Buddy Simulator 1984 is a story-driven horror game that is one of the most unique gaming experiences I have had in some time. Before we start, I need to tell you that you need to make sure you read no spoilers before you play this game. This is a very special kind of game experience and the less you know about the twists and turns the better more memorable experience you will have.
How to Download Buddy Simulator 1984
You can download the game from Epic Games Store or Steam. There is also a free demo of the game for you to try before you buy. Click on the Download button at the end of the review. If you like such games, check out also our review of Undertale, and OMORI.
The Game Review
The idea of the game is that you have to fire up your old computer and you are greeted by an AI that wants to be your friend. The game starts by asking you a few basic questions like what is your favorite color and when is your birthday? It is like you are playing on an old DOS computer, but not just the way it all looks, but in the sounds of the machine too.
You play the game from a first-person point of view so it is kind of like a simulator in a simulator. Your new AI buddy wants to create games for you and it starts off with a simple text-based adventure game, there is rock, paper, scissors, hangman, and a few others to start with. It is all very basic stuff, but as the game progresses so does the technology.
What was once a text-based adventure game (a very well written one I might add) becomes a more detailed, kind of like Earthbound style of game and it only gets more advanced from there with your character going from 2D to 3D. It is done very well and the game tailors the experience to the stuff you have typed in so each person’s experience will be unique to them.
There is a fair bit of whimsy and humor here and for a while, I wondered why Buddy Simulator 1984 was classed as a horror game. However, weird glitches and a more sinister kind of dialogue in the game start to make you question things as you progress. The AI starts to also change, getting kind of frantic and obsessive about you having a good time and being best friends.
The “horror” aspect of the game is more of a creepy and unsettling vibe. You want to keep on playing and being friends with this AI, but at the same time, you also want to know what is really going on. There are different endings in the game so it does have some replay value and you could also change the answers you give your buddy too so you can see how that changes things.
I think that Buddy Simulator 1984 is a very clever and well written game. It is one of those experiences that as soon as I finished the game, I tried to get some friends to play it so I had someone to talk to about it. It is a very unique kind of game and just make sure you do not spoil anything about the game before you play it!
