The Berlin Apartment Demo Impressions

In The Berlin Apartment, you witness turning points in the lives of the inhabitants of an apartment in Berlin over the course of a whole century. I played the demo for The Berlin Apartment on Steam, and it was mind-blowing! The developers, btf, are the same talented people who gave us the wonderfully inventive game Truberbrook. Based on the demo, this new game might be just as good and yet totally different!

The full game is scheduled to be released on November 17th, 2025.

What This Unique Game is All About

The premise of the game is to learn about all the occupants of one Berlin apartment over the course of 120 years. This encompasses the events that occurred in the city of Berlin and within the walls of the apartment. Events that influenced their lives.

I believe the entire game takes place within the same apartment walls, and you see the same window every time. Yet the rooms look totally different depending on which resident is living there. It is narrated in the year 2020 by a handyman who is tasked with renovating the apartment. When I first got to see one room of the apartment through the eyes of the handyman, it was quite a wreck. There were holes in the walls and floor, and there was graffiti on the walls. (I noticed an image from Truberbrook in the graffiti, which I found amusing!)

A sunlit room in The Berlin Apartment undergoing renovation, with white walls, wooden flooring, and decorative moulding. A ladder stands on a protective sheet beside a paint tray and roller, suggesting ongoing painting work. The right wall is partially stripped, revealing brown plaster or insulation. Terracotta plant pots are stacked nearby, and white curtains are draped over a wooden panel. A toolbox and materials lie to the left, while double doors marked “WORK IN PROGRESS” hint at transformation. Large windows at the far end reveal a red-brick building outside. Published on: LadiesGamers — The apartment in 2020

As the handyman deconstructed the apartment, he found mementoes left behind by the previous occupants and used them to learn about the previous occupants. But as far as I can tell, no matter who lived there, this window that we see does not change.

Learn About the Various Residents

The demo of The Berlin Apartment tells us about the lives of two people who lived in the apartment. The first person I met was Kolja, who was living in the apartment in 1989 on the East side of the Berlin Wall. By interacting with various highlighted objects in the apartment, Kolja told me the story of his life. He is a very lonely man; his roommate seems to have moved out with no notice, and his friends have also all moved away. All Kolja has left is a lot of plants and a goldfish named Erich, who is quite a character!

A stylised vintage workspace from The Berlin Apartment, bathed in warm sunlight through large windows. The room features herringbone wooden flooring, green filing cabinets, and a desk cluttered with books, papers, and a retro computer monitor. A bulletin board displays maps and notes, while posters of Albert Einstein and The Who (dated 1977) add character to the worn walls. A goldfish swims in a bowl atop a cabinet, and a hand holds a green watering can labelled “Water” in the foreground. The space evokes nostalgia with its peeling paint and artistic charm. Published on: LadiesGamers — Kolja’s apartment – 1989

I was first tasked with seeking out and watering the plants that seemed to need it, the ones that were brownish. As each plant was watered, Kolja told me a bit more about himself and the times he lives in. I got to look out his window and see the Berlin Wall and wonder along with Kolja about who lives on the other side and what their lives are like. I know that the Wall will be demolished later that year, and his life will change completely, but he does not know this yet.

A poignant scene from The Berlin Apartment, viewed through a window from inside a building. In the foreground, a hand holds a green watering can labelled “Water,” hinting at an interactive moment. Outside, a stark street is divided by a high wall topped with barbed wire, with a guard tower and a parked white car nearby. European-style buildings and autumnal trees line both sides of the barrier, while a helicopter hovers above, evoking a tense, historical atmosphere reminiscent of Cold War Berlin. Published on: LadiesGamers — Outside Kolja’s window – 1989

Then the scene of The Berlin Apartment cuts to 1933 when Josef von Stenberg lived in the apartment. Josef is Jewish, and this is the time period when the Nazi Party rose to power in Germany. I spent much more time with Josef than with Kolja.

Through his interactions with various items in the apartment, I learned that he was a filmmaker who owned his own movie theater, but it was burned down by the Nazis. Esther, who is somehow related to Josef (his daughter?), calls on the phone and tells him she is on her way to pick him up. I learned that he is leaving Germany and moving to France, not by choice but to save his life. It’s heartbreaking to help him pack just the one bag he can take. There are a couple of mini games in both levels, which are pretty easy but provide a change of pace.

A stylised street scene from The Berlin Apartment, viewed from above through a window. Ornate European buildings line cobbled streets intersected by tram tracks, where pedestrians stroll past a green kiosk and a cart. Red flags bearing swastikas hang from the façades, placing the setting in Nazi-era Germany. The lighting suggests daytime, with shadows cast across the pavement. A “Back” button in the corner hints at interactive gameplay, contrasting the historical tension with the player’s quiet vantage point. Published on: LadiesGamers — View from Josef’s window – 1933

Some Other Things

I found it interesting to see the apartment interiors and the street scene in the different time periods. I can see from the game trailer, there is at least one other time period (and apartment resident) to learn about in The Berlin Apartment. Maybe there are more. There were also many rooms that I could not enter in the demo, but that will be part of the finished game. So even though I feel I know Kolja and Josef, there is a lot more to learn about them both in the full game.

A richly detailed vintage office from The Berlin Apartment, featuring green patterned wallpaper and herringbone wooden flooring. A large wooden desk with two chairs sits at the centre, illuminated by natural light from a window with wooden blinds. The right wall is lined with filing cabinets and bookshelves filled with documents and books, while framed portraits and photographs add a personal touch. A chandelier hangs overhead, and a green decorative rug lies beneath the desk. A coat rack and bookshelf flank a tall wooden door on the left, completing the nostalgic, professional atmosphere. Published on: LadiesGamers — Josef’s apartment – 1933

Final Thoughts

The Berlin Apartment is really unique. The full game will tell us the stories of the many people who called this apartment their home. In the demo, I learned a little about 2 of them and spent about 40 minutes playing the demo, and I can’t wait to discover more about these people and to meet the other residents that were not included in the demo

I was touched learning about the 2 residents of the apartment. I look forward to entering the closed rooms and learning more about Josef and Kolja, as well as the other apartment residents I have not met yet.

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