Apartment Story review – an entrancing slice-of-life game about the monotony of modern adult life

PC; Blue Rider Interactive
This voyeuristic life simulator depicts Arthur’s lonely life in his unassuming flat as he gets dragged into danger – but you’ll get the biggest thrills just from washing his dishes

I wake up to the sound of rain pummelling my first-floor window. Feeling groggy after some ill-advised weeknight beers, I roll over with a groan – it’s only 7 am. As I stare at the ceiling, half illuminated by my laptop’s unholy blue hue, I feel my article deadline looming. With a sigh, I half-heartedly shuffle towards the kitchen, begrudgingly pour myself a coffee and begin another day.

This is what it’s like to play Apartment Story, a The Sims-esque narrative thriller about a British games journalist called Arthur. It’s not often that a video game makes me feel jarringly seen, but this was exactly my experience as I sat at my real-world desk, peering into a cramped virtual flat, commanding protagonist Arthur to shave, wash his hands, write, and cook himself an uninspiring dinner. It’s the antithesis of your typical gaming power fantasy, an adult-themed, voyeuristic life simulator – and it’s entrancing.