eiche said.
If you haven’t played it yet, Job Simulator is set in 2050 and casts you as a living exhibit in the Museum of Human Employment. Aiming to recreate human working conditions, robots have gleaned information from social media posts, corporate training videos, and toxic productivity gurus, resulting in an inaccurate nine-to-five environment. Your role in all this? Do your job and hit production goals while avoiding the chaos erupting around you, all so that you can earn some sweet promotions and gameplay perks.
