Apartment Story: A Game About Loneliness, Cheese Sandwiches, and Mental Health

Apartment Story is an experimental, feature-length simulation game that takes you on a strange, deeply personal journey of murder, isolation, and the awkward management of bodily needs. It’s not a perfect game, but it’s got a home invasion sequence that is one of the most uniquely stressful moments I’ve ever experienced in a video game. This isn’t just a game about taking care of a Sim—it’s about feeling like you’ve become one, living a life where you juggle mental health, cheese sandwiches, and... well, let’s just say there’s a bit of “jorking” involved.

Simulating a Day in the Life... Including the Weird Stuff

Much of Apartment Story revolves around keeping your character’s needs in check. Showering, eating, and sleeping all help keep you from spiraling into chaos, while tasks like making food involve an absurd amount of detail. Whether you’re slicing cheese for a sandwich or washing your hands after a certain solo activity, the game forces you to maintain a level of attention that feels both mundane and oddly unsettling.

The personal hygiene aspect is hilariously present throughout the game. You might start to question whether you’re a player or just some unseen force compelling your character to go about their day, especially when you find yourself pondering existential questions like: “Did I wash my hands after the sandwich or after... something else?”

Real-Time Storytelling with a Twist of Horror

Things start to get even weirder on the second day. After waking up to placate my "piss meter," I realized my apartment had been trashed—plant pots knocked over, toothpaste scattered everywhere, a complete mess. I wandered into the living room only to find a strange man sitting in my favorite chair. He got mad, headbutted me, and left. No explanation, just a random break-in. That’s the kind of vibe Apartment Story excels at: it takes ordinary life and turns it into something uncomfortably surreal.

What really stood out, though, was the level of detail in the game’s environment. What I thought was a blocky shelf of DVDs and books turned out to be individually modeled items. After the break-in, I had to pick up each one and place it back on the shelf. It’s a small thing, but it speaks to the game’s odd charm—it’s mundane, but you feel compelled to do it anyway, because hey, who wants their apartment trashed, right?

Music, Vibes, and a Sense of Isolation

While trying to clean up the wreckage of my apartment, I put on some tidying music from the game’s lovely soundtrack by artist TRAAPS. The music helps set a vibe I can only describe as “cosy agoraphobia”—a sort of dreamy isolation that’s both comforting and deeply unsettling. There’s also a sense of cyclical, haunting loneliness as you look out your window at the endless rows of other apartments, knowing you’re just one of many, trapped in your little space. It’s the kind of thing that creeps up on you after a while, especially when the only other thing to do is chew on a cold slice of pizza while time ticks away on the clock.

Is Apartment Story Worth It?

So, is Apartment Story a must-play? If you’re looking for a game that dives deep into the weird, the mundane, and the surreal, then yes, absolutely. It’s not your typical game, and it’s not trying to be. It’s a reflection on mental health, isolation, and the strange tasks that keep us going day by day. Plus, it’s out now on Steam, so if you’re ready to experience the weirdest home invasion of your gaming life, give it a go.