There's a Gun in the Office

Call me a silly billy, but when I first stumbled upon the elevator pitch for this game I was electrified. It reminded me of my primary take-away from RE7; the Bedroom DLC chapter, a side story that recontextualises the core game's setting into an escape room featuring a focal primary antagonist who'd regularly check in on you and assess the room to see if you've been making attempts to leave. There's a Gun in the Office is about half an hour long, and a very cheap solo project, so I'd wholeheartedly recommend it. Plenty of things here I'd like to sing praise of, so please consider giving it a shot before I hand-wring away some of its magic! _________ There's a Gun in the Office takes a somewhat different approach to what the RE7 DLC sets out to do, and one that I found orders of magnitude more effective. There's a loneliness here, the captor themselves is surprisingly downplayed to the point where you never actually see them directly - but their presence is always felt in numerous ways. Footsteps, a static void warping the player's perception around their physical presence, elevator dings and the sounds of doors unlocking. Rather than any spoken dialogue, the game is incredibly ambient in its sound design, focusing more on the muted realism of a lonely apartment - where noises you didn't make yourself cut through the stillness. The puzzle design here is somewhat simplistic when you really get down to it, but that’s a very good thing here. We’re not rotating forks to cast the shadow of a snake head onto a wall here a-la RE7 - the focus is on a degree of mundane realism that helps sell the ordeal. Combing through shelves and cabinets for keys, learning what you can about the layout of the apartment before needing to retrace your steps as accurately as possible. Very effective at drumming up stress honestly! Retiring to my cell again at the end of the day before the fear hits me like a bolt of lightning… did I leave a door open? Did I put that key back where my captor left it? Because the captor is an absence rather than a presence, the fear becomes abstract. You’re left with a haunt that lets paranoia do most of the work, making you second-guess whether you’ve spun your plates effectively and truly covered your tracks. There’s something uniquely stressful about the fact that you’re always anticipating confrontation, but never actually seeing the person you’re hiding from. I‘m very keen on the subtle visual flourishes that lend to the unease, God knows why it messed me up that the skyline was randomly generated but the impermanence of it did Something to me. If I had to complain, I do wish that the hallway didn’t have an updating map that tracks your interactions and mistakes - it gamifies things too much and deflates the primary source of anxiety in the game, that being the unknown. Knowing the full layout of the apartment feels a little strange, it’d be better if the day-end map only showed the rooms you’ve already discovered so far. I do think some harsher punishments for mistakes would have gone a long way, the captive throwing a few curveballs that make what becomes your routine a little more confusing or strenuous. Reading the dev’s journey they’ve outlined in the Steam updates leading up to this game’s release is lovely, I truly believe they have every right to be very proud of what they’ve made here. They took it upon themselves to make something in their free time that I still think came out to be incredibly distinct. It’s a short, sharp experience that lingers, one of those rare small-scale games that knows exactly what it wants to be and delivers it with confidence.

Atmosphere, tension and constant fight with your own brain. Did I put this key where it was supposed to be? Was the light in this room on or off? The game is a great concept combining an escape room with survival horror elements. I highly recommend it.

loved it.

Love the overall idea — it's simple but engaging. The game evokes the exact feeling the author is promoting: fear, stress, and a sense of vulnerability. Recommended!

I got interested in this game because the concept reminded me of a game I saw someone play with a similar 'clear your tracks' type of idea, and it was definitely worth the play. I only got the ending that most people would probably get their first playthrough, and I intend on trying to find the other ones. I feel like the one guy who said it was repetitive failed to realize the game they bought. The entire concept is going to be repetitive because you have to do it every night, but it isn't the same. The randomization isn't... absurd, where things are in a completely different area. They're in a logical place where someone would put the item. The game will be repetitive, but it's that repetitiveness that can be your downfall. I love subtle horror games like this, where it goes back to the root of horror, when it wasn't all jumpscares. I highly recommend this game, though I know it isn't for everyone.

Stupid and repetitive. Has potential but unlocking and relocking doors is fun for about 5 minutes or a couple attempts.

STRESS LEVEL WAS ON 10! This was a masterpiece of a game! I absolutely loved the experience, 10/10! https://youtu.be/gDD3N30W2A0

What sets this game apart is the constant feeling of dread and urgency. Every decision feels weighty, and the precision required to cover your tracks adds a layer of tension that keeps you on edge. If you enjoy games where stealth and strategy intersect, this one’s a must-play.

Can confirm, I got stressed.

I've thoroughly enjoyed playing it. Highly recommended!