Cleaning up one mess may lead to an even bigger one in this mystery. In This Bed We Made (“TBWM” for short), you play as a hotel maid who uncovers a conspiracy that may shake your world. TBWM is developed by and published by Lowbirth Games, an indie game company based in Montreal, Canada. Thus far, TBWM appears to be their first and only game, with perhaps, more to come in the future.
Being a fan of mysteries, especially mysteries, I just had to play TBWM. The real mystery here is, why’d it take so long for me to discover it! A question to be solved another day. Having played it, consider me satisfied. Here’s why.
As the best parts of a mystery is the plot itself, this review will be spoiler free.
Mechanics First
The game uses a simple 3rd person perspective where you move around and interact with things or people by clicking on them. Every bit of information is saved in your journal. Whenever a new entry is acquired, a red exclamation mark will appear on the book on the bottom right of your screen for you to read. Also on the bottom right is a speech bubble, which basically serves as a reminder for what you need to do next.
The game does little to hold your hand, making it truly feel like detective work. Aside from reminders of where to go, there are no tips or guides to lead you to the next clue or how to solve puzzles. I appreciate this a lot, as what is a detective game if the game itself solves everything for you?
By the way, you can do a little romancing in the game, but I’ll leave that to you on how to succeed.
Meet Sophie, Hotel Maid And… Detective?
Welcome to Clarington Hotel, a super-fancy hotel where Sophie Roy works. Sophie is one of many maids at the hotel, and whom you’ll be piloting. Something she shares with you, the player, is her curious nature. While performing her maid duties, Sophie has a habit of snooping around guests’ belongings. A breach of her duties, but hey, the story can’t start without a little digging. However, don’t take it the wrong way. Sophie is a swell person and one of the nicer staff at the hotel.
Speaking of the hotel, your job is supposedly to clean rooms, but Sophie also clears up the plot as you go from room to room. When entering rooms to clean them, you also wind up playing lots of different mini-games to uncover hidden messages and reveal guests’ secrets. For example, clearing the trash can may lead to the discovery of notes or letters. It’s a fun part of the game – not going through others’ trash, but detective work. You piece together the items and info you find to unravel the plot bit by bit.
The mystery isn’t the only issue to be solved, however, as drama is abound at the Clarington. Throughout the game, Sophie will also learn more about the lives of her colleagues. While it doesn’t tie in heavily into the mystery, it does affect the ending you get. Navigating the mystery and your colleagues’ drama plays a role in which ending you get, as well as your achievements.
About The Setting & Themes
The game is set in the 1950s, which you’ll learn very early on. So, you can expect the game to have an old-timey look and feel, but the thing I want to address most is the characters’ attitudes. Bearing in mind its setting, you can expect some characters to be conservative in opinion, mostly in regards to anti-divorce and anti-queer attitudes. While not obvious early on, it becomes more apparent as you progress. Aside that, TBWM also addresses the stigma towards people struggling with mental health issues.
Through your detective work and interactions with other characters, you’ll learn of their struggles and desperation, which also the driving force for the main plot. That being said, the game might offend some with the words used to describe said characters, which I won’t repeat here. It is disheartening and somewhat triggering, but it is in line with the time period that the game is set in. You don’t have to accept the era’s attitude about these topics, but let it serve as a reminder of its dated mindset.
There are some bright sides, though! You, as Sophie, can choose how this all plays out. Again, no spoilers, but you have the option to choose how the game ends. The game has multiple endings, though how positive they’ll be is your choice.
Is There Room For Improvement?
There isn’t much I would say the game needs to improve or fix on, as it’s quite well done. If I were to nitpick, I would simply ask for more detailed 3D character models. It would help to make the game feel more alive if you could interact with the suspects and observe their behaviour.
While the current models look fine as-is (albeit just a tad uncanny), you mainly only learn about the characters through small bits of information here and there. However, as it is the developers’ first game, I can understand if it were limitations with budget and technology.
That’s about it, as everything else in the game is enjoyable, honestly! The characters are entertaining and distinct. The plot and gameplay is intriguing and fun. The atmosphere felt just right, sometimes sending goosebumps down my back. The plot was the best part, and the buildup leading to the major incidents filled me with a lot of questions and curiosity.
Verdict: A Rather Pleasant Stay At Clarington Hotel
I’m pretty sure I said this above, but This Bed We Made is certainly fun! It scratches that itch in me to solve puzzles and mysteries. The plot and characters were interesting and there was never really a dull moment when interacting with anyone. Puzzles and clues hidden throughout the game were fun to solve and look for. Lack of 3D models aside, I’m very happy to have played it. Knowing it’s replayable too with the multiple endings is just a bonus!
Another thing I also found enjoyment in was the heavy themes of the plot. Kudos to Lowbirth Games for this fun and entertaining game, but also an enlightening one. I can certainly get behind the effort the developers put into raising awareness for various social issues!
I’m looking forward to playing the DLC, “Lost & Found: A This Bed We Made Story”. It follows Sophie in a new adventure also filled with intrigue and mystery. Stay tuned!
