Condo Story is a brief, cinematic sport on Steam that feels at first like a life simulator, however corrupts the home fantasy with a risk, an intruder, and a gun. It begins out all enjoyable and video games as I assume the function of Arthur, a man with no plans for the day and no cash in his checking account. As Arthur, I discover my condo, which is a comfortable little place, and notice I’m hungry.

I’ve only some must care for: Thoughts, Starvation, Hygiene, Sleep, and Rest room. Taking good care of all these wants is simple. I put together myself bowls of cereal, smoke weed, and jerk off. Sometimes, the cellphone beeps with some new message about Arthur’s monetary scenario, and sadly, it’s unhealthy. So it’s an aimless, mildly anxious day. Then a buddy gives to swing by and share a pizza.

It’s at first of day two when all the pieces goes to hell; there’s a stranger in Arthur’s front room, which is now completely trashed. Smoking weed and ignoring texts about my financial institution stability at the moment are among the many least of my worries; I’m locked right into a battle for survival.

Condo Story just isn’t a horror sport; it’s extra of a dramatic thriller. However there’s one thing profoundly unsettling about having somebody in your house who you don’t count on. The sport does have one thing in frequent with horror motion pictures: I discover myself pissed off with the protagonist. Hey, Arthur, lock your doorways! I really feel as if an enormous chunk of this sport might be averted if Arthur was a bit extra security aware.

For each second of motion, there’s a protracted stretch of downtime. I can clear up my condo, taking every DVD and placing it again on the shelf in painstaking order whereas I hearken to some music created for the sport by the artist TRAAPS. These sluggish parts, mixed with the random assaults and the mounting narrative, give the sport a dreamlike really feel.

After working from residence for a number of years, together with in the course of the pandemic, one thing concerning the risk in Condo Story caught with me. Arthur is a homebody, and having that sacred area spoiled by a violent intruder is an alarming idea. Whereas the sport feels a bit awkward, sluggish, and plodding, the visuals and story stored me engaged — and grateful for my peaceable little condo.

Condo Story was launched Sep. 26 on Home windows. The sport was reviewed on Home windows utilizing a pre-release obtain code supplied by Blue Rider Interactive. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These don’t affect editorial content material, although Vox Media could earn commissions for merchandise bought by way of affiliate hyperlinks. You will discover further details about gamerlifemedia’s ethics coverage right here.