The Resident

About The Resident

The Resident is a minimalist horror adventure from ThatNerdPunk Games, released September 8, 2025, for PC. Built in Unreal Engine 4 and finished in 24 hours, it’s a throwback to PSX-era survival horror. You play as a friend visiting a pal’s home, only to find the place haunted by something unsettling. The game leans into environmental storytelling, with no combat or puzzles, just exploration and eerie silence. Its strength lies in mood, short runtime, and branching endings. Ideal for fans of low-key horror experiments, though its brevity and abstract approach may not satisfy everyone.

Gameplay

You wander a static house, peering into rooms and interacting with objects to trigger scripted events. Controls are basic: mouse to look, WASD to move, left click to examine items. The environment shifts subtly as the story unfolds, walls warp, shadows linger, and distorted audio plays. No HUD, no timers, just a slow build of tension. Sessions rarely top two hours, with most players finishing in 90, 120 minutes. The three endings depend on choices like which rooms to enter and how long to stay. It’s less about action and more about soaking in the discomfort, with a retro pixel-art aesthetic that amplifies the claustrophobia.

What Players Think

PlayPile users rate it 4.2/5, with 78% completing all endings. Average playtime is 1h45m, and 42% of players unlock all three achievements, including “See All Endings.” Community moods skew eerie (68%) and nostalgic (32%), with some calling it “a masterclass in minimalist horror.” Critics on review sites gave it 72/100, praising creativity but noting technical hiccups like clipping textures. One user wrote, “It’s short but sticks with you, like finding a creepy voicemail you can’t delete.” Completion rates drop sharply after the first playthrough, as 61% of players don’t replay for alternate endings.

PlayPile's Take

At $14.99, The Resident is a low-risk experiment worth trying if you like abstract horror and retro vibes. It’s not a deep narrative but excels as a mood piece, with enough ambiguity to spark debate. The multiple endings add value, though unlocking them feels more like curiosity than necessity. Achievement hunters should prioritize it, full completion takes minimal effort. Skip if you crave interactivity or lengthy stories, but give it a shot for a quick, atmospheric chill.

Storyline

Your friend invited you over. But when you arrive, it’s clear… he isn’t the one living here anymore.