Protocol

Protocol

Fair Games Studio · November 20, 2018 · Action, Indie, Adventure, Dark Humor, Cyberpunk

Buy Protocol from Steam at $5.39 — the cheapest of 5 stores we compare.

PC
Mostly Positive74% · 340 📉 Recent reviews down 58%1playing now
Best price 25 Fair price
$5.39-40%
$8.99lowest tracked $3.17
Steam Buy at Steam

Prices last checked

More games under $10 →More Steam deals →

Where to buy Protocol — official stores

Steam
Steam
Standard Edition · Steam
-40%
$5.39
$8.99
Buy
GreenManGaming
Standard Edition · Steam
$8.99
Buy
Humble Store
Humble Store
Standard Edition · Steam
$19.99
Buy

Cheapest Protocol keys — keyshops

Keyshops are third-party marketplaces — keys are resold and can be region-locked or a different edition. Check the listing's region & edition before buying.

Eneba
Standard Edition · Steam
$11.03
Buy
CJS CD Keys
CJS CD Keys
Standard Edition · Steam
$11.82
Buy

Some store links are affiliate links — playze may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the price you pay, and the cheapest confirmed price is always shown in the Best price box above.

Protocol price by region

Protocol costs £4.49 in the United Kingdom, €5.27 in Europe (EUR), $5.39 in the United States, $5.79 in Georgia (USD), CA$6.45 in Canada, A$7.91 in Australia, NZ$7.95 in New Zealand, R$17.99 in Brazil and zł18.59 in Poland right now.

Cheapest Protocol offer in each region, in local currency
RegionBest priceOfficial storeKey shopStores
United Kingdom £4.49 −40% £4.49 £8.78 5
Europe (EUR) €5.27 −40% €5.27 €9.84 5
United Statesyour region $5.39 −40% $5.39 $11.03 5
Georgia (USD) $5.79 $5.79 $11.03 5
Canada CA$6.45 −40% CA$6.45 — 3
Australia A$7.91 −40% A$7.91 — 3
New Zealand NZ$7.95 −40% NZ$7.95 — 3
Brazil R$17.99 −40% R$17.99 — 3
Poland zł18.59 zł18.59 zł55.31 4

Each row is a real price from that region's own stores, not a currency conversion, so the figures are not directly comparable. Switch regions in the header to shop the one you buy in.

Screenshots

About Protocol

✦ AI summary

Protocol is a sci-fi comedy adventure where you're dropped into the Arctic to make first contact with alien life while strictly following an AI's orders, with any deviation triggering deadly consequences. Packed with dark humor, plot twists, and punishing difficulty that can trap you in deadly loops, it blends puzzle-solving, action, and exploration into a genre-bending experience that will frustrate and delight you in equal measure.

Gameplay time: 9-12 hours
In this game, you may find yourself in many deadlocks the only way out of which is DEATH. This game may make you angry more than once. This game may make you re-play some moments over and over.

You were chosen to carry out the Protocol program.

Your objective is to make "first contact" with an alien life form.
Any violation of the Protocol will lead to the elimination of you and the entire operation.
Remember, the fate of the humanity may depend on your actions.
Once signed, the Protocol must be promptly implemented.
Have a nice day!

Plot
The action of Protocol, most likely, takes place in the near future. You are a flippant soldier who signs up for the Protocol program implementation. Packed in a landing box and dropped off somewhere in the Arctic Circle, not far from the Terminus research complex, your main objective is to follow a mysterious AI's orders, who uses you to make ""first contact"" within the Protocol program framework. Any deviation from AI's orders is considered to be a violation of Protocol; leading to the elimination of the complex and staff.

Features
Protocol is a sci-fi comedy with a hint of horror, action and a twisted love story.
Uncover an intriguing plot filled with conspiracies, plot twists, countless expletives, dark humour, and some light-hearted mockery.

Have a Nice Day!
This is a phrase you will love AND hate because you have violated the Protocol AGAIN. If you think that hardcore is when you can defeat the biggest bosses, then try not to die when taking a snowball.

Genre ambiguity
We still can't decide which genre suits this game. Adventure? Puzzle? Shooter? Immersive sim (seriously?)? Walking simulator? Crazy trip? Or, maybe... All in one?

Our other projects:
Horror LOCO PARENTIS
Startup Valley Adventure - Episode 1
Horror Noch

Protocol — game info

Platforms
Windows
Steam Deck
Verified
Player modes
Single-player
Controller
Full controller support
PC Game Pass
Not included

DLC & expansions

🎁 Complete the collection

Base game + 2 of 2 DLC at today's best prices.

$11.37
to own everything

What Steam players say

Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.

✦ AI summary

Protocol is praised for its humor and dialogue, particularly after the early chapters, but suffers from significant issues that undermine the experience. Players report that much of the game consists of walking and item interaction rather than engaging gameplay until Chapter 4, and the game is plagued by bugs—including softlocks, missing UI elements, and physics issues where items fail to follow the player—that appear to go unfixed due to lack of recent updates. The clunky PC controls and frequent item-dropping mechanics also frustrate players trying to enjoy the game's quirky, self-aware sci-

Not recommended Jul 30, 2026
I think this is the worst game I've bought in the last 10 years. Complete stuck on the very first scene. What am I supposed to sign the document with? By the time it dawned on me that this was a bug and that there was supposed to be a pen on the desk, I'd burned through a fair amount of nerves and time. Then I spent roughly the same amount of time again trying to figure out exactly how to contort myself and what exactly to press in order to sign it. It gets worse from there. I don't know how much you'd have to hate yourself to ship this as a release. Don't get me wrong, I love difficult games, and I love it when they challenge you. But that means when the game challenges you — not bugs and nightmarish controls. Guys, I don't play games to endure pain and suffering caused by the developers' incompetence. 0 out of 10. I'd have given it 1, but the protagonist's lines, clearly aimed at nothing older than children, don't leave room for that.
1 found this helpful
Recommended May 8, 2026
Have a nice day!
1 found this helpful
Recommended Feb 5, 2026
Protocol, developed by Fair Games Studio and published by Sad Horse studio, is a sci-fi action-adventure that blends first-person exploration, dark comedy, light puzzle-solving, and sporadic combat into a single eccentric package. Framed around humanity’s first official contact with extraterrestrial life, the game places players in the boots of a reluctant participant drafted into a secretive government program known simply as the Protocol. From the outset, it becomes clear that this is not a straightforward sci-fi thriller but a deliberately offbeat and self-aware experience that plays with genre conventions as much as it embraces them. The story begins in a remote Arctic research facility where alien wreckage and classified operations intersect. The protagonist, a nameless soldier, is tasked with navigating the aftermath of an extraterrestrial event under the constant supervision of a controlling artificial intelligence. This AI enforces strict rules that govern behavior, and deviating from its instructions can result in immediate and often absurd consequences. The concept of rigid procedural compliance forms the backbone of the narrative, creating tension between obedience and …
1 found this helpful
Not recommended Oct 3, 2026
This game blows
Not recommended Jul 8, 2026
uma porcaria
Not recommended Jun 10, 2026
Chapter 4 is gameplay , before that its just walking touching sim. Its very casual , one minigame had some increase in difficulty still meh. 1th chapter and half of 2th annoying, but after, i had few smiles, enjoyed dialogue. Impossible achievement has issues like a random bug where button doesn't appear , consume item it turn to absence of equip but you can create a backup save appdata/local/protocol and have a nice day.

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