Sorry We're Closed

About Sorry We're Closed

Sorry We're Closed is the first game by à la mode games, a two-person studio from Bournemouth, published by Akupara Games. It came out on PC on 14 November 2024, and on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S and Nintendo Switch on 6 March 2025. Michelle works in a corner shop in London and is still getting over her ex-girlfriend, until the Duchess, an archdemon, places a curse on her: love her back within three days, or die.

The game is built like the survival horror games of the late 1990s. Rooms are seen from fixed camera angles, you manage an inventory of health and ammunition, and you collect items to solve puzzles and trade with the people you meet. Tank controls are there for anyone who wants them, beside modern controls. Each night you first explore the city and talk to its residents, then head into a combat stage with demons, puzzles and a boss. Early stages include an abandoned London Underground station and the Duchess's hotel.

When a fight starts, the view switches to a fixed first-person aim. Michelle carries an axe, the Hellhound pistol and a shotgun, and a charged Heartbreaker shot hits hard. Her curse also gives her the Third Eye: with a snap of her fingers she sees the demon world laid over her own, freezing enemies in place, exposing weak spots and revealing hidden doors and secret identities.

Her street is full of neighbours, angels and demons, each with problems of their own, and how you talk to them changes the ending you get. Beyond the story there is a Time Attack mode, New Game+ and accessibility options such as aim assist, infinite healing and button remapping. On Switch you can aim with the gyroscope.

It mixes real horror, gore and boss fights with a bright neon look, dry humour and a queer love story. Critics mostly praised its story and characters, while some found the combat weaker; Bloody Disgusting compared its areas to Silent Hill but wished its puzzles were harder. It won Debut Game at the Indie Game Awards 2025. It suits players who like classic survival horror with a strong style, and who do not mind talking as much as shooting.

How to play Sorry We're Closed

1. Explore Michelle's street and the demon world in fixed-camera rooms, picking up items and ammunition.
2. Snap open the Third Eye to see hidden things between the two worlds and solve puzzles.
3. When a demon attacks, aim in first person and shoot its weak points, using the Third Eye to expose them.
4. Manage your inventory of health and ammunition and trade items with the people you meet.
5. Talk to the neighbourhood's residents; your dialogue choices lead to different endings.

Tips

• Use the Third Eye in every new room; many secrets only show through it.
• Aim for weak points rather than spraying shots; hitting them saves ammunition.
• Talk to everyone more than once; the residents' stories open up over the days.
• Try tank controls if you want the classic feel, or turn on aim assist and other options in the accessibility menu.
• Play again on New Game+ to see other story paths with your upgrades kept.
• Try the free demo on Steam first to see whether the fixed camera and first-person aiming suit you.

Questions