One day, it could just happen. You’re at home, surrounded by familiar walls, and the world outside begins to unravel. What do we do in this situation? Will we slowly lose our minds? The concept of Look Outside is a little out of this world, but it was engaging enough to grab my attention.
This game is unlike anything I’ve played before. Equal parts survival-horror and turn-based RPG, Francis Coulombe’s Look Outside invites gamers to endure 15 days in a bizarre and terrifying apartment building, all while resisting the ultimate temptation — to look outside.
Apartment 33
From the moment I first heard something big barrelling toward me down a dark hallway, I was hooked — and utterly terrified. As someone who lives in an apartment building, this game was eerily relatable.
Look Outside thrives on messing with your head, whether it’s the flick of a light switch turning normal rooms into nightmares or grotesque creatures crawling out of the walls.
The game has its fair share of creepy curiosities… From monsters made of teeth and the haunted cries of babies to smiling faces that just stare back at you from the darkness.
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I sought help from a neighbour who turned out to be desperate for some affection. I let him kiss me twice (reluctantly) before I tried to kill him. But he had a sense I would betray him. Turns out, he had a sneaky trick — he flashed me a deadly Polaroid (of all things) to try to end my run. Thankfully, saving the game beforehand saved me.
There are two game modes you can play on, “Easy”, which was my preference, and “Normal”, which offers players fewer resources and the inability to save whenever you want.
The tension is constant. You never know what’s waiting behind a door, and sometimes, escaping isn’t even an option. I greatly valued the choice to save at any point.
Balancing Strategy and Survival
Combat is all turn based. You select a move for each party member — whether that’s attacking, using an item or guarding — and then let that that turn play out. There’s many different status effects that can change the next turn, both for you or and your enemy. I found Dan’s acid vomit attack particularly useful…
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The game keeps you busy. You’ve got stats like hygiene, morale, and anxiety to manage, and everyday actions — like playing video games, doing crossword puzzles, showering — affect them all.
Gear matters too. There’s plenty to discover along the way, from your basic butter knife to a flamethrower and a cursed blade that drains life. There’s a big variety of gear to equip to your party, but unfortunately no visual to compliment them. I would’ve loved to see my moth companion in a cowboy hat or sneakers.
Crafting’s simple but useful (cloth + gasoline = molotov), and optimising your party’s equipment is key to survival. I often found myself collecting items with no idea on what to do with them. I think at one point I had three “vintage consoles”, which I sold to a trader for cash (hope that wasn’t a mistake).
Exploring The Inside
Exploring the building is both fascinating and horrifying. The longer you play, the worse things get — your neighbours’ transformations go from bad to worse, with tentacles and extra eyes making frequent appearances.
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By day eight, my apartment was packed with survivors: a couple of punks, a hardcore gamer, a kid looking for her mum, a spooky entity, and even a roach family.
Your apartment is where you’ll need to return each day before you completely lose your mind. The longer you explore, the more experience points you get when you return.
At first, the elevator is broken, so you’ll navigate through the stairwell to each floor and search through various rooms. Each room offered something unique and served a purpose, whether that’s new gear or a key item to progress.
Later in the game, there’s a carpenter you meet who can upgrade your apartment should you have the right materials.
Humanity Amid the Horror
As horrifying as the game is, it also has some weirdly touching moments.
One creature just wanted to be hugged and loved, but he was made entirely out of razor sharp teeth. I gave in and embraced it… Only to be killed. I don’t know what I expected.
Another moment saw me helping an abandoned, “grotesquely deformed” child who just wanted to play with a friend. As messed up as this was, it was oddly nice to help this child in need.
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Classic Gaming
The game’s 16-bit pixel art style captures that classic RPG feel incredibly well — it’s old school with a modern flair. Look Outside is also entirely in the 4:3 aspect ratio, with the game automatically launching in a small window from Steam.
The close-up character portraits — like when you’re talking to an NPC or looking in the mirror — are particularly haunting, showcasing exaggerated, expressive features that range from smiles to grotesque body horror.
And to top it all off, the game is very polished — I experienced just one very minor glitch in my 11 hours of game time.
Should I buy Look Outside?
There’s so much to love about this completely fucked up game. The multiple endings keep things interesting. My first playthrough ended on a pretty depressing note, but I saved before making the leap towards the finish, then reverted back to continue exploring.
The game scores you based on how many friends you made, bosses you defeated, and the ending you unlocked, so there’s plenty of incentive to try again.
Look Outside absolutely nails the horror-apocalypse vibe while blending in RPG and puzzle mechanics. It’s messed up, creepy, and downright fun… in a weird way. Retro gamers and horror fans — this one’s definitely worth checking out.
Look Outside is available now on PC for just $15.
Quest Daily scores Look Outside:
8.5/10
A review copy of Look Outside was supplied to Quest Daily for the purpose of this article.
