The Station is a first-person sci-fi mystery set on a space station sent to study a sentient alien civilization. Assuming the role of a recon specialist, players must unravel a mystery which will decide the fate of two civilizations.
As a recon specialist, players take on the role of investigating a space station that has lost contact with its crew of three. The three-person crew was tasked with studying a newly discovered sentient alien civilization, but something has gone wrong. Players must piece together the fate of the crew by searching the highly detailed environments of the station, interacting with objects, and uncovering clues through audio logs, emails, and other documents.
The game's exploration-focused gameplay encourages players to freely move through the various areas of the space station, examining the richly detailed environments. From personal effects to computer terminals, players can interact with a wide variety of objects that provide additional context and narrative details about the crew and the events that transpired. The strong emphasis on visual and audio design creates an immersive and tense atmosphere, drawing players deeper into the unfolding mystery.
Interspersed throughout the exploration are light puzzle-solving elements. These puzzles generally involve unlocking doors or accessing restricted areas by manipulating the environment, such as finding keycodes or rearranging objects. While not overly complex, these puzzles provide a sense of progression and give players a more active role in uncovering the mystery.
The core gameplay experience revolves around the unfolding narrative. As players discover audio logs, emails, and other documents, they gradually piece together the story of what happened to the crew and the broader implications of their mission. The gameplay serves as a means for players to satisfy their own curiosity and understand the events that led to the station's isolation.
It's important to note that the game presents a linear story, with the player's role being that of an observer and investigator rather than an active decision-maker. While this may disappoint some players, it aligns with the game's focus on environmental storytelling and the sense of uncovering a mystery through careful exploration.