Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

Where to Play

Screenwise Verdict

Project Winter is essentially a survival-themed version of Mafia or Among Us, where half the fun is lying through your teeth and the other half is trying to figure out who's lying to you. It's not inherently evil, but it's also not exactly teaching your kid to be the next Fred Rogers.

The game requires real social skills—reading people, building arguments, managing group dynamics—but those skills are deployed in service of deception and elimination. For mature teens who can keep in-game betrayal separate from real friendships, it can be genuinely engaging. For younger or more sensitive kids, it's a recipe for hurt feelings and social drama.

The lack of predatory monetization is refreshing, but the game's reliance on voice communication with strangers (despite claiming no online chat) is a legitimate safety concern. Released in 2019, it's also been overshadowed by Among Us and other social deception games with larger player bases, which means finding matches might be harder.

Bottom line: This is for older teens who already understand that 'it's just a game' and can handle the emotional roller coaster of being betrayed by friends. If your kid takes Monopoly too seriously, skip this one.

Age Fit

Best for ages 14-18 who can handle social deception games without taking betrayal personally. Younger teens might struggle with the emotional dynamics, and older teens may find it less engaging than similar games with larger player bases.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

25

Core gameplay revolves around deception, betrayal, and eliminating other players. Traitors must sabotage and kill survivors 'by any means necessary.' While cooperation exists among survivors, the fundamental mechanic rewards lying, backstabbing, and violence against other human players. This creates an emotionally charged environment that can foster suspicion and conflict rather than genuine kindness.

Imaginative

62

The social deception genre requires creative thinking, strategic planning, and adaptive problem-solving. Players must read social cues, construct believable narratives (whether as traitor or survivor), and navigate complex group dynamics. The survival elements add resource management and exploration. However, the gameplay loop is relatively fixed and doesn't offer building, creative expression, or open-ended exploration beyond the core deception mechanics.

Safe

38

Users interact directly with other players in an 8-person multiplayer environment focused on deception and killing. While no online chat is listed, voice communication is typically essential for social deception games to function. The violence is player-versus-player with the explicit goal of elimination. No official ESRB/PEGI ratings provided, and no moderation stance noted. The game inherently creates situations where players must lie to and eliminate each other, which can lead to toxic interactions, hurt feelings, and social friction. No predatory monetization (no IAP or loot boxes) is a positive.

Enriching

48

Develops strategic thinking, social deduction skills, and reading human behavior. Players learn about trust, deception, and group dynamics. However, the lessons skew toward manipulation and betrayal rather than constructive problem-solving. The entertainment value is high for teens who enjoy social deception games, but the personal growth is limited and potentially teaches skills that aren't prosocial. The IGDB rating of ~61/100 suggests middling reception.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Develops strategic thinking and ability to read social cues and human behavior
Encourages communication and negotiation skills (even if deceptive)
No predatory monetization—buy it once and you're done
Can teach teens about trust dynamics and how deception works in group settings
High replay value as every game plays out differently based on player choices

⚠

What to Watch For

The entire point is lying to and killing other real players—this can genuinely hurt feelings and create social friction
Requires voice chat with other players (likely strangers) to actually function, despite 'no online chat' listing
Games can get heated and toxic when accusations fly and trust breaks down
Your kid might become 'that friend' who's suspiciously good at lying
Not appropriate for younger kids who can't separate in-game betrayal from real relationships

Conversation Starters

"How do you feel when someone lies to you in the game? Is it different from lying in real life?"
"What strategies do you use to figure out who the traitors are?"
"Have you ever felt bad about betraying someone in the game, even though it's just for fun?"
"How do you and your friends make sure the game stays fun and doesn't turn into actual arguments?"
"What's the difference between being a good liar in a game versus in real life?"

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