Apartment Story is a short, dramatic thriller with life sim elements

Apartment Story is a short, cinematic game on Steam that feels at first like a life simulator, but corrupts the domestic fantasy with a threat, an intruder, and a gun. It starts out all fun and games as I assume the role of Arthur, a guy with no plans for the day and no money in his bank account. As Arthur, I explore my apartment, which is a cozy little place, and realize I’m hungry.

I have only a few needs to take care of: Mind, Hunger, Hygiene, Sleep, and Toilet. Taking care of all these needs is straightforward. I prepare myself bowls of cereal, smoke weed, and jerk off. Occasionally, the phone beeps with some new message about Arthur’s financial situation, and unfortunately, it’s bad. So it’s an aimless, mildly anxious day. Then a friend offers to swing by and share a pizza.

It’s at the start of day two when everything goes to hell; there’s a stranger in Arthur’s living room, which is now absolutely trashed. Smoking weed and ignoring texts about my bank balance are now among the least of my worries; I’m locked into a struggle for survival.

Apartment Story is not a horror game; it’s more of a dramatic thriller. But there’s something profoundly unsettling about having someone in your home who you do not expect. The game does have something in common with horror movies: I find myself frustrated with the protagonist. Hey, Arthur, lock your doors! I feel as though a big chunk of this game could be avoided if Arthur was a little more safety conscious.

For every moment of action, there’s a long stretch of downtime. I can clean up my apartment, taking each DVD and putting it back on the shelf in painstaking order while I listen to some music created for the game by the artist TRAAPS. Those slow portions, combined with the random attacks and the mounting narrative, give the game a dreamlike feel.

After working from home for several years, including during the pandemic, something about the threat in Apartment Story stuck with me. Arthur is a homebody, and having that sacred space spoiled by a violent intruder is an alarming concept. While the game feels a bit awkward, slow, and plodding, the visuals and story kept me engaged — and thankful for my peaceful little apartment.

Apartment Story was released Sep. 26 on Windows. The game was reviewed on Windows using a pre-release download code provided by Blue Rider Interactive. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.