I Kind Of Love Alan Wake’s Apartment
A tour of a horror writer’s home
During October, one of the first games I played was Alan Wake Remastered. It came out early in the month, and I’d missed it when it released all the way back in 2010. It’s a horror game that is all about light. A small town out of a 1980s horror novel, complete with overwrought character thoughts and a creepy town. The game is pretty fantastic, and I’m glad I had the ability to play it on my PS5 here in 2021.
But as much as I would love to talk about the gameplay or the Oh Dear Diner!, I had another thought that I couldn’t get out of my head over my playtime.
I love Alan Wake’s apartment.
It speaks to me! It’s Airbnb vibes and plain colors kind of work! There is not a lot of flash, but that’s okay. It starts with a look at the Wake digs during the early hours of the game. This is a flashback that shows the couple at home during a blizzard. Alice is getting some work done, and Alan is kind of just there. From the start, we get a good view of the layout.
Hallway and Home Office(s)
Let’s talk the Wake work spaces and hallway first. Their shared home decoration skills are perhaps a little tame. Because Alice is an artist, I would assume her ability to pick good wall art would be better. These generic city scapes are fine at best. I do like the simple lamp and couches; good place to put your shoes on. A+ for shoe action.
Home offices! Alan’s is simple and perfect for a writer. As a writer myself, I understand that extra distractions can kill the muse. Alan is quite distracted, so this is good.
Alice’s office is filled with some more stuff. Photos, a real computer, one of those lightbox things. By the way: Alan still uses a typewriter to write? He has to be like 30 years old? That seems unacceptable. His editor must hate him. Does an editor type his manuscript up? Or is it an intern?
Living Room
The blizzard is at its most wild here. This living area tells me a few things about the Wakes. For starters, they don’t have their TV hooked up. Alan seems kind of old school (hence the typewriter) so he’s likely one of those people that calls TV’s ‘boob tubes’. They have a meaty bookshelf and heavy curtains, which I applaud. This looks like a great room to read in. A+ for book-vibes.
Kitchen
Alice sends Alan (you) to start the coffee and I continue to find Alan very relatable. A hot cup of coffee on a cold night like this one? Perfection. The kitchen is clean and minimalist for sure. Simple appliances.
After the power goes out, we get a lovely scene of the couple vibing. Though Alan’s search for his wife feels a bit silly as it gets more and more convoluted, this is a good scene that I wish we could have spent more time in. It reminds me of the apartment bound scenes in Miles Morales. A simple chore, a snowy night.
Bedroom & Bathroom
We do return to the Alan Wake household one more time before credits role. We get a brief view of the bedroom and bathroom, which I also like. The washing machine near the sink is a bit odd to me, but I suppose it makes sense in a small apartment such as this. The Wake bedroom has an easy chair and yet another bookshelf, which I can applaud. A+ bookshelf placement.
Home Sweet Home
I like the Wake apartment! I’ve never been much for clutter. I would move into this apartment today if I needed too, and I would be excited to fill up these big old bookshelves.
All and all, more time with our gaming characters is always a good thing. I love seeing them in their element, away from action and terror. Simply existing in ways that fictional characters don’t always get to do.
Let’s see some more Alan apartment action in Alan Wake Part II? Maybe?
