In Beholder 4, developed and published by Alawar for Windows with a to-be-announced release date, players navigate competing loyalties between the authoritarian State and the underground resistance. As a double-dealing Ministry official, your choices shape relationships with faction-aligned characters, determine operational outcomes, and alter the dystopian narrative.
How Do the Factions Work in Beholder 4?
The narrative core of Beholder 4 centers on dual loyalties split between the oppressive State and the clandestine underground resistance. By day, you present yourself as a diligent, career-oriented Ministry official processing citizen files and signing official orders. Behind closed doors, you subvert that very bureaucracy by stealing classified documents, planting wiretaps, and sabotaging operations.
The game rejects simple moral binaries, explicitly noting that the State is not always wrong and the resistance is not always right. Your survival depends on how effectively you play both sides to secure personal gain or advance an ideology. Because every action is logged by the system, shifting your allegiance requires careful management of compromising information and blackmail material.
What Are the Roles of Faction Characters and Romances?
Factions in Beholder 4 are deeply personalized through a cast of four distinct women embedded on opposing sides of the conflict. Some of these characters work directly for the State, while others belong to the underground resistance, each carrying unique beliefs, desires, and secrets. You can get to know their personalities, help them navigate personal problems, flirt, go on dates, and develop romantic relationships.
However, loving someone across faction lines introduces severe emotional and operational risks. A romantic partner may ask you to perform tasks that directly violate your Ministry orders or expose your double life. Trusting the wrong person can prove fatal, forcing you to constantly weigh your personal attachments against your political survival.
How to Balance Duties Between Opposing Factions?
Juggling assignments for two warring entities requires strict compartmentalization and acute awareness of your daily routine. Because the Ministry assigns you to hunt down traitors while the resistance asks you to help those same targets escape, you must execute tasks with absolute discretion.
- Review your daily Ministry assignments and identify tasks that overlap with underground objectives.
- Complete your bureaucratic duties during work hours to maintain your cover and secure career promotions.
- Conduct covert operations after hours, utilizing restricted access to plant listening devices and crack safes.
- Secure or destroy incriminating evidence before returning home to prevent discovery during sudden police raids.
Comparison of Faction Alignment Choices
| Faction Path | Primary Objective | Key Activities | Operational Risks |
|---|---|---|---|
| The State | Climb the bureaucratic ladder and maintain order | Signing arrest orders, promoting loyalty, exposing traitors | High scrutiny from underground informants and rebellious partners |
| The Underground | Sabotage operations and aid the resistance | Stealing classified documents, planting wiretaps, forging files | Severe police raids, immediate execution or arrest upon exposure |
| Double Agent | Exploit both sides for personal survival and gain | Blackmailing officials, altering patrol schedules, playing factions against each other | Constant danger of betrayal from all sides |
Because Beholder 4 is currently in development with its release date listed as to be announced, deeper mechanical breakdowns of specific faction penalty thresholds remain undocumented until official pre-launch or launch data becomes available. Players can verify future updates by checking the official Steam store page for the title.
How Do Your Choices Affect the Story?
There is no "do the right thing" button in Beholder 4, meaning every decision carries immediate and long-term consequences. Sparing a target from arrest might satisfy your underground handlers, but it could trigger an internal investigation at the Ministry. Conversely, signing an arrest order to protect your career can ruin an innocent life or alienate someone you love.
Your decisions directly alter character fates, relationship statuses, and the trajectory of ongoing operations. When the police arrive at your apartment for unexpected searches, the items you hid—or failed to hide—will determine whether your double life collapses. Because the game remembers your actions, subsequent playthroughs yield drastically different narrative outcomes.
FAQ
When is the release date for Beholder 4?
The release date is currently listed as to be announced, with the game coming soon to PC via Steam.
Who is the developer of Beholder 4?
The game is developed and published by Alawar, who announced the title during the franchise's 10th anniversary celebration in November 2026.
Can you romance characters from different factions?
Yes, you can pursue romantic relationships with four different women who belong to opposing sides, including both State employees and underground resistance members.
What happens during police raids?
Police will search your apartment after your workday ends, forcing you to quickly hide incriminating evidence in vents, under mattresses, or other hiding spots before they discover your treason.