It’s 1958 in Montreal, Canada. You (Sophie) are a hardworking, timid maid, working at the illustrious Clarington Hotel, under the grasp of a tyrannical manager. Your day is like any other, cleaning and refreshing scheduled rooms, whilst harmlessly snooping in the belongings within. Welcome to This Bed We Made.
You enter room 505 to realise that the occupant has been spying on you. Pictures catching you in the act of snooping are hung above the bath. And so your adventure begins. Using your snooping skills and the help of your chosen acolyte to discover who this person is. Unlocking more mystery, new characters, deadly secrets, and a decision that would change everything in this tale of love, heartbreak, and murder.
A Fun Fact
This mystery game was released in 2023 by up-and-coming indie developers and publishers Lowbirth Games. They are based in Montreal, Canada, the same location as the fictional hotel in This Bed We Made. Lowbirth Games also received a nomination for the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Video Game in 2024.
The Scoop
This Bed We Made is story-heavy, focusing on narrative experiences centred on curiosity, emotional depth, relationships, and consequences. Each new piece of the puzzle has you asking more questions, and when you find the next piece, you may come to realise that your view on situations has shifted.
This Bed We Made starts in a detective-noir setting. You’re sat at a table in a room being questioned. The game then sets you in the Clarington Hotel, at the start of the day in question. Lowbirth Games has done such a good job creating a story-dense tale that you forget you’re technically reliving the very experiences being investigated.
You, as the protagonist, have a lot of free will in how you move around the story. Although the main mystery, clues, and locations you are in stay the same, you can choose to throw out certain pieces, move things around, or even hold onto certain items.
There are smaller subplots that you come across; think of them as ‘side missions’. You can decide to intervene or simply pass them by. From romance between colleagues to underlying resentment between staff, your decisions will also determine their fates.
However, every decision you make will affect the ending result of the game. This does not just begin and end with the main mystery, but includes all other characters in This Bed We Made.
The Acolyte
You have the option between two acolytes in the main story. Beth, a flirtatious, no-nonsense receptionist; and Andrew, a book-loving, intelligent bellboy. They will assist you in key moments of the story, often acting as a watch for anyone coming and going.
You will basically be talking to this character for the rest of This Bed We Made and can decide how this relationship progresses, with the option of romancing. Due to the multiple endings, Beth and Andrew make replayability more enticing, as they have multiple dialogue options.
Age of Conformity
This Bed We Made does well to set the scene in the 1950s. Its bold saturated hues and pastel shades can be seen throughout the hotel. The art and design of food, toys, and cleaning supplies around the building are inspired by many brands from the time. The protagonist and NPCs are also sporting period-accurate outfits and hairstyles.
The reality of life in the 1950s is very present, especially with the societal expectations. This especially promotes the ideal suburban housewife archetype and the financially providing, head-of-household husband. Flyers, posters, and magazines can be seen strewn about the hotel, highlighting period-specific stigmas.
This Bed We Made also utilises cool, noir-inspired lighting, specifically in the detective room scenes at the start and end, bringing to life the neo-noir 50’s aesthetic of this murder mystery.
Allies
This Bed We Made has done a fantastic job in creating an understanding of what this time period was like. Lowbirth Games have worked hard on blending in the struggles and stigmas for those struggling with mental health or in the LGBTQ+ scene at the time. How living in a world that tells you how to live and breathe feels like your existence is counteracting just that. The feelings of shame, confusion, desire, and acceptance are palpable.
An Ear for Music
The music throughout This Bed We Made is brilliant, with atmospheric piano and vintage-style orchestral cues. Even the notes add an air of mystery and intrigue. Samuel Desrosiers is the composer, and the soundtrack can be found on streaming services such as Spotify and YouTube Music.
The sound effects are also something to be admired. In rooms, you can hear footsteps coming and going nearby, putting you on edge and wondering if you will be found snooping. Walking through the hotel, you will notice muffled voices going by, and, specifically in the reception, you can occasionally hear the traffic outside. Going closer to doors can allow you to hear the conversations inside, and the clattering of work taking place by your colleagues.
A great moment to appreciate both is the title screen. The suspenseful, noir-inspired track perfectly captures the mystery and thrill awaiting. Both acolytes are behind the front desk working. You can hear the tapping of the keyboard as Beth works at the computer. Cars are passing by beyond the hotel’s front doors behind you, and occasionally muffled conversations between hotel visitors can be heard. The intentions put down by Lowbirth Games were definitely being picked up.
Playing The Role
The voice actors did a superb job in embodying the vocals of their characters. Sophie, voiced by Victoria Diamond, is softly spoken in low tones. Even when she becomes more animated, her voice stays true to her character’s personality.
Beth, voiced by Zoe Tremblay-Bianco, is more throaty and sharp. She delivers her lines with purpose and intent, which really hits when her character has altercations with the manager, or when she needs to be more persuasive.
Andrew, voiced by Robert Naylor, is timid like Sophie, but a little more socially awkward. He verbalises liking to understand people and becomes more animated when discussing books or mysteries.
Little Niggles
The game supports the use of an Xbox controller. However, performance can be a little jittery compared to keyboard and mouse, which is a smoother experience.
There are minor glitches such as phone cords disappearing into tables, doors and drawers not fully opening, and reports of choppy frames. Some character models and animations are also noted at times to look stiff or rigid during dialogues and movement. Specifically, Sophie can seem stiff when moving her around.
It is important to note that the game is made by a small indie developer, and so small niggles are bound to appear. None of which are deal breakers when it comes to experiencing and enjoying the game.
This Bed We Made has multiple endings based on the choices you make along its playthrough. Should you desire a different outcome, you can go back and alter how you leave the scene. However, there are no skip options for cut scenes, and not all dialogue can be skipped unless it is not main story relevant. Meaning that to go back, you will have to sit through all of it again, watching the same scenes over. This can become not only time-consuming but quite monotonous. It would be great to see a skip option added in the future.
You’ve made your bed, now lie in it
So the dreaded question. Is This Bed We Made worth it?
Absolutely. It is not a difficult game, nor is it a walk in the park. The difficulty is set just right, so you can keep up with the storylines and still feel the intrigue of mystery. You really feel like your decisions matter. Will you be happy in the belief that you made the right decision? Or fumbled somewhere you hadn’t realised and are now facing the consequences?
Lowbirth Games have proven that they can spin a thriller-mystery game that leaves you wanting more, and if so, you’d be in luck! The developers have released their DLC, Lost & Found: A This Bed We Made Story.
Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S
Developer: Lowbirth Games
Publisher: Lowbirth Games
Key Provided By: PressEngine
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