The Tenants

[h2]The One That Got Away[/h2] You ever have a game you were excited for, followed the journey from the beginning and expected great things, only to realize the developers may have run off to a deserted island, never to return? Well, welcome to The Tenants, a landlord sim that had all the potential in the world during early access until Ancient Forge seemingly put it on their “things we’re totally going to get back to” list and never looked at it again once it made its official release. Let’s start with the fact that it’s been over a year with zero updates, bug fixes, or even a cheeky apology post. At this point, I’d settle for a smoke signal or a carrier pigeon just to confirm they still exist. Meanwhile, the game remains a glorious mess: lag, random freezes, UI bugs, and gameplay glitches that somehow got worse after early access. We were promised new content and DLC, and what did we get? A small content pack with pet-themed furniture items. Did I want a bunch of toilet roll holders in various animal shapes that didn't match any of the other bathroom furniture? No. But apparently, that’s the only thing the devs thought we needed. One thing the game does have going for it is its poly art style, which gives everything a crisp, charming look. Unfortunately, that charm doesn’t extend to the world itself. Despite the car and pedestrian loops, the environment feels lifeless, as if everything is just going through the motions rather than existing in a living, breathing space. There’s no real sense of immersion, despite there being other homes, restaurants, parks, etc., making the world feel oddly empty. Just because this is a casual sim doesn’t mean it has to lack meaning. Other games in the genre manage to create a sense of place, personality, and vibrancy, but here, it feels like a missed opportunity. It's not fun when the only glimpse you have of the world interacting with you and your choices is confined to the small space of the apartment you're in. And let’s talk about the information loop fiasco after each of the few additional updates we did receive. Like new players unknowingly getting stuck in tutorial purgatory, desperately trying to get the shower, fridge, and toilet to function, except nobody told them these objects need to be within the range of their respective outlets. Why? Because the tutorial was never updated to reflect this new feature, and players at that stage don’t even have the option to modify outlets anyway. Truly, a masterclass in game design oversight. This issue persists as new elements seemingly get introduced out of nowhere during gameplay progression. [h2]Final Verdict:[/h2] This game was fantastic during early access and I loved every hour I played. Now? It feels like the developers pulled off the ol’ cash grab and vanish routine. The games they released after the fact seem to be in the same boat as they're all terribly reviewed and abandoned. If they had been upfront about their intention to release it, take the money, and run, I might have at least respected the honesty. Instead, we got empty promises and a collective ghosting worthy of an ex who refuses to text back. Would I recommend it? Only if you enjoy playing abandoned projects while hoping for updates that will never come. They are gearing up to release their 5th game after repeating this behavior with 4 other titles. I'm not sure how they still have a fan base or are allowed to sell on Steam.