Before Close

Before Close follows the late-night routine of Jared, a janitor assigned to clean an empty laundromat. The building is quiet, mostly deserted, and lit with flickering neon. Jared is told not to enter a certain hallway by Walt, the clerk who always seems distant. There’s no immediate danger, no sudden threat. But the silence starts to press in, and the warning about the hallway begins to feel heavier. The player is left to explore, wait, and decide whether curiosity is worth the risk.

A Simple Job With Unusual Rules

You start your shift as expected—tidying up, checking in with Walt, and moving through the laundromat’s limited space. Dialogue is sparse but telling, and it becomes clear that Jared’s presence may not be routine after all. Walt’s lines change slightly depending on your choices. Most of the tension doesn’t come from action but from observation. The hallway remains closed, and its presence becomes more unsettling with each minute.

Player Decisions and Key Events

What shapes the experience is not what happens suddenly, but what you choose to do:

·         Whether to open doors or leave them alone

·         How much attention to pay to Walt’s dialogue

·         What you observe about the environment’s changes

·         If you enter restricted areas

·         Which actions lead to different outcomes

Each of these decisions leads the story toward one of a few possible endings, each with its own tone and implication.

Building Dread Without Force

The game doesn’t rely on visual horror or chase scenes. Instead, it leans on stillness, space, and audio cues. Small sounds, like a hum that lingers too long or a voice that arrives too late, pull the player deeper into a strange atmosphere. You might find yourself walking past the same hallway again and again, wondering if this time, something will be different. It’s not a scream that unsettles—it’s the long silence before it.

A Short Experience With Long Impact

Before Close takes only a short time to finish, but its effects linger. Players are left with more questions than answers, and that’s intentional. What is Walt hiding? Why the hallway? Was Jared really just there to clean? These aren’t mysteries that get solved—they’re invitations to think. The game rewards quiet attention, and for those who enjoy stories told in fragments and shadows, it offers just enough to spark the imagination.