Pencils Down

Red ink Most questions give you all the time you need. Some do not. A few questions are printed in red ink, and when you start reading one, the question itself begins to disappear. The letters blur. Words become harder to make out. Eventually, the sentence stops making sense. Whatever you managed to understand before that happens is what you have to work with. Take too long, and you may find yours...

Steam News · Aug 23

Look Up When He Calls Your Name

The Proctor There is one other person in Room 44. You never get a good look at him. He walks the rows while you work. You will hear him coming before you see him, and when he reaches your desk, you are supposed to stop writing. Keep writing, and he notices. He will not say anything. It simply goes on your record. And your record is what the examination is really keeping. Attendance Every so often,...

Steam News · Aug 20

PENCILS DOWN launches September 4

PENCILS DOWN comes out on September 4, 2026 It is 1999, and you are sitting in Room 44 for a standardized test. At first it seems ordinary. There are questions about history and questions about science. Then it asks what you did three minutes ago, and it turns out the test already knows the answer. What you actually do Bet on your answers. Before you commit to one, you say how confident you are. C...