‘Sorry We’re Closed’ is a retro-infused, single-player survival horror game about love and demons. It is the debut title by developers à la mode games and publishers Akupara Games. After launching for PC in late 2024, Sorry, We’re Closed is now making its way to Xbox consoles on March 6, 2025. But does it deliver a memorable horror experience, or is it stuck in the past? 

From the get-go, you step into the shoes of Michelle, a convenience store clerk in an alternate queer, punk-infused London, whose life takes a traumatic turn when she’s cursed by a demonic entity known as ‘The Duchess’. This curse, known as the ‘Third Eye’, allows Michelle to visualise a hidden side to her own reality superimposed by daunting beings all linked to her past. As Michelle, you try to navigate between the two realities to hopefully lift the dreaded curse. 

Sorry We’re Closed’s gameplay has very noticeable mechanics that are a complete nod to the late 90s and early 2000s horror titles, in particular, ‘Resident Evil’ with its fixed camera angles. The game mainly sticks to the top-down styles of the PS1 era during exploration but really lacks in the way of quest markers, making it easy to get lost. 

With its first-person combat, it can be very frustrating as you cannot move while using your weapons to attack the enemies, which in turn makes trying not to take damage a bit of a task. There’s no better feeling, however, when you can string a perfect combo against the brightly coloured weak spots of the demonic enemy. 

Managing health and ammo is not my strong suit within games like these, but it is a must as it is in limited supply. Telephones and telephone booths in and around London are used as save points, which can be a godsend after doing a little dungeon crawling.

In these dungeons, you will find water bottles that can be used for health and will need to solve mini-puzzles by finding items to progress through worlds before heading back to your apartment to sleep and waking up the next day to do it all over again.

Boss battles can be hit or miss, especially with the hitboxes. While this is a pain, it doesn’t happen as frequently as I suggest, nor does it take away from the enjoyment of slaying a demonic enemy with some bullets. 

But the most interesting thing to come from the gameplay is the ‘Third Eye’ mechanic, which adds to the puzzle-solving aspect. When activated, it reveals an alternate view of your current surroundings, revealing hidden secrets, helping you defeat enemies and unblocking pathways that are needed to progress through the story. 

After spending roughly 6 hours to finish one of four multiple endings, there is a plethora of NPCs that you can engage with to help with possible hints or insights that can change the outcome of the game. 

The game features retro-inspired graphics reminiscent of late 1990s and early 2000s horror games such as ‘Silent Hill’ or the previously mentioned ‘Resident Evil’. From the get-go, this is very recognisable via the low-textured polygon models, all while being splashed into dark gothic backgrounds, while also being part visual novel with multiple dialogue choices to help shape Michelle and other characters’ paths. 

The soundtrack used in this game creates such an atmospheric feel, which suits it amazingly in every way. It really stands out the most during the Boss Battles, infusing you with original rap tracks that get the blood pumping and leave you wanting to slay more.

Sorry, We’re Closed combines a story about love, angels, and demons in a cyberpunked low-textured polygon queer world, with questionable, clunky at times combat but a soundtrack that is so good on the ears. Although I rarely dabble in this genre, I will be coming back to slay more demons again soon. 

Written by: Bradley Thorsen