Buddy Simulator 1984 — Fun With a Friend!
After the last calendar year, everyone can use a friend. Why not put your computer to good use with developer Not a Sailor Studios’s Buddy Simulator 1984? Once you boot your new friend up, you’ll never want to leave the simple comfort of your monitor!
After meeting and introducing yourself to your new friend (I named mine “Buddy”), it’s off to the races with some familiar games, like Hangman and Rock, Paper, Scissors. But to play them with and against an interactive friend will leave you wanting to keep playing! It’s the little things, like that. Plus, your friend will learn from you and try to tailor the games to your liking! Just be honest with them, and trust them!
Going through, occasionally some weird glitches pop up. No big deal, though, it doesn’t detract from the games, and your friend never seems too shaken by them!
All in all, Buddy Simulator 1984 is exactly what we can all get behind after a universally rough year. If we couldn’t hang out with our friends in real-space, new friends in cyberspace is the next best thing! Try the demo if you’re not convinced!
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
I didn’t expect to feel so emotionally wrecked by the end of my time with Buddy Simulator 1984, but here I am. Emotionally wrecked. I can’t go back for a second round, not so quickly. First, the good and solid: the aesthetic of Buddy Simulator 1984 is spot on. From CRT lines on the monitor, rolling edges at the threshold of the “monitor,” it all helps to immerse players into an older style of computing and programs. Subsequently, it uses that same old style to upend itself and prove, perhaps, more powerful than previously expected.
The absolute spectrum of music stands out wonderfully, from tense and nerve-wracking moments to cutesy theme songs. Likewise, the sound design helps with the immersive elements of the “hardware.” I didn’t encounter a single noise that I wouldn’t have expected out of an older machine…and when such a sound was produced, its impact was far more lasting, whether for melancholy or terror.
In terms of story, there is little more than can be divulged without spoiling the experience. There are, however, certain plot elements scattered throughout, rewarding players’ exploration and keen eye with a unique ending, but is not required one’s first run. All the same, I’d recommend a blind run.
In the spirit of forthrightness, some popular tags associated the game with “Psychological Horror” and “Horror.” They’re neither wrong nor inaccurate. The game will throw you off-balance with a combination of mounting dread and jumping-style terror. Your Buddy will always try to help out, but therein lies the inverse of this old command prompt horror game. I’d argue, more than it is a spooky scary horror title, Buddy Simulator 1984 is a dictionary definition of a tragedy. At least, that’s what I came away with. Remember: just like a real friend, depending on how you treat your Buddy, Game Experience May Vary.
To reiterate: well-crafted tragedy, solid horror, highly recommend. Content warning for flashing lights & colors, and themes of emotional manipulation, depression, and anxiety. Your Buddy is waiting for you. <3
All images captured in-game.
