Over the course of the past week, I’ve spent a little bit of time with a game called Apartment Story, the first title from Glasgow based indie studio Blue Rider Interactive.
A large portion of the game, penned and directed by studio founder Sean Wenham, takes place within an apartment flat and resolves around Arthur, a regular dude who’s just living his until a ex-roommate by the name of Diane visits, setting in motion a gritty, crime-thriller about three entangled lives and a smoking gun.
Spent a bit of time with Apartment Story over the last week. It’s billed as a “feature-length” indie about three people, how their lives and pasts intertwine, and a gun that changes everything. pic.twitter.com/Z54dBsABV1
— Brodie Gibbons (@brodie_dg) September 26, 2024
While these narrative beats come about across the course of a few rainy days, the moments in between centre on the player trying to keep Arthur’s head above water. The game incorporates life-simulation mechanics, very similar to The Sims, to let the player prepare and eat meals, shave and shower, or slope off for a crafty spliff and wank if the moment calls for it.
It’s a game that’s marketed as “feature-length” and that’s about right, my run lasted about an hour and a half. It does lack some polish and it’s a little rough around the edges in terms of handling and how certain sequences unfold, but it’s certainly a novel application of both life-sim concepts and self-care sensibilities that I think justifies both the time you’ll take to see Arthur’s story out and its very modest price point.
You can find Apartment Story on Steam by clicking here.
