This Bed We Made

This Bed We Made is a narrative-driven mystery game that allows players to explore the private lives of hotel guests through the eyes of a curious chambermaid in 1950s London. Developed by Red Martyr Entertainment, This Bed We Made weaves an intricate tale of secrecy, temptation, and murder inside the opulent walls of the fictional Clarington Hotel. With its neo-noir aesthetic, complex characters, and voyeuristic gameplay, This Bed We Made is an enticing choice for fans of narrative adventures and murder mysteries.

In This Bed We Made, you take on the role of Sophie, a chambermaid at the Clarington who discovers that a guest has been murdered in room 505. As Sophie, you must navigate the aftermath of the murder by inspecting rooms, eavesdropping on other staff, and piecing together clues about the hotel's guests and their connections to the victim. Along the way, Sophie can form alliances with fellow staff members like the savvy Beth and intellectual Andrew, whose contrasting personalities offer different perspectives on the mystery.

Voyeuristic Gameplay Keeps You Hooked

One of the most compelling aspects of This Bed We Made is its voyeuristic gameplay. As a chambermaid, you have access to hotel rooms where you can thoroughly inspect suitcases, desks, trash cans, and more for clues about each guest's life and secrets. The feeling of flipping through a private diary or digging through someone's luggage captures that same guilty fascination with other people's business. This gameplay creates an addictive loop of discovering clues, which unlock new dialogue and rooms to explore. It also challenges players to consider the ethics of such invasive snooping. Overall, this voyeuristic approach makes This Bed We Made hard to put down.

Complementing its addictive snooping gameplay is This Bed We Made's strong cinematic storytelling, realized through stylish neo-noir visuals and excellent voice acting. The game oozes 1950s glamour with its jazzy soundtrack, lavish art deco hotel, and gorgeous costume design. Red Martyr uses cinematic language like close-ups and depth of field to pull you into dramatic moments between characters. The voice acting is also top-notch, bringing distinctive personalities to life like the holidaying American businessman or the eccentric elderly magician. Fans of narrative adventures like Heavy Rain will appreciate This Bed We Made's polished cinematic style.

Masterfully Woven Mystery Keeps You Guessing

At its core, This Bed We Made succeeds in slowly unspooling an unpredictable, expertly woven mystery. As you interact with more guests and staff, you unlock new details and theories about who killed the guest in room 505 and why. Red Martyr masterfully drip-feeds clues and red herrings throughout the 8-10 hour experience, continuously shifting your perspective on events. The various guests all have intriguing backstories that organically tie into the central murder. Just when you think you've solved the mystery, new evidence challenges your assumptions, keeping you hooked until the very end.

Review: 8/10

With its meticulously constructed mystery, stylish presentation, and voyeuristic snooping gameplay, This Bed We Made weaves an engaging neo-noir narrative that will appeal to fans of games like Lost Judgement and L.A. Noire. Just don't be surprised if you feel the urge to rifle through your own neighbor's belongings after spending a night in the Clarington.

Pros:

• Addictive investigative and eavesdrop gameplay
• Cinematic visual style and music evokes 1950s glamour
• Unpredictable, expertly woven mystery

Cons:

• Puzzles lean on simpler object hunts and code deciphering
• Supporting characters feel underdeveloped
• Occasional performance issues on standard PS4