DON'T GIVE UP: A Cynical Tale chronicles the life of a video game developer. This developer suffers from mental disorders. One day, two big troubles happen to a guy at once: he loses his dream job, and his girlfriend leaves him. After this, Tristan Barona, nicknamed Tris, moves to another city. He is trying to escape from his past and start over. The hero strives to succeed, but he has to fight internal demons. Because of all the turmoil that has happened, the personification of his unconscious, Subris, is trapped in darkness. The narrative is replete with humor and references to 90s pop culture. The indie project has 2 protagonists and the same number of storylines. The action takes place in two dimensions at once – in the real world and in the subconscious of the programmer.

Don't Give Up: A Cynical Tale is an adventure game with role-playing elements and two-dimensional graphics in the style of pixel art. Outwardly, the title is similar to a JRPG, but there are no random encounters, leveling up or loot, and battles take place in real time. The story itself is linear, and battles happen strictly according to the plot. The combat system here is non-standard. Before the fight, the opponents exchange insults. You can choose a variety of ridicule and passive-aggressive comments. After a verbal altercation, a confrontation begins. In it you need to move the fighter across 4 squares, avoid enemy attacks and strike. A city populated by 100 unique characters is available for exploration. The metropolis has coffee shops, fast food restaurants, arcade halls, strip clubs and other places to visit.