The Backbone: Artifact Edition is crammed full of diverse additions that help flesh out the varied and complex world of Vancouver and build around Howard’s journey.
Featuring the base game and the accompanying soundtrack, the ‘Artifact Edition’ also includes the ‘Words DLC’, which features a script for Backbone that allows you to take a peek at the development process and what it takes to plan out a narrative game.
It takes a certain kind of person to take on the greatest evils of the world. A keen intellect. Relentless courage. An unstoppable desire to see justice done.
But you? You’re just trying to make rent.
You’re not special. You’re not a hero. Thrust into unfortunate circumstances, you find yourself with no other option than to unravel what might be your biggest case yet.
Get to work, detective.
ABOUT BACKBONE
Backbone is a post-noir roleplaying detective adventure, in which you step into the shoes of raccoon private investigator, Howard Lotor, and explore dystopian Vancouver, BC, beautifully rendered in high resolution pixel art.
After years of small-time cases, lonely evenings, and just barely scraping by, Howard Lotor is swept into a job quite unlike any other before it. What starts as a menial case slowly unravels into something much darker, pitting Howard against the oppressive, systemic power hierarchies of the City itself.
GAMEPLAY
Backbone's gameplay is a modern take on the classic point-and-click adventure, featuring stealth, exploration, and elaborate dialogues inspired by old school CRPGs.
As Howard, you will:
Make meaningful connections with a diverse cast of characters in pursuit of truth
Explore both flourishing and decaying districts of a now walled-off Vancouver
Uncover clues and collect evidence
Solve puzzles and sneak around
Be a raccoon
Features
Post-noir dystopia
Backbone’s Vancouver is a dangerous place, bleak and dreary, but not entirely without hope. It’s a tale of a cold and existentialist world, interspersed with genuine connections and a bruised but undying drive to make a difference. Everyone wants to change the world, but not always for the better.
Stunning visuals
The breathtaking combination of high-resolution pixel art and 3D effects like dynamic lighting, pouring rain, volumetric fog and neon lights bring the sprawling city to life.
Evocative and unforgettable soundtrack
An original soundtrack by Danshin and Arooj Aftab is expertly crafted to create a cinematic, atmospheric, and simply jaw-dropping soundscape. You’ve never heard dystopian doom jazz quite like this.
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Click the Games Menu.
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After the successful code verification, go to the "MY GAMES" tab and start downloading.
News & Updates
2025-09-11
Dying Light: The Beast – A Brutal New Era of Parkour and Terror
After the pure delight that was GAMESCOM we surely have to shift our attention to some of the more outstanding titles we enjoyed there and Dying Light: The Beast is definitely one of them that stood out to us! The Dying Light series is making its come back very soon and for this one you are going to once again take on the role of Kyle Crane. After the long years of brutal torment and inhumane experiments performed on him, he barely made it out, but the shocking reality…
Gaming has grown into a global phenomenon, so of course it earned its own special day! It first kicked off in the 1990s and was originally marked on July 8th, before officially moving to September 12th. To celebrate this year, we’re running a huge YUPLAY storewide promo! Everyone who places an order between 10.09 CET and 17.09 CET will be automatically entered — and at the end, 21 lucky winners will receive a full refund of their order.
