OneShot

OneShot is a puzzle adventure game. The player controls Niko, a catlike child who is placed in an unfamiliar sunless world. The game exclusively shows Niko's viewpoint, employing a top-down perspective, while the player is separate, referred to by the name provided in their user account. Throughout the game, the player can make Niko sleep, causing the program to close; upon reopening, a short dream sequence is played showing Niko's old life with their mother.

The gameplay is composed of puzzles involving items. The player may use items at specific locations or combine them to create a new item. The player encounters computers, which signal that the player has to find content outside the game, including in the file system. These can also lead to interacting with the player's operating system in other ways, which include moving the game window off-screen, mimicking developing film, or changing the desktop wallpaper.

Niko awakes in a dark and unfamiliar house. They interact with an in-game computer, which addresses the player using the current username taken from their computer. According to the machine, the world that Niko currently resides in is collapsing, and the player's goal is to guide them back to their homeworld. Niko discovers the world's sun, a lightbulb, and uses it to exit the house, emerging in a wasteland called the Barrens.

There, they encounter a robot known as Prophetbot, which tells them that they are prophesied to save the world. Niko's goal is to carry the sun through the world's three areas and place it at the apex of a central tower to restore daylight. The robot teaches Niko to communicate with the player, telling Niko that the player is a god of the game's world whose responsibility is to guide the "Messiah" Niko. Niko meets Silver, a more sentient "tamed" robot, who gives them a piece of amber that Niko uses as a guide to the next area.

The game started as freeware. This initial version was made in a month on RPG Maker 2003 and released online on June 30, 2014, by creators Eliza Velasquez and Nightmargin (Casey Gu). It was developed as an entry for the engine's 2014 Indie Game Maker Contest, but it did not receive any accolades. Velasquez and Nightmargin initially believed their version was final, until Degica Games (later becoming KOMODO HAWAI'I) approached them to publish the game. This allowed for additional production time, enabling them to include everything they originally envisioned.

The 2016 version of OneShot was developed in RPG Maker XP. Developer Michael Shirt worked alongside Velasquez and Nightmargin to produce the 2016 version of the game; the three make up the indie studio Future Cat. It was also produced by Mark Conforti. Development of this version took 2 and a half years.

According to the review aggregator website Metacritic, the original Windows version of OneShot received "generally favorable reviews", with a score of 80 out of 100 based on eight reviews, while the World Machine Edition released for the Nintendo Switch received "universal acclaim", with a score of 92 out of 100 based on five reviews. The game has a 93% approval rating on OpenCritic based on 16 reviews.

The story and characters were praised. Borja Ruete of MeriStation described the script as well-written and captivating for the game's short length. He found the relationship between the player and Niko interesting, while Zoe Delahunty-Light of GamesMaster said that it was "lovely" forming a friendship with Niko throughout the game. Hardcore Gamer reviewer Spencer Rutledge described the story as easily conveying emotion.