The Berlin Apartment
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for The Berlin Apartment
An interesting and personal feeling set of first person histories that barely constitute a video game and yet wouldn’t really work in any other medium.
The Berlin Apartment is a short but sweet walk through a century of history of the German capital, where the underlying theme is life under oppression; of the Third Reich at first, and of the DDR later. Good voiceover, pleasant visual style, but the "gameplay" is a bit clunky at times.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Minimalist yet poignant, The Berlin Apartment offers a handful of narrative vignettes allowing players to experience the tumultuous history of Germany across the decades. Though brief, its stories pack an emotional punch that won't be forgotten.
The Berlin Apartment is certainly a nice tribute to the history of the titular city. With gorgeous scenery evolving through time that tells the tales of its residents, the apartment is a delight to explore. However, a more intriguing main narrative or engaging gameplay mechanics would’ve been a massive boon for the game. A gorgeous art style and heartwarming sentimentality make The Berlin Apartment an enjoyable experience, albeit one that struggles to stand against the genre’s best.
The Berlin Apartment is not an anthology. It is not a collection of stories. It is a single story told by those who remain. By those who silently observe every departure and every return. And that someone is us. The game doesn't put us in the protagonists' shoes. It puts us in the shoes of the home they inhabit, carrying the full weight of a century of history.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The game is much more than "just another indie title", yet it competes precisely in this category and must prove itself there. If one were to isolate the gameplay alone it probably wouldn't win any awards, but overall the game is one of the most unique experiences I've had with the medium this year and shouldn't get lost in the vast pool of 2025 releases. The Berlin Apartment tells the story of an apartment in a simplified form, but in doing so it also tells the story of an entire country through four individual fates in a way that is both relatable and captivating.
Review in German | Read full review
I like The Berlin Apartment. Some chapters felt a bit long, mostly when I wasn’t sure what the game wanted to show me, but overall, it was a deeply pleasant experience. I think it will resonate most with players who love narrative-driven stories, history aficionados, and anyone who enjoys peeking into the quiet corners of human lives. If you can get all of that in a video game format, who’s complaining, right?
