Editor’s note: This post contains spoilers for one specific chapter of “The Berlin Apartment.”

I’ve established my walking sim bone fides plenty already, so it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that I was excited to play a chill game that takes place in a single apartment in central Europe. It’s what we like to call “Grant bait.”

The framing narrative has a father and child fixing up a rather busted apartment only to find and discuss artifacts from some of the previous tenants ranging from the early 1930s to the 2020s. The player then flashes back to the life of these past residents to get a glimpse into their lives.

Having played through the intro and the first chapter, I was charmed, but I didn’t fully understand how powerful this game would actually be. I flashed back to the end of the cold war while Berlin was still split, and enjoyed a sweet little relationship penetrating through the iron curtain. It’s neat, and all the way up my alley.

A little bit more time is spent with the father and son before I’m thrown back to 1933. In the first-person perspective, I see a man freeing a songbird from its cage, and allowing it to flee through the window. Hmm… What was going on in Germany around 1933?

Oh no. Oh Jesus.

I then take control of this man, and quickly discover that it’s an older fellow who relies on a cane to walk around. The movement and sound design set the scene nicely — it’s clear he’s gone through a lot.

After a brisk phone call and some external hollering that saps the remaining calm out of the room, I start packing up to flee the country. A warm jacket and beloved camera make the cut, but I have to do some light inventory “Tetris” to make it work.

And just as the last item is packed, a massive rock is thrown through the window. The old man makes haste to the door, but the police are waiting on the other side to abduct him. The banging gets louder, and I can feel my heart beating out of my chest. I was feeling real horror.

Obviously, this reflects a specific time and place, but I’m all too familiar with the parallels to our current moment. Just two weeks ago, a friend of a friend was abducted right off the street here in my community by our homegrown secret police: ICE.

I didn’t expect anything like that when I picked up “The Berlin Apartment,” but I’m so glad that they’re telling these stories.

Maybe now’s a good time to find a local org that’s working to protect your neighbors. For me, it’s the DCIJ.

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“The Berlin Apartment” is available now on PC and PS5.

Image credit: “The Berlin Apartment,” btf Games