The Berlin Apartment
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Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for The Berlin Apartment
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
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 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?
There are few places that can match the modern history of a city like Berlin. The past century has seen regimes rise and fall in a massive way, due to which we often forget that the city was inhabited by regular people like ourselves. These are stories of victims, of those who refused to let these huge events stop their lives, of survivors. They are also tales of the beauty of the human spirit. The Berlin Apartment is a beautiful testimony to the perseverance of the people of Berlin and to human kindness itself.
The Berlin Apartment is an interesting experiment in historical fiction told in a static setting. We hardly ever see outside the apartment and when we do it is difficult to watch. The moments outside the apartment are reminders of what was and what was taken from us. It is a glimpse of a war torn country trying to reshape itself into something new. It is also a look at humanity at its best and its worst. For fans of visual novels and shorter games, this is a great addition to a collection.
Treat The Berlin Apartment like a quiet evening experience. Make a hot cup of coffee or tea or chocolate, dim the lights, settle in and let the stories breathe. The Berlin Apartment does not try to entertain you with gameplay, it tries to move you with perspective. And if you give it the patience it asks for, it succeeds.
The Berlin Apartment doesn't have any grinding mechanics. The story is the only way to move forward, and the game opens up more as you get deeper into it. It's a slower, more thoughtful kind of progress, where each step forward feels like it was earned by exploring and thinking about things instead of doing the same things over and over again.
