Gameplay: (Works at least) As the new doorman in this creepy old apartment building, it makes you feel like a detective investigating everyone who walks in. Checking IDs, scrutinizing appearances, and deciding who enters, this premise I really liked at first. It’s literally like Paper Please with a supernatural twist, creepy imposters try to infiltrate the building and you have to decide who is real and who isnt. The doppelgangers are supposed to keep you on your toes, but then there's the catch, it’s a tad too easy. The inconsistencies stand out like a sore thumb, and even a sleeping intern could spot them.
Graphics/Visuals: Minimalist 2D hand drawn sprite art style works and looks good, the doppelgangers are usually creepy. It won’t win any beauty contests or art awards, but the simplicity works.
Story/Narrative: The premise is interesting, doppelgangers infiltrating an apartment building. You flip through IDs, cross-reference names, and occasionally call residents to confirm their identities with their roomates. But the narrative lacks any depth whatsoever. This isn't really a bad thing for some, but for me? Why are these doppelgangers so rampant in this city, what do they want? Aside from the fun little employee training video we get to start there really doesnt seem to be any lore here at all.
Audio/Sound: 3/5 The ambient sounds—creaking doors, muffled footsteps—set the tone. But they fade into the background. A haunting soundtrack or eerie whispers would’ve elevated the experience. Instead, it’s like listening to an old radio with a weak signal.
Replayability: Once you’ve mastered detecting imposters (which isn't exactly rocket science) there’s very little reason to revisit. The lack of random events or a ton of hidden secrets leaves you without any complexity. Also, calling on the phone and waiting 20 seconds every time you catch one is really frustrating too. Idk if I'd ever replay this without a major update.
Innovation: That’s Not My Neighbor borrows from Paper Please and adds a paranormal twist. It’s not exactly fresh, and the execution also falls short as well. The doppelgangers needed more layers, more options, harder to spot anomalies, maybe some sabotages or moral dilemmas idk.
Content/Extras:
Beyond the main gameplay loop, there’s little to explore. Not really any hidden secrets, no secret codes. It’s straightforward, like an assembly line. A few surprises or difficulty would’ve spiced things up.
Overall Enjoyment: I enjoyed my short time as the doorman/detective. But once the novelty wore off in about an hour, it felt like a repetitive paperwork job. Extremely simple game with little variety, but it has a little bit of charm. With updates this can be something special though.
Similar Games: Explore titles like Papers, Please (similar gameplay) and Return of the Obra Dinn (if you just want to feel like a detective).
Graphics/Visuals: Minimalist 2D hand drawn sprite art style works and looks good, the doppelgangers are usually creepy. It won’t win any beauty contests or art awards, but the simplicity works.
Story/Narrative: The premise is interesting, doppelgangers infiltrating an apartment building. You flip through IDs, cross-reference names, and occasionally call residents to confirm their identities with their roomates. But the narrative lacks any depth whatsoever. This isn't really a bad thing for some, but for me? Why are these doppelgangers so rampant in this city, what do they want? Aside from the fun little employee training video we get to start there really doesnt seem to be any lore here at all.
Audio/Sound: 3/5 The ambient sounds—creaking doors, muffled footsteps—set the tone. But they fade into the background. A haunting soundtrack or eerie whispers would’ve elevated the experience. Instead, it’s like listening to an old radio with a weak signal.
Replayability: Once you’ve mastered detecting imposters (which isn't exactly rocket science) there’s very little reason to revisit. The lack of random events or a ton of hidden secrets leaves you without any complexity. Also, calling on the phone and waiting 20 seconds every time you catch one is really frustrating too. Idk if I'd ever replay this without a major update.
Innovation: That’s Not My Neighbor borrows from Paper Please and adds a paranormal twist. It’s not exactly fresh, and the execution also falls short as well. The doppelgangers needed more layers, more options, harder to spot anomalies, maybe some sabotages or moral dilemmas idk.
Content/Extras:
Beyond the main gameplay loop, there’s little to explore. Not really any hidden secrets, no secret codes. It’s straightforward, like an assembly line. A few surprises or difficulty would’ve spiced things up.
Overall Enjoyment: I enjoyed my short time as the doorman/detective. But once the novelty wore off in about an hour, it felt like a repetitive paperwork job. Extremely simple game with little variety, but it has a little bit of charm. With updates this can be something special though.
Similar Games: Explore titles like Papers, Please (similar gameplay) and Return of the Obra Dinn (if you just want to feel like a detective).