Trailer unlocks release date for upcoming Apartment Story

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Dramatic life sim thriller about three people and a gun coming to PC on September 26th

Imagine the ordinariness of your own everyday life, then inject some of your most emotionally volatile relationships. And then, introduce a gun. (ONLY imagine it, mind you!) There are all sorts of ways such a scenario could go – many of them bad – but it'll be up to you decide how it plays out in Apartment Story, an upcoming narrative thriller by Glasgow-based indie developer Sean Wenham and Blue Rider Interactive.

Players control Arthur, a 27-year-old man who is simply "trying to keep his head above water" with all the stresses and demands of modern urban living. His life takes an unexpected turn, however, when he is visited by his former roommate, Diane. At first all is well, as "she stays a while and together they party," but when another young man named Blondey arrives, "the good times turn bad very quickly." Over the course of the next five days, it's up to players to determine how Arthur will "navigate escalating real-time narrative events and interpersonal relationships" involving thee very distinct personalities, all while maintaining his daily needs through an "immersive, Sims-esque management system." It's a tricky balance at the best of times, and all the more so when the presence of a gun raises the stakes to new levels of life and death.  

Presented in raw, jaggedy-lined, early-stage 3D reminiscent of an original PSX game, Apartment Story takes place entirely within the confines of Arthur's apartment, though rather than being a static environment, it's a very dynamic one reflecting the changing conditions occurring within its walls. A day-night cycle will track your progress through the five-day experience (in reality taking about 90-120 minutes to complete), and in between the important story beats, players must engage in the usual everyday tasks, juxtaposing the "mundanity of modern day-to-day living with a taut and thrilling narrative." You'll eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, shave, tidy the place, shower, fall in love, watch porn, wash the dishes, listen to music, answer the door, and maybe even shoot someone with that gun "hidden within the darkness of your apartment somewhere." Or not! It's up to you how to guide Arthur's path, leading to multiple endings and lots of replayability. Players are free to "express their own personality through gameplay choices," but forsake your essential needs and be prepared to face the consequences, as each action you take will impact visible status bars that include hunger, sleep, mind, toilet, hygiene, and life. 

If your purchasing trigger finger is feeling itchy, there's not much longer to wait, as Apartment Story is due to launch on Steam for Windows PC on September 26th.