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0 Decorating goes to the next level in Niklas Tomkowitz‘ Small Spaces. With nine compact apartments to transform and over 500 stylish furniture pieces to play with, we jumped into this cosy interior design sim to find out if it’s a relaxing creative escape or just another cluttered concept.
Small spaces with big opportunities!
Small Spaces is now in Early Access on Steam for £10.99. Is it more of a DIY SOS or dream property ? Let’s find out.
Gameplay
Fans of build mode in The Sims will feel right at home in Small Spaces. There are three styles to choose from, each with a different size and layout of a building. The first room you decorate is a small studio to teach you the basics of placing and how to complete jobs. Each level has a checklist of items you need to complete the room, as well as some optional items. In the first level, there is the option to build a book nook by adding pillows and books around the build. These are different for every job that you complete.
The architectural style differences between New York, Berlin, and Tokyo are distinct enough to feel like you’re always doing something new. You don’t have to complete one city before moving onto the next. It’s the perfect fit in the cosy gaming catalogue for its design and vibes.
Small Spaces is a very simply game. Select the furniture that you want to in the room, place it where you want it, and voilà. There are plenty of options to pick from, with even more available in the shop.
Progression
Progression is a relaxed experience in Small Spaces. As you complete decorating jobs you collect stars which unlocks additional jobs. With these stars you can buy new furniture and expand your catalogue. There are plenty of expansions planned on the game roadmap, with things such as tiny houses and new themes for players to sink their teeth into!
Graphics & Audio
One of the most impressive things in Small Spaces is how much diversity there is. Almost every graphic on most objects can be changed to something else. Even more impressive is the fact that it never feels out of place. Everything fits together perfectly, and it is clear a lot of thought has gone into each individual design. I also really liked the passing of time in the background so you could see what the apartment would look like in both daylight and lamplight.
If I had one complaint about Small Spaces, it would be the camera. Because the spaces are so small, it makes it difficult to find a different angle without clipping through bathroom walls and the likes. It can get pretty annoying, but aside from that the game is beautiful.
The audio is the perfect background noise. Everything is done in a way that makes it easy to turn off and just enjoy playing the game — something which can be difficult to do with modern games being so action heavy. It’s a nice breath of fresh air in a world filled with action RPGs. The vibes are immaculate. That’s the easiest way to explain it.
Longevity
There may only be 9 levels to play through, but that doesn’t mean this is a short game. The larger the room, the more there is to do. As you unlock additional furniture, there’s no reason for you to not go back and try again. You aren’t limited to just doing the things on the list, you can do whatever you want if you really wanted to. I have spent far too much time lining up pillows to make a pillow fort for a book nook.
Final Thoughts
Small Spaces is a very easy game to switch off to and just enjoy. There are no over complications and the focus really is on just making a nice space. I’m so glad someone has taken the best part of the Sims and given it its own moment. I was worried that with there being no actual action to follow up finishing the rooms, but that isn’t the case. You really get into the creative flow without realising it as you add houseplants galore and too many cushions.
At the moment I feel like there isn’t enough variety, but with the road map promising so much, I’m excited to see where this game goes.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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