Residence Story is a brief, dramatic thriller with life sim parts

Residence 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 condominium, which is a comfortable little place, and understand I’m hungry.

I’ve only some must deal with: Thoughts, Starvation, Hygiene, Sleep, and Bathroom. Caring for all these wants is easy. I put together myself bowls of cereal, smoke weed, and jerk off. Often, the telephone beeps with some new message about Arthur’s monetary state of affairs, and sadly, it’s unhealthy. So it’s an aimless, mildly anxious day. Then a buddy presents to swing by and share a pizza.

It’s at first of day two when the whole lot 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 steadiness are actually among the many least of my worries; I’m locked right into a battle for survival.

Residence Story is just not 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 anticipate. The sport does have one thing in frequent with horror films: I discover myself annoyed with the protagonist. Hey, Arthur, lock your doorways! I really feel as if an enormous chunk of this sport could possibly be averted if Arthur was slightly extra security acutely aware.

For each second of motion, there’s a protracted stretch of downtime. I can clear up my condominium, 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 Residence 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 condominium.

Residence 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 might earn commissions for merchandise bought through affiliate hyperlinks. You’ll find further details about Polygon’s ethics coverage right here.