Airplanes are the worst. They’re loud, full of babies and germs, and despite being the safest way to travel, terrifying. No doubt, there’s something incredibly drab and dreadful about being stuck tens of thousands of feet up in the air with total strangers and absolutely nothing to do. Why not, thought AMC, turn that experience into a video game? Per Uproxx, the game, Airplane Mode, has been described as “intentionally boring,” a creative approach the network honed with The Walking Dead.
According to the game’s official Steam page, Airplane Mode “delivers all the thrills of a real-time, six-hour commercial airline flight—in Coach. At least you’ve got a window seat. Buckle up.” Who needs The Outer Worlds when you’ve got “fairly accurate satellite imagery of your flight path,” “authentic ambient noise,” and an “overhead reading light and complimentary aircraft information card.”
Airplane Mode, developed by Hosni Auji, also might be hinting at something more underneath its dull aesthetic. A description of an early build of the title might be nodding at a bigger purpose: “Flying is the safest mode of travel so there is nothing to worry about. Just sit back and enjoy.” The network calls it a “meditation on life between destinations.” And the YouTube page for the above teaser links out to its anthology horror series, The Terror. One wonders, then, if the game contains hints for the next season. Or if it’s really just a fucking flight simulator.
Airplane Mode hits Mac and PC in 2020. If you can’t wait that long, another seemingly boring video game is available right now, if you’re into the idea of delivering packages.