It’s no small responsibility to bear great power, as a certain friendly webslinger is often associated with, but it can also become a tool of corruption in the wrong hands. In such cases, it brings an addictive thrill that makes the blood sing and creates a sense of immunity from consequences, serving as a breeding ground for aggressive, egocentric tendencies.
Rules of Residence, the upcoming political simulation title from Japanese indie developer Toydium Inc., puts players in a position of authority – a member of the management committee of an apartment block initially chalked up as a dream home, helmed by an iron-fisted chairman. As both a mom and the newest addition to the council, they can directly influence decisions that impact residents by rewriting existing rules and shaping a new future.
And not necessarily for the better, either. While becoming a shining beacon of hope against tyranny is the ideal outcome, it’s also possible to nurture a culture of dictatorship, with various factors complicating the decision-making process, such as consideration for your own family, the possibility of being backstabbed, a heap of issues that require careful prioritisation, and time-specific conditions. It presents an interesting tug-of-war between personal well-being and community needs, with a 20-minute hands-on preview at Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2026 painting a very encouraging picture of its vision.
The tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) influence is immediately recognisable and most heavily reminiscent of ZA/UM’s isometric RPG Disco Elysium, starting with the art style. There’s a handcrafted quality to its visuals, rooted in bold strokes and vibrant colours that evoke the latter’s painterly aesthetic but lean into unsettling eeriness rather than gritty noir bleakness. At the start of each week, the only time players can make a decision, the scenery changes to a sketch of the apartment, adorned with cross-hatching touches, where people of interest and a checklist of prerequisites for available tasks are highlighted.
Gameplay mechanics, too, carry the same air of familiarity. Like the 2019 title, Rules of Residence features dice-rolling events, a text-heavy format, and a choice-and-consequence system that combines strategy and unpredictability. Picking up from Month 6, Week 1, the build tasks players with laying down a rule on nighttime use of the emergency stairs by the end of the week, with progress tied to a weekly turn-based structure. Investigating tasks reveals new information and raises rank, making it easier to enforce the regulation.
Of course, not all of them are easily accessible. Each task has different conditions – from manpower to specific evidence or a mix of both – that are presented as cards in a row at the bottom of the screen, where a resident’s traits (Law, Technology, Stamina, Life, Finance, and Culture) and morale, or Action, are listed. As the starting choice in the Rules of Residence demo, Ai Minazuki was deployed for a task involving reviewing emergency stairwell security footage.
Here’s where the second obstacle comes into play: luck. Completing a task hinges on a dice check, with the number of successful faces determined by the resident’s Drive attribute. After meeting the target of two rolls of three or less, the camera records uncovered information about a shadowy silhouette, unlocking the next phase of investigation where Ai, now with fewer Action points, is no longer the sole prerequisite.
Fortunately, the successful attempt has opened up a path to increasing headcount. Heading into the second week, players can talk to residents and suss out more details about the figure’s potential identity, setting up an encounter with Azuki Idobata, who joins the party. Then it’s time for some dice-rolling action – barely scraping by this time – and, again, new developments surface.
As the Board Meeting looms, another resident interaction offers a glimpse of the choice system and administrative standing. Armed with new knowledge about the current residents and management committee, the ability to discern truth and prioritise needs will be put to the test, serving as a warm-up to the Board Meeting taking place in the following week. Alas, a rule restricting nighttime use of emergency stairs was enforced, tipping the scales in favour of Obedience and ending the preview.
The brief 20-or-so minutes didn’t allow deeper exploration of the more interesting mechanics, such as balancing resident demands with the player’s physical and mental health, different outcomes, and delegating residents to positions that best align with their traits, but the political intrigue, as well as the oppressive atmosphere of the Board Meeting, were conveyed well. Those familiar with Disco Elysium and its ilk will take to Rules of Residence with ease, and its mouse-only controls make onboarding extremely beginner-friendly – even if some find the minimal hand-holding disorienting at first.
It’s also unclear how the outcomes would differ with failed rolls, since Lady Luck was out in full force during the preview (yay for a 100 percent pass rate!). However, Toydium teases in its official description that “every action ripples across the block, eventually creating a cascade of countless possibilities,” and the added stress of managing money as another resource can be expected, with fund extortion available as a potential workaround. For now, the game is shaping up to be a fascinating study in power dynamics and player agenda, as well as a welcome departure from the traditional sim formula.
Rules of Residence debuts sometime in 2027.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
