Do skyrocketing property prices and a cost-of-living crisis mean your only shot at a dream gaming room is bingeing YouTube setup tours? Rest easy — MakeRoom has you covered.
The cosy arranger lets you live out your boldest interior design ambitions — no bank pre-approval or tradie dramas required. It’s a game built for comfort-seekers and wannabee stylists alike.
Right from the menu — with its fluttering birds and swaying trees — you’re welcomed into a calm, cosy world of room-making, object-tinkering, and serotonin-boosting soundscapes.
Getting Comfy: First Steps in Diorama Delight
Not everyone has the grand vision of a Pinterest demigod — sometimes you just need a little nudge. MakeRoom gets that. Play mode gives you some objectives within its thoughtfully pre-set dioramas to get those creative wheels spinning. Studio nook, art shed, gaming den… Or something offbeat, like curating a vampire’s living room or decking out a spy HQ.
I appreciated the light-touch prompts that give you direction without ever boxing in your creativity. However, I was yearning for a little more narrative meat on those creative bones: Some stories? Clients bringing their décor dilemmas? More reasons to fuss over every detail?
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Once you’ve worked your way through the pre-set dioramas, you and your creativity (or lack thereof…) are on your own in Create Mode. There are three broad spaces to play in: rooms, vans, and gardens — each an entirely blank slate.
MakeRoom boasts a catalogue of over 1,000 unique items; at first, it feels like interior heaven. Fancy a plush armchair? How about 38 to choose from. Sofa options, clock styles, assorted decorative bits and bobs — it’s a feast for compulsive arrangers.
However, over time, I found myself craving a bit more. Where were the musical instruments? More artwork? You do unlock new items as you play, and the game hints at a mysterious system of “secret codes.” Though, I have yet to crack the code — literally.
Object Creator: Tools, Triumpths and Tiny Tantrums
If the limits of what’s on offer start boxing you in, MakeRoom offers you the whole toolbox. The object creator mode lets you craft custom furniture and items from scratch. With lots of prefab legs and tabletops, it definitely leans toward furniture. However, with enough patience and determined tinkering, you could probably build nearly anything. I built an acoustic guitar!
That said, I didn’t find it the most intuitive tool. Maybe that’s on me for never dabbling in 3D design, but it was a learning curve (with a side of frustration). I stuck with it, though, and found myself more than satisfied with what I cobbled together.
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The Vibes: Sights, Sounds and Seretonin
Low-poly, soft-edged visuals lend everything a gentle, inviting atmosphere, with just enough detail to keep your dioramas feeling real and alive (and yes, there are both dogs and cats).
However, the real feast for the senses is in the audio; a standout of gentle piano tracks, setting the mood somewhere between nostalgic and meditative. Layer that with a pretty fantastic array of ambient sounds from which you can choose — rain, thunder, birdsong, or even city traffic (you do you) — and you’re in a supremely immersive chill-out session.
The photo mode deserves full marks as well, letting you immortalise your cosiest creations with plenty of ways to personalise the shot.
Wish List: Some Small Desires Along the Cosy Way
While MakeRoom offers a lovely variety of décor to spark your creativity, I often found myself wanting more — extra trinkets and treasures that would help make each scene feel even more personal and lived-in.
A locking feature would also do wonders by keeping items grouped together — moving my shelf full of books and knick naks one item at a time? No thanks!
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And if you’re a perfectionist — or an “alignment enthusiast” — fair warning: getting every detail just-so is where the game gently tests your inner calm. Here’s hoping for an alignment feature!
Should I buy MakeRoom?
MakeRoom does a great job at being exactly what it promises: a gentle, open-ended sandbox where you can design, decorate, and daydream to your heart’s content. It’s off to a quietly brilliant start, and with the developers constantly listening to feedback, I suspect even more features and items — maybe even a guitar better than mine — are on the horizon.
If your idea of bliss is fussing over the colour and position of tiny virtual pillows, or if you’re an aspiring designer who can’t face unpacking another real-world box, MakeRoom is the virtual retreat you’ve been waiting for.
Quest Daily scores MakeRoom:
8.5/10
MakeRoom is available on August 7th for PC via Steam.
A review copy of MakeRoom was supplied to Quest Daily for the purpose of this review.
