Apartment Story blends narrative thrills with slice-of-life sim this September

Developer Blue Rider Interactive has officially revealed its feature-length dramatic third-person thriller Apartment Story. The game blends its narrative with slice-of-life simulator mechanics to create an engrossing experience with a visual style that takes me right back to the launch of GTA Vice City.

In Apartment Story, you play as Arthur, a 27-year-old who is doing what most of us are: trying to keep his head above water with the cost of food, an apartment, fun, and everything else life throws at us looming over our heads. Aruthur’s old roommate Diane unexpectedly shows up one day, and the two hit things off. But everything takes a bit of a downward turn when Blondey enters the picture.

Be a human in this world

The gameplay in Apartment Story looks pretty similar to what you’d be doing if you directly controlled just one character in The Sims 4. Arthur has needs such as hunger, sleep, mind, toilet, hygiene, and life. You’ve got to keep on top of these by feeding him, cooking up whatever you can find in the cupboards and fridge, getting him to shower, making him sleep, and allowing him to have fun when the opportunity arises.

This isn’t a slice-of-life sim, though, and escalating events of the narrative will quickly impede your ability to look after Arthur as life becomes fuller, more stressful, and filled with potential pitfalls. This is such an interesting blend of mechanics, and the confined space of Arthur’s apartment should make it possible to get your head into where Arthur’s at with everything life throws at him.

Interestingly, when Apartment Story is released on September 26, 2024, you’ll be able to dynamically choose between engaging with the narrative or not. If Arthur opens his door and lets people in, he could also be opening himself up to a world of hurt. Ignore the knocks and keep the door closed, though; you can procrastinate with him until his life is completely devoid of connections.

My favorite thing about the game is its PSX-style aesthetic. A modern engine ensures the game runs smoothly, but these intentionally low-quality visuals always pull me in more because it feels like I have to fill in more blanks while I play, almost becoming the character or narrator.